Show In NewYork t j I NEW YORK In those drear days of late August t and early September September Sep Sep- Broadway overflows Its banks and bankers and rushes tUrbUlently turbulently tUr- tUr to a. a half dozen little hamlets hamlets ham ham- lets hereabouts These are known as as tryout here the coming crop of wInter plays are aro tried out on the thed d t Tryout towns are arc the homes of the real first What happens happens' a month or two later on Broadway likely to be the result of reactions of a tiny bailiwick baUl- baUl wick that boasts no more than a afew afew few hundred citizens Yet since they have played the therole therole role of the dog so long they become become be- be come even even more discriminating than the Manhattan playgoer Here the anonymous critic of a a. small town paper may blast the hopes of an optimistic producer e eren en though he does not halt an eventual Broadway Broadway Broad Broad- way These obscure pe penmen pen pen- men of have often caused an entire production to be altered before it appeared on the bright lights street treet The mOst popular tryout towns ate are Great N Nek Ck because it boasts a po of writers artists and actors New Hav Haven n because it has developed a discriminating group of critical and is a 0 city of more than Hian average size and Long LongBranch LongBranch Branch because of its society cal cal- jl- jl ony Here on the ev eve of a performance perlor mance on onS may ome upon frenzied p clr gu and l down d wn the lobbies lobbies lob lob- bies trying to memorize lines Unes Here one sees the shrewd show doctor laying in wait with his artificial respiration Instruments Here you fInd a certain middle aged man whose jUdgment is considered final by half th producers of Manhattan and who will travel as far as Buffalo Bul- Bul lalo falo to catch a performance and give his exp ert opInion on its chances for survival I To rUn three nights In Great Neck becomes as Important as to run fIve months In New York J If you would see the greatest Variety variety va- va of assorted tempers to to be found beneath the sky r invite you to any anyone one of these tryout towns townson townson on the eve of a performance Actors Actors Ac- Ac tors are arc almost speaking to each iner nd to the managers managers Authors Au- Au th thors rs are furtively going about dOdging comments on their efforts or are heatedly searching out managers managers man man- agers to raise a rumpus over some last minute change hange that has been made Or viewing the scenery allowed allowed al- al lowed his play the author is to a dumb heaver heaven for foran nn an answer bewailing that his drama is utterly and Irretrievably ruined And there are the wily hangers on who hope to behold a flop and get the sc scenery nery at a bargain that they may use use it in another play Or Orthe the manager or realizing the ultimate failure is trying to fi figure ure out where the scenery scenery would tit fit in a future production Hero are all the back stage I views of the theatre In Its Its' most I chaotic moment Hero Here one finds the real personality personal personal- ity that is' is the actor the tho manager and the b. b ker Here Hera in the lIttle of the great city is the theatre at its most human moments GILBERT SWAN Copyright 1927 1027 NEA Service Inc k A |