AT THEATRE AND CONCERT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 274, 12 August 1908, Page 5

AT THEATRE AND CONCERT.

Much often happens for, the amueemcnt and entertainment of the audience at concert.- hall -or theatre beyond that provided by the _ programme—often to'tho great con- , stornation ■ of - the unwitting actors in the events-happening. Perhaps ono of tho funniest incidents of these untoward happenings occurred some time backing small inland town, where anything in .'the way of a play was rusted arid no one . was given to severe criticism.' The company performing at the time was-not.a famous one, but at any rate Jt had one star in its leading'lady,'and the piece was "Romeo, and Juliet." The bal- - cony scene: was reached, and Juliet was working herself up into a frenzy of passion and entreaty—indeed, so was her vehemence that the frail balcony began to rock and shake most dangerously with the force of her feelings. Tho lady, however, .oblivious to all save Romeo, paid no attention to these warning signs: All at once there was a creak, -a scraping noise, then a wild lurching of the erection, and llomeo had to support the balcony.while Juliet was helped down to safety. The excitement amongst the audience was intense—but Juliet's triumph did not take place that, night. The record'for sneezing' must, surely have been reached by a ma.i who mado ;his way into the. .'hall : where. a 1 very celebrated musician was'giving a concert. Why he arrived there was a mystery. He lurched in, sat down, with muttered protests against the people who edged away from him, and' gazed vacantly about.: All at once, as the musician: was halfway through one of his exquisito numbers,' lie began to sneeze. For the first few sneezes, lio'one took any notice, ■ but gradually, as they continued and increased ' in; violence, people's attention was attracted in spite of themselves, and tliey turned round to look at the disturber of their delight. ' Someone counted thirty, and still there was no cessation of the . attack. Beginning to feel tho : promirienco-he had gained rather embarrassing, ha rose, and stumbled out, managing to say between each sneeze, "No manners here.', Like things with a tone, 1 ' riot'this."'"'Gradually the sounds grew fainter, dying away in the distance, and. people,, recovering from... their amusement, settled down once more to the gre^t>,pleasure- of,;the, moment.One bid intensely appreciated the humours'of a' piece : played by >a-very popular company ; here. Not only)'did she'let nothing escape: Jier, but she'was determined that h'er unknown neighbour should not do so either, and every now and tben.gave her a;friendly but insistent nudge with her'elbow whenever anything furiiy was said or done. At first the lady was indignant and .haughty, but the complete enjoyment she beheld -was irresistible, and shortly there was quite'a friendly rivalry as to who should see the points first. Not fax away was a woman with a perfectly blank face when everyone else was nearly crying witn laughter, and -then, when they had recovered themselves, the comprehension of the thing grew upon :her, and-she would give a wild little shriek of amused delight, and go off into a perfect convulsion of laughter, adding to the entertainment of those about her. One wondered what her. nationality was.