Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-06
la+ecomers
To Theater
Annoying
Actor Jose Ferrer
Tells Of TriaIs
By DAMON RUNYON


NOT long ago our friends. the
Joe TurpS of Brooklyn, had
IAN adventure with a group OF
NOISY arrivals in a theater whose
uproar caused Ethel Turp TO give
them stiff lecture on manners
and consideration for others.
The apocryphal incident moved
Josie terror TO SIT down in his
home al OSSinIng, \. Y, where
the big sur Is located and add
few thoughts of his own from
a professional standpoint on the
subject OF this theatrical NUS
ance.
Josie F'errcr is fine young
actor whose "Charley'S Aunt IN
recent revival of the comedy
antique was accounted one of
the greatest 'auntS' in years.
and the American stage has
seen some swell "auntS, at that.
Apparently thinking we might
not remember IL, Ferrer remarks
that his first New York job was
second policeman in the stage
production of "A Slight Case OF
Murder.
We remember, all right We
did not think he was as perfect
IN that role as the first police
man. but then Ferrer had the
disadvantage Of the duties of
assistant stage manager in addi-
ton TO his thespian functions,
and lacked time 10 study his
part. Welt. then. let us hear
what he has TO say about the
late arrivals.
"REING an actor Che says
~ little problem like a gang
OF white shirt-fronts and ermine
coats moving down the aisle
chattering and having "A private
I gay time of their own. il one of
the things l have to think about
when I'm OH the stage, trying to
prevent an audience from catch
ing on to the things that l know
are wrong with my performance.
And when I'm out front
watching "A show, such dis
turbance Is greater to me than
for the average theater-gOer be-
cause In addition To worrying
about not hearing the lines. l
automatically begin to fret
about what my fellow members
of Equity are going through on
the stage.
"If YOU will try to visualize a
fellow newspaperman trying TO
pound out hot story on
typewriter with all his fingers
cut of, and the copy boy wait
ing 10 yank the paper out of the
machine sentence by sentence,
and YOU standing helplessly by
wishing YOU could do something
but knowing YOU can't without
making things worse and taking
mp precious time, yOu'll get an
idea of what I mean.
"Going 10 the theater is a
diSconcerting experience for an
actor. anyway. Say you're in a
hit. you're playing TO packed
houses. YOU hear the laughter
come rolling down on YOU from
the balconies and the orchestra.
Occasionally during perform
ance YOU see or rather glimpse
face or two, attentive, rant.
listening with the utmost con-
centratiOn. You walk on air.
and the next day YOU wake up
feeling like n million dollars.
+" IL right. Then YOU find
that show YOU hear il
terrific il going 10 give an extra
matinee, or "A benefit or some
thlne. 80 YOU can 20 to IL. It's
selling out, too. You arrive al
the theater all keyed up for a
s"eli time. The first thing that
happens - that YOU find you're
practically the only one In the
iheater who seems TO want TO
see the show. The house lights
begin 10 dim and nv golly. every
body in the joint X still talking
To beat the band. Absolute
darkness seems 10 make no i'm
preston on anybody but YOU.
Then the curtain goes IN.
The unfortunate ones who have
10 open the play beat back the
noise that il competing with
Them from the audience and
start the ball rolling. After
awhile you're lost in the play
and the performance and 30 j.
every one else-apparentl
Then the first act il over
and YOU Sit back, happy. CRATE
M. crammed with A sense Of
fuliillment. until YOU begin To
hear the talk around YOU. One
al Two things happens: Either
YOUR neighbors 20 back To dis
GUESSING whatever II was they
were ON when they were inter
rupted by the show. or they
discuss the play itself. and then
YOU wonder where their eyes
and ears were because they
don't seem Ia have understood
"A good deal of H..
Il will cite one instance that
Ill never get over ~ long a. I