Show JOKERS BEHIND THE SCENES property men make lively by dav las fun with direen Hii nils when the auditorium of the theater is deserted and dark and dreary the i pace behind the curtain is full of life it s then that the property men get in their work and anybody w ho has ever come in contact with them knows that they are the greatest jokers living ing they play jokes on the first vie tim that comes along and afterward appease his anger by taking him out for a drink in a theater not far from here a young carpenter who proved to be a green i hand behind the scenes was employed to assist on some woodwork recently the property men immediately snapped him up as an easy victim there being a lull in work they sent him to the manager of a downtown theater for a bag of wrinkles that dignified and portentous gentleman was rather non for a moment but be soon saw into the joke and gave the young carpenter a bag filled with iron and scraps that was enough for any man to carry the property men roared when they saw him coming with the bag on his back the young man was as mad as a march hare when he saw through the scheme but the property men took him out and filled him with exhilarating drinks so much so that he roared him kelf with laughter the particular mark of these jokes is the would be actor who constantly haunts the stage entrance one of the property men plays the role of manager and requests the would be thespian to step on the stage and recite some extracts from hamlet this he is only too glad to do and the manager places him on the stage immediately above a trap door the property men conceal themselves behind the scenes and await the fun just as the poor aspirant to histrionic nie honors reaches a point in his dialogue that is extremely tragic and touching the property men turn ont the lights produce thunder and light n ing and open the trap door precipitating the would be actor into depths that landed in the infernal regions the distances he faus is not more baa two feet and the property men see to it that b is not hurt and that his feelings fee linga are atoned for subsequently their jokes are numerous and versatile one of their favorites is to send a grecu hand to the bill posters room for a key to the curtains there be is given an iron bar that requires all his strength to carry sometimes the victims get real angry and there is indica tion of trouble hut the jokers always nian tige lo ahinga over and finlie UK victims themselves |