A FEW PUZZLING FEATURES WITH PLAYS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4289, 23 February 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

A FEW PUZZLING FEATURES WITH PLAYS.

Why does an actor, wheat leaving the stage, always stop at the wings and repeat something that has just been said s' Suppose George says, “Where and when shall we meet!'” Jameis may reply, “Let me see! What do you say to Levi Flanagan’s at one tomorrow ?” George says, "The very' place; and now 1 must be off.” He theai walks briskly to the wings, where he turns round, holds up his finger, and says, '‘Levi’s at one!” This is quite unnecessary, and should be stopped. Why do people applaud actions that are not cletver, 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, ha!” He starts to walk off. "Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!” He disappears, but can be heard outside continuing his semseless 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 he would have had to admit that he did not know. Either this, or take refuge in the 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—I —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 ho leaves the stage? In “The Queen’s Shilling” Mr Kendal, as a private soldier, was brought before his coloneil 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 myself—-did I—sergeant? I didn't betray myself did I sergeant?” This “invariably brought down the house, but why ? Any kind of actor could ha ve 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 ny 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 Cunarder were to howl this out from the bridge, the passenger could come to but one conclusion, and would lock anxiously for the termination of the voyage. There is room for considerable clearing up on these points.