Castigating Audiences

Thespians Have Taken to Arguing the Point with Patrons

Lately there has been an outbreak in the theatres of what might be called neighborly quarrels between the actors and the audiences who paid money to see them act. Early last season Richard Bennett when playing in repertoire for the Theatre Guild set the fashion by chiding audiences in the West, particularly in Detroit, for not showing a greater appreciation of his loving efforts to entertain.

Actor Bennett made quite a feature of stepping out of his part and rebuking the natives for not rallying in larger numbers around the cause of Art as upheld by him.

This season the same star has maintained the quaint custom. In Philadelphia recently he reproved an audience at The Dancers, more in anger than in sorrow, for not containing more Bennett enthusiasts per square foot. Quite a fuss resulted, though no blows were actually struck by either side. He has made such a name for himself in theatrical circles by this practice that now such an impulsive act is known to the profession by the choice phrase of "pulling a dick bennett."

A few days ago E. H. Sothern, that expositor of all that is chaste, discreet and classic in thespic art, startled the stage world at Syracuse by pulling a dick bennett. He is reported in upstate despatches to have told a sparse audience for a Shakespearean performance that if Syracuse did not show more emphatic recognition of good plays, managers in the future who went out of the way to give that city worthwhile productions would pass by on the other side. He implied that theatre-goers there would be left to the mercy of burlesque shows, but to date the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Clubs have done nothing to stave off their doom.

John Barrymore is another actor who has been known to belabor audiences, though generally for giggling inopportunely, rather than for negligence. Morris Gest, when convoying an attraction on tour revels in such rows in the newspapers. It is doubtful if audiences do, or if the squabbles increase attendance through publicity. After all, patrons pay to be entertained, not to be scolded--they can get that at home.

Sometimes such wrangles lead to drastic action. Last week a vaudeville performer in Manhattan brazenly defied an audience to dislike him, and several spectators walked out. The next day the management yanked him off the bill.

F.V.