A FEW PUZZLING FEATURES WITH PLAYS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 23

A FEW PUZZLING FEATURES WITH PLAYS.

Why dees an actor, when leaving the stage, always stop at the wings and repeat something that has just been said ? Suppose George says, “Where and when snail we meet? 5 ’ James nay reply, “Let me see! Vvhat do you say to Levi Flanagans at one to-morrow?'’ George says, ‘'The very' place; and now I must bo off.’" Ho then walks briskly to the wings, where b 9 turns i a unci, holds up his fin-r ger, and says, '‘Levi’s at one!” This is quite unnecessary, and should be stopped. Why do people applaud actions that are not clever, amusing, or exciting? The very cheapest kind of third rate actor can always win a round of applause by walking off the stage laughing, and continuing to laugh after he has disappeared. It happens something like this, “But whom have they decided to run for mayor ?” “Well, strange as it may seem

to you, the choice has fallen upon me.” “What! You for mayor? Ha, ha, lia!” He starts to walk off. "Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!” He disappears, out can be heard outside continuing his sdnseless bray until the audience drowns it in applause. I have known a man -applauded for this so heartily that he thought it necessary to come back and bow his acknowledgments, If any man present had been asked why ne had applauded lie would have had to admit that lie did not know. Either this, or take refuge in t-hd statement that it was a. fine piece of acting/-’ which it was not. Why should the statement that a woman is a woman be applauded ? The adventuress betrays and slanders the hero all through the play, and when he discovers her true character at the end his friend says, “I suppose you will sue her?” The hero replies, “No—l—shall—not——sue—her.” This is said slowly, to prepare the audience for something noble. The friend, “And why not?” Then the hero’s chance comes. He throws his head back and says, “Because—ah!—she is—ah!—a woman!” This brings applause every time, but why ? Why does an actor deserve applause for repeating a sentence slowly as he leaves the stage? In “The Queen’s Shilling” Mr Kendal, as a private soldier, was brought before his colon ell and put through a pretty severe- cross-questioning without revealing his identity. As he was led off by the sergeant he said, “I didn’t betray 1113-self —did I—sergeant ? I didn't, betray myself did I sergeant?” This invariably brought down the house, but why ? Anj' kind of actor could have done it. The audience thought it was true to life, but it was not, as in real life the sergeant would have! told him to stow his gab. When an actor leaves the stage oy walking through a large window at the back, why does the actress he has just been talking with walk quickly through the window and gaze after him? As a rule she has good reasons for wishing to see as little of him as possible. Why do some: people -applaud when an actor shouts some gag like this “I’m captain of this ship, and I represent law and justice here!” Everybody who knows anything about a ship knows that decisions as to law -and justice rest with the captain ; yet this announcement, if made loudly, will fetch the audience every time. If the captain of a Cunartier were to howl this out from the bridge, the passenger could come to but one conclusion, and would look anxiously for the termination of the voyage. There is room for considerable clearing up on these points.