New Britain herald., 1927-04-16
THE OBSER YER
Makes Random Observations
On the City and Its People


worlds going 10 the stage. as the
Bard Of Avon might express HIM
SELF il he We're alive today. OF all
classes OF entertainment none can
equal the legitimate theater. This
is said with all due respect TO the
movies whore the bulk OF Ameri-
cans spend their idle hours. Motion
pictures represent an enormous In
dusrry and millions o: spectators sit
in silence daily as the film is pro-
jccr"d onto the screen. But there
is something about a legitimate the
alter which is even NOR" fascinating.
1t is one thing 10 Sc the picture OF
a famous actor or actress pass be
fore you; it is sourthiug else alto
gother to See that actor or actress
in tho flesh. to hear III" voice ana
feel I'll" presence Of someone who
has attained an exalted station in
the world OF entertainment.
ii watching the cast is fascinating
watching the audience is letter
sport. The proper time TO indulge
in this pastime is while the th"ater-
g0ers are passing down the aisicS o.
the playhouse to their seats. \ cleV-
CT character reader could pass an
enjoyable evening in this way,
one Of the most disagrccahlo
types OF woman seen in the thog'er
is the Grand dame who thinks Shn
is mad" OF superior clay. She
sweeps TO her seat With nose tilted
in tho air and complains in a shri.l
voice because the seats her husband
has selected DO not suit her. With
out considering the people already
seated who would like 10 IDOL. over
their programs or gaze around the
house quietly, she prociaims loudly
that something will have to be done
about it. She thus hopes to impress
others with her Importance. The
husband usually mcellly agrees that
the seats are not as desirahla IS
they might be but eXpostulatos in
undertoncs against her making Q ,
scene.
An incident OF this kind in
which the worm turned-OcCurr, d /
not long ago in q legitimate thaat'-
in an adjoining city. Tie grand |
dame had some OF her friends wi II !
her and wished to play to tn" ~r.. Id- /
stands. She objected to H., cats
objected Violently. Her h. .r.'.l ,. i'm I
order to appease her. vs. "" 10
TIN box Office. He rctrr..-d It .....- F..
ute later his FACE beaming. and |
announced in low tones: 'Wcll, ! .
have somyt hing better. We're going !
to sit in box" Ills wife appeared |
stunned. Il shalt not sit in a box.
George she declared with a tone |
OF nnality. George looked hcr
straigh, in the eye, apparently tired .
Of her childishnoss. and said quietly I
but firmly: Il have tickets for box .
seats. You're going TO sit in box .
or you're not going to see the SHOW
at all" Tn" lady subsidized. h'r
friends tittered-and they all went
and sat in Il box. ThoS" who were /
near enough TO take in the scene T
and hear the debate felt like giving /
three cheers for George.
Another theatergorr. equally as
obuoxious-ycs, it's Il mans tn" !
chap who has seen al the shows |
on broadway and is simply disgust /
FL with anything in a smaller clly. /
II might be said here that appear
ance on Broadway IS no criterion or |
n shows value. 1t frequently nap |
pens that Il road company Is the |
equal if not the peer OF the COM |
pary which is cmptying the pockets |
OF the big butter and egg men ana !
OF hers who visit the metropolis. But
this confirmed tEoatergocr believes
that nothing Of merit can pc pro
duced off Broadway. lie lnterIardS
the dialog OF the cast with re- !
marks Of his own. comparing the !
actor who is appearing at the mo-
ment with one who has the same /
role in a Broadway presentations
Some day theater audience is go
ing to rise up in righteous lndlsha-
lion and cast ths disturber through
the kettle drum.
There is the FIRST nightcr"-not |
AZ the term is generally accepted
but the young thing, male or l'-
male. whose experience IN the inc
alter has been limited. who THINKS
that everything is "ptritrtiy Noh-
der,,ll' and who believes it his or
hnr duty to laugh every time the
comedian saws something or does ;
something. But even this individual
is preferable to the opposite type
or man--it usually is mah-"ho
slumps down in his seat, ilAes
frown on his face and deltes me
cast 10 amusc or interest him. BE
tween the act in the theater lobby |
he may be heard discourslnS on me |
fact that there are no more goo"
shows" He is a pest Who deserves
Il SLOW and painful death. n" no
vice at the thcater Is lmhued Win |
enthusiasm, and it's great to Toe en-
thusjastic; the old timer VINO SIM
ply won't admit he's having 5000
time is q plague.
Audiences change with the type
OF show being produced. Al heaN!
drama. for example. the chalrs are
occupied mostly by elderly people
Nany al them are Serious Thinkers ,
and pronounce drama as il it were
spelled dray-ma. Their broWs falr-
" bulge and they wipe their smell
trimmed spectacles vigorously pc
tween curtains as they discuss inc
good or bad points OF the actors
Snrinlled throughout the house ma! |
be seen n few sub debs who feei
il their duty to attend so they may |
be "up" on the current attractions.
The happiest audience is tound
NJ n musical comedy. They are out
for a good time and insist on nav
ing it. They applaud the comediah'
applaud the dancers, the singers
and the chorus girls and even clap
their hands in delight for the pc
tween fhe-acts numbers OF the Or