Writing for Vaudeville Part 90

(VIOLA rushes over to tree accompanied by several of the guests.)

TREMBLE: I hope you don't place any faith in the silly fairy stories of this doddering old n.i.g.g.e.r.

VIOLA: (Pulling an old and worn pocketbook from behind the trunk of the tree.) Here it is! Father, here it is! (She runs to her father and hands him the pocketbook. He eagerly takes out the contents, a big roll of bank bills, and hastily counts them.)

MAYNARD: It's fifty thousand dollars and the old plantation is saved, thanks to Old Black Joe! (To JOE.) Let me grasp your hand.

(Shakes OLD BLACK JOE by the hand.)

CHARLIE: (Who has sneaked on the scene from R. 2. To JOE.) Yes, give us your flipper, Joe.

HARVEY: (Who suddenly appears on the scene and shakes JOE'S hand.) It's all right, Joe; you wait for me after the show and I'll buy you some horseradish ice cream and a fried cigarette sandwich.

MAYNARD: Now that the plantation remains, I invite you one and all to join me in a Fried 'Possum and Sweet Potato Dinner.

FELIX: (Who also appears on the scene, carrying his dog's head in his hand.) Thank heavens, I'll get something to eat at last.

CHORUS OF VOICES: Three cheers for Mr. Maynard!

MAYNARD: And don't forget Old Black Joe, for it was through him that I have been able to save

"My OLD KENTUCKY HOME."

(Final Chorus by entire company.)

CURTAIN

GLOSSARY

ACT IN ONE.--An act playing in One (which see).

AD LIB.--Ad libitum--To talk extemporaneously so as to pad a scene or heighten laughter.

AGENT, VAUDEVILLE.--The business agent for an act.

Ap.r.o.n.--That part of the stage lying between the footlights and the curtain line.

ARGOT.--Slang; particularly, stage terms.

ASIDE.--A speech spoken within the sight and hearing of other actors, but which they, as characters in the act, do not "hear."

AUDIENCE-LEFT.--Reverse of stage-left (which see).

AUDIENCE-RIGHT.--Reverse of stage-right (which see).

BACK OF THE HOUSE.--Back stage; the stage back of the curtain.

BACKING.--A drop, wing, or flat used to mask the working stage when a scenery-door or window is opened.

BACKING, INTERIOR.--Backing that represents an interior.

BACKING, EXTERIOR.--Backing that represents an exterior.

BARE STAGE.--Stage unset with scenery.

BIG-TIME.--Circuits playing two shows a day.

BIT, A.--A successful little stage scene complete in itself.

A small part in an act.

BOOK OF A MUSICAL COMEDY.--The plot, dialogue, etc., to differentiate these from lyrics and music.

BOOK AN ACT, TO.--To place on a manager's books for playing contracts; to secure a route.

BOOKING MANAGER.--One who books acts for theatres.

BOOSTER.--See "PLUGGER."

BORDER.--A strip of painted canvas hung above the stage in front of the border-lights to mask the stage-rigging.

BORDER-LIGHT.--Different colored electric bulbs set in a tin trough and suspended over the stage to light the stage and scenery.

BOX SET.--A set of scenery made of "flats" (which see) lashed together to form a room whose fourth wall has been removed.

BREAKING-IN AN ACT.--Playing an act until it runs smoothly.

BUNCH-LIGHT.--Electric bulbs set in a tin box mounted on a movable standard to cast any light--moonlight, for instance-- through windows or on drops or backings.

BUSINESS, or BUS., or BIZ.--Any movement an actor makes on the stage, when done to drive the spoken words home, or "get over"

a meaning without words.

CENTRE-DOOR FANCY.--An interior set containing an ornamental arch and fitted with fine draperies.

CHOOSER.--One who steals some part of another performer's act for his own use.

CLIMAX.--The highest point of interest in a series of words or events--the "culmination, height, acme, apex." (Murray.) CLOSE-IN, TO.--To drop curtain.

COMEDY.--A light and more or less humorous play which ends happily; laughable and pleasing incidents.

COMPLICATION.--The definite clash of interests which produces the struggle on the outcome of which the plot hinges.

CRISIS.--The decisive, or turning, point in a play when things must come to a change, for better or worse.

CUE.--A word or an action regarded as the signal for some other speech or action by another actor, or for lights to change, or something to happen during the course of an act.

CURTAIN.--Because the curtain is dropped at the end of an act--the finish.

DIE.--When a performer or his act fails to win applause, he or the act is said to "die."

DIMMER.--An electrical apparatus to regulate the degree of light given by the footlights and the border-lights.

DRAPERY, GRAND.--An unmovable Border just in front of the Olio and above Working Drapery.

DRAPERY, WORKING.--The first Border; see "BORDER."

DROP.--A curtain of canvas painted with some scene and running full across the stage opening.

DUMB ACT, or SIGHT ACT.--Acts that do not use words; acrobats and the like.

EXPOSITION.--That part of the play which conveys the information necessary for the audience to possess so that they may understand the foundations of the plot or action.

EXTERIOR BACKING.--See "BACKING, EXTERIOR."

EXTRA MAN, or WOMAN.--A person used for parts that do not require speech; not a regular member of the company.

FANCY INTERIOR.--The same as "Centre-door Fancy" (which see).

FARCE.--A play full of extravagantly ludicrous situations.

FIRST ENTRANCE.--Entrance to One (which see).

FLASH-BACK.--When a straight-man turns a laugh which a comedian has won, into a laugh for himself (see chapter on "The Two-Act").

FLAT.--A wooden frame covered with a canvas painted to match other flats in a box set.

FLIPPER.--Scenery extension--particularly used to contain curtained entrance to One, and generally set at right angles to the proscenium arch (which see).

FLIRTATION ACT.--An act presented by a man and a woman playing lover-like scenes.

FLY-GALLERY.--The balcony between the stage and the grid iron, from where the scenery is worked.

FLYMEN.--The men a.s.signed to the fly-gallery.

FOUR.--The stage s.p.a.ce six or more feet behind the rear boundaries of Three.

FRONT OF THE HOUSE.--The auditorium in front of the curtain.

FULL STAGE.--Same as Four.

GAG.--Any joke or pun. See "POINT."

GENRE.--Kind, style, type.

GET OVER, TO.--To make a speech or entire act a success.

GLa.s.s-CRASH.--A basket filled with broken gla.s.s, used to imitate the noise of breaking a window and the like.

GO BIG.--When a performer, act, song, gag, etc., wins much applause it is said to "go big."

GRAND DRAPERY.--See "DRAPERY, GRAND."

GRIDIRON.--An iron network above the stage on which is hung the rigging by which the scenery is worked.

GRIP.--The man who sets scenery or grips it.

HAND, TO GET A.--To receive applause.

HOUSE CURTAIN.--The curtain running flat against the proscenium arch; it is raised at the beginning and lowered at the end of the performance; sometimes use to "close-in" on an act.

INTERIOR BACKING.--See "BACKING, INTERIOR."