Evening star., 1934-03-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

cially those who have attended plays
regularly for . long period Of years.
They really get more pleasure talk
ing about them afterward than they
did in attending them In the frst
place.
1t IS dimcult to explain, but you
can notice it when any two persons
get together who saw movie yester-
day.
They love to talk it over" mention
the high spots, 60 over the poor fea-
lures, bring out the best of the Jokes.
How nat some Of these jokes sound, as
they tell them, minus the glamour Of
the stage and its audience.
Yet to those ''reminiscencing" thus
they are mighty fine jokes.
There must be something exception
ally interesting about the stage, II one
may judge from this hold 1t has on its
devoteeS.
Base ball has it. Yachting has it.
Not exactly in the same degree.
There Is sort Of comraderie of the
theater which exists in the same form
in no other occupation.
Read Miss Eva lie Gallienne,s "At
80" and see.
Something Of this finds its way to
the spectators; sticks in their minds
forever.
The literature Of the world is full
Of the fascination Of the stage, show
ing the great impression it makes.
In one Of Alexandra Dumas little
known stories. "Olympe de Cleves,"
there is scene showing . young monk
scaling the monastery walls to take
part in a performance Of one of the
great French dramas. Half way
through, he suddenly realizes that two
OF his fathers superior are seated in
the audience. Do they recognize him
in the part? He never waits to find
out, but fees that evening with the
heroine.
1t Is the fascination of the stage
which, once 1t grips a person properly,
never let's 60 its hold.
Not all persons, Of course, become
victims OF this most entertaining
malady.
Some find that the years take them
farther and farther away from the
stage, so that at last their stagecraft
consists entirely Of reminiscence.
Almost every theatergoer, however.
will have some one particular time
during his youth, to which he looks
back most fondly.
With some, in Washington, 1t will
be the old Aborn Opera Company
that returns most kindly to memory.
Over period OF several years they
presented opera in both its grand and
comic phases. Although one was
fated to see many performances since
by opera companies whose stars were
Of vast fame and fortune, those
greatly enjoyed presentations in stock
so many years ago stin loom as quite
the correct versions
Not only were all the old favorites
there among the grand operas. the
finer Of the light" operas were given,
too.
They were true light operas" with
just that mixture of common sense
and frivolity which made them stand
out from musical comedies" some
how. Many of the latter were given.
too. in several Summer seasons, SO
that the faithful attendant In time
came to have rather good grasp of
soms Of the worlds better attempts
in musical theatrical presentation
Those old performances may have
been hurried, but they were well done,
and carried conviction to all who saw
them, as we'll as afforded them many
happy hours Of entertainment. The
theater is one endeavor that never
had to build up any false front Of
service" or the like: it has existed
since earliest times for one purpose,
that Of entertainment 1t wears no
false face in that, at least,