St. Louis Post-Dispatch
October 19, 1913

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— — = — —— — — — — - — f set's 5 Make Our Mayor the eCity’ s Big Stick Under the New “Too Much of the * Charts Says Freeholder Rosen Who Hel Writ It Fok 3 8 ö . * a) 2 Sx wit 3 8 * 8 8 2 id ae 75 we Sar Nise 7 ae 8 2 x ay pee 7 ney gait di a oe 9 . — — 8 “gf 7 8 a ae —— . = = ees . 8 4 * * * 5 1 = a — 2 * 1. ee — * oe Sree © |STLOUIS POST: dsp 2 a 8 — | ’ 96ö.:?:!ñ%%%u 8 —ñ—— ——— — — — — — — a — 3 ST. LOUIS, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 19, 1913. a > Merit System and One Legisla- tive Chamber Are Favored by the Board Members, He Reveals, but They Expect Hot Opposition From Politicians Who See Their Complete Elimination by These Inno- vations. | 5 — — By CARLOS F. HURD. ad — 4 8 TE PARES MAGE Ser 8 4 Nie 7 1 0 Ne ; F 7%%%%/ã/ỹõ˙ÿ6ͤB(é(' aS eS ae 8 4% ; Gens: ie, Mena yd ĩ y * FS / 4 o Pe . TTC 8 1 r 5 5 C 8 a ORAM gf ZOE EAE Rhee nn Rr sekiger Re Beuaserateend rer oe ne) — ae — ee es oe 7 2 . Ronit { * = a „6 * 2 — 0 r ~~ 4 8 . "4 7 90 * — = — 2 — n * l * „ o . ²˙ : OL ee WPI r uptown on the east side and come to the show in 5% * ft, Thats All That's: . —- — MANAGERS TRY TO DO THE WORK OF CHURCH AND He All That the Theatergoer Wants Is to Be Made to Laugh and Not to Shed Bitter Tears; Nor to Get Scared Out of His Wits; Nor to Be Reformed Out of His Bad Habits, if He Happens to Have a Few. E generally prevalent pessimistic view of | the future of the so-called legitimate drama is not shared by successful actors whom the present theatrical crisis concerns most of all. Last Sunday the Post-Dispatch presented an interview with Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, noted English actor-knight, who is making his farewell tour of the United States. He is highly optimistic and declares that the condition of the stage, both behind and in front of the scenes, is today infinitely better than it was 25 years ago. William Collier, one of the foremost comedians | of America, is none. the less cheerful over the prospect as the following interview with him shows. By ALLEYNE IRELAND. NEW YORK, Oct. 18. ROM the profession you hear much about the competition of the moving picture shows and of the turkey trotteries, of the diffi- culty in procuring good plays or good librettos for comic opera. The public, on the other hand, talks about the poor quality of the shows, about the pressure of the high cost of living, about the dullness of the comedians and the lack of beauty in the chorus ladies. I have even heard a man say that he has given up going to the theater because it involves in altogether too many instances the following dis- advantages: Being insulted by the man in the bow office. Being kept waiting in hie seat half an hour after the advertised time for the commencement of the performance. Being compelled to Usten to the lady in front of him explaining to her friend, who has not seen the piece before, just what ie going to happen neat, Being forced to get up eight times during the first act in order to allow the late-comers to tread on his toes, and during the third act to allow the early goers to do the same thing. And, if his seat is anywhere near the back of the auditorium, having his attention distracted by the loud conversation of the theater attend ants. With all this confused jumble of ideas in my mind I sought out Mr. William Collier and said to him: What's the matter with the stage?“ William Collier repeated my question with that well-known air of alarm which has netted him nany thousands of dollars during a numbee olf years, which I generously forbear to specify. „Who's been telling you that there's anything the matter with the stage? There isn’t anything the matter with the stage”—and after stroking affectionately a squarish lump just over his breast pocket, which I took to be his bank book, he added with ferver, almost with deveutness— not a thing!” Training With the Uplifters. W ELL,” I sald, “if you are to believe half you hear”—— “Which you’d much better not,” he interrupted. “Most of the theaters are playing to poor houses and most of the theatrical managers are on the ragged edge of ruin,” I concluded. “Oh, I know what's the matter with you; you've been talking to some of the people who think that the easiest way to make money is to load off on the stage the work that ought to be done by the home and the church. You've been train ing with the uplifters; that’s what you've been doing.” He advanced slowly toward me, put a hand on each of my shoulders, backed me up against a bookcase, and, stroking my coat collar with the index finger of the right hand in order to lend im- pressiveness to his words, said, more in sorrow than in anger: “Well, I might just as well tell you the truth; nobody’ll believe you when you say Willie Collier told you. If you want to understand the theater situation in New York—or in London, Ontario, or in Timbuctoo, or anywhere else so far as that goes—you've got to begin by asking yourself this question: “Now, defore I tell you what the question ts I want to say right here that if you onewer this one question RIGHT you can make all the money you want in the theatrical business, and tf you answer WRONG—well, you'll have to go and ask somebody else about that, because I answered u right. An Important Wed ant at that. on’ You just ask yourself that. I dent mean the handful of people that live an automobile. I mean the crowd, the people who live anywhere they can and wish it was some- where else; the people who are working hard LOT of people connected with the theatrical profession. have got it into their heads i rat the reason why a good many theaters are doing poor business is that the the- ater-goers want somethi NEW. They don’t. What the crowd warts is something GOOD of any kind | that they’re used to. Those who set out to do this spend their time and their money * GUESSING. Today they’re guessing that crime and immorality are what the public wants to go to. Last year ithey guessed that there wasa fortune in Oriental plays. Next year it'll be something else. But you can take it from me that what the great big pub- lic wants is to LAUGH, and it’s going to want it right along until the next. r you accept my nene of goa lation to a play?” glacial period. Willham Collier. people who’ve come to town for a day or two to find out if the man Hed who told them they could spend the whodle of four: dollars in New York between the setting of the sun and the rising thereof—our old friend THE PEOPLE, all in capital letters, what do they go to the theater for? You ask yourself that; you hear me? “I know what you’re laughing at. I quit laugh- ing at that 28 years ago. But just to show you— it’s that old chestnut about the man who said ih a public speech, ‘And now I ask myself one ques- tion,’ and someone called out, And a darned silly answer you'll get.“ Was I right? Sure! Of course, I know people are still laughing: at that joke. I often go down on my knees and thank Providence that people DO laugh at the old jokes. I hate to think what'd happen if——wWell, Mr. Johnson, why do people go to the theater? as they say in the minstrel shows. “THEY GO THERE TO LAUGH. They: don't go there to shed bitter, bitter tears, nor to get scared out of their wits, nor reformed out of their bad habits. THEY GO THERE TO LAUGH. Do you get me Nothing the Matter With Stage. 66 HEN people tell you that there’s some- thing the matter with the stage, they think that’s what they mean, but it Everybody's Trying to Something New and Sti ing, Forgetting That the Public Really Wan Something Good, Though It Is Like What 1 Has Been Seeing Right “Well, how do you define good and bed “Simplest thing in the world. I could 0 3 4X + ‘ Humor Is Universal. . oT HE first part’s easy enough, and 1 ond part’s only difficult because e people don’t know how easy part is. Now just suppose for a minute, if you equal to it, that I’m right when I say people come to the theater for is to get @ and then ask yourself what people laugh at. me tell you something: I've played all over | country, and in England and in Australia, and —well, I forget the names of the other countries and do you know what's stuck in my mind u than anything elsé out of all that expe Just this: that in every play I’ve ever | laughs always come i some ail kicked the soldier's helmet, ot it, the amphitheater rocked, said to his neighbor, ‘Well, Anthropos’—or wi ever his name was—may have had too. wives, but 1 um say this for him, he t'6 ous cuss,” or words to that effect. “Now, don don't get the idea that I think | play of that kind is all that’s necessary a good farce. ample to prove that it’s possible to pg a tn It I had to put stage humor into a single line rd 7 element of humor is surprise. Bither be a surprise to the audience or there something which, though the audience prepared for it, is a surprise to the characters on the stage. “There’s another thing you mind of you want to write successful piays, and that is that you must make acters on one of two general lines. one is to use types of people that miliar with from personal knowledge—the cop, bellboy, the grafting pelitician, the tien band, Mamie, with the lemon-colored 7 80 on. 5 A Story of the Profession. | * 3 ow, see here, I'll tell what me every now and then. 1 “N d _— — 3 n 31 e rere g — em « POEL „ P * „ rr e 5 5 da 40 * = „ — © a harder one than that with one hand tied } hind me. Mind you, I'm speaking from the # n point of view of a play's success or LOOKED AT IN THAT LIGHT A GOOD PLAY I ONE THAT GIVES THE PEOPLE WHAT ' WANT, AND A BAD PLAY I8 ONE GIVES THEM WHAT THE AUTHOR 1 THEY OUGHT TO WANT. 2 going: to kneel meena I en ee ee zou do know?” I inquired, ces Im r 5 „ he * “I don’t say that there isn’t any room for seri- 0 with me 0 g a * | a4 poor business is that the fergoers 1 e without deine depending upon “That's right 5 all in 0 concerned; they‘re good, 8 most 0 the time.” 2 ae te 422 22 * os e * 6 . — 8 e . „ e : 7 4 9 77 28 rao Renae ee x3 . 2 — i 4 2 . a come — eee tom — ~ a. — — —