The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-08
In New York
nx PAUL MAIeRIsON

New Yofk--MetnuotlnKb puvk" stage; Viewed from behind the scenes, the props and devices. used in "invitRtion to Murder" the iethal mystory-drama, are not ln the loast creepy but are no less interesting.
 You sec . man calmly operat. Ing tho trnpdoor through which q character is supposed to drop Into eternity. He drops Into tho arms of waiting stagehandB ... You see other mon operating tho wind machine which blows the palm fronds against the windows of the set. Other helpers manufacture fog, which drifts past the view of the audience In dismal solemnlty. They mako the fog by passing oxygon through three big Jars of some sort of acid, and the result Is clouds of realistic vnpor. 4. Most interesting of all is the spanish throne chair, a real anti que belonging the Rufus King, tho author. He bought it when he found it had trick arm which could be raised, like Q lever, and presumably could Do made to .op: such aB . trap door. Tho chair | mont, because it suggested the play.
 The Real Thing.
 The thoater goes in for realism more than you'd think. Critical folk sometimes crltielso period cos. tunes, but as often ag not the costumes turn out actually to have boen worn during the tlne repre-. scented In the play ... In "Ah. WI. dernoss!" Mafgery Marquis actual. iy does some embroidery, and Edn Heineman really hemB q towel. rho hem and tho embroidery are ripped out by . patient stasehand after each performance.
 I've written about the food the real bluefish' and lobster, But realism doesn't stop there. When George M. Cohon picks up q book and says, "Ah, Carlyle's French msyoiu!ion'." ,t actually is tnt papers p..I,S shs Sess,s ss rsas wsrs prn, sa ou. 'sn's'SRA sn NRA 'Y insisna.' S ''ad And " ths cIgarets used wore nude up on order to the manufacturer because they came In smaller packages ln 1908.
 Talent In Thc House.
 There are q lot more actresseA than the customers knew about working at the American Music Hall, which Is q rem0deled church where n beer.and. .pretsel revival of "The Drunkard" Is being pre-. sented. Tables were installed ln place of tho pews. 50 barmaids had to be hired. These barmaids, and eve nthe tieket.takers, all are seasoned performers ... There's Virginia Deane, q lass from Kan sas who has played in stock companies. And Virginia Warren Whitney, who comes from Mid, dletown, Conn, but makes . hobby of dialects, especially .upplty Eng. fish. which always intrigue her peared in several musicals, and can sing, dance and juggle four steins at the samo time. Victoria Horne is q maglclan'g daughter who studied with the Moscow Art theater, trouped in stock, and once even produced q play herself. Jane ToWniey ig e Missouri young. ster who played Shakespeare when she was IS.
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 More Kisses aEd Cheers.
 | There's just no. getting away from revivais. "rhe Drunkard' Is settled for q long run; "The Black Crook" opens son on the Bowery; and some Yale and smith college students have formed 2 company to do ''Ten Nights In q Barroom." The Mississippi Show boat Players have steamed into town son ., train trsin' ,ors and w.uv. are re, Sy Our Nell" East Lynne" and
 Their showboat is moored back at Gaiesburg, H., but otherwise everything will be the same--nc Ichange in technique, no burlesque- ing of lines. They've even got an ls4-year-oid fiddler to play for square dances after the final cur- tain.
 These showboat folk have an |ingratiating way about them. A lcouple of years ago one of the troupes was playing "Ten Nights in a Barroom'' In a theater right near Broadway, and although the performance was indescripabiy bad the company prospered. A Mr Billy Bryant, the manager, ] would came out and yell: "lf you people think this is rotten, just wait until you see our ''HnmIetl" The mere threat was sufficient, because everyone would applaud |in the hope that the players would : not bother about "f1amiat." Also He got to be 2 joke for eveFyoue Iwho'A been vicsiulixed Co 9p about praislng the show to hIs frisne..:; 7: