Theatre Read Free Page B

stickler for saying the author's exact words, though, God knows, the words authors write nowadays aren't much.'
    'If you'd like to come and see our play,' Julia said graciously, 'I'm sure Michael will be delighted to give you some seats.'
    'I'd love to come again,' the young man answered eagerly. 'I've seen it three times already.'
    'You haven't?' cried Julia, with surprise, though she remembered perfectly that Michael had already told her so. 'Of course it's not a bad little play, it's served our purpose very well, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to see it three times.'
    'It's not so much the play I went to see, it was your performance.'
    'I dragged that out of him all right,' thought Julia, and then aloud: 'When we read the play Michael was rather doubtful about it. He didn't think my part was very good. You know, it's not really a star part. But I thought I could make something out of it. Of course we had to cut the other woman a lot in rehearsals.'
    'I don't say we re-wrote the play,' said Michael, 'but I can tell you it was a very different play we produced from the one the author submitted to us.'
    'You're simply wonderful in it,' the young man said.
    ('He has a certain charm.') 'I'm glad you liked me,' she answered.
    'If you're very nice to Julia I daresay she'll give you a photograph of herself when you go.'
    'Would you?'
    He blushed again and his blue eyes shone ('He's really rather sweet.') He was not particularly good-looking, but he had a frank, open face and his shyness was attractive. He had curly light brown hair, but it was plastered down and Julia thought how much better he would look if, instead of trying to smoothe out the wave with brillian-tine, he made the most of it. He had a fresh colour, a good skin and small well-shaped teeth. She noticed with approval that his clothes fitted and that he wore them well. He looked nice and clean.
    'I suppose you've never had anything to do with the theatre from the inside before?' she said.
    'Never. That's why I was so crazy to get this job. You can't think how it thrills me.'
    Michael and Julia smiled on him kindly. His admiration made them feel a little larger than life-size.
    'I never allow outsiders to come to rehearsals, but as you're our accountant you almost belong to the theatre, and I wouldn't mind making an exception in your favour if it would amuse you to come.'
    'That would be terribly kind of you. I've never been to a rehearsal in my life. Are you going to act in the next play?'
    'Oh, I don't think so. I'm not very keen about acting any more. I find it almost impossible to find a part to suit me. You see, at my time of life I can't very well play young lovers, and authors don't seem to write the parts they used to write when I was a young fellow. What the French call a raisonneur. You know the sort of thing I mean, a duke, or a cabinet minister, or an eminent K.C. who says clever, witty things and turns people round his little finger. I don't know what's happened to authors. They don't seem able to write good lines any more. Bricks
without straw; that's what we actors are expected to make nowadays. And are they grateful to us? The authors, I mean. You'd be surprised if I told you the terms some of them have the nerve to ask.'
    'The fact remains, we can't do without them,' smiled Julia. 'If the play's wrong no acting in the world will save it.'
    'That's because the public isn't really interested in the theatre. In the great days of the English stage people didn't go to see the plays, they went to see the players. It didn't matter what Kemble and Mrs Siddons acted. The public went to see them. And even now, though I don't deny that if the play's wrong you're dished, I do contend that if the play's right, it's the actors the public go to see, not the play.'
    'I don't think anyone can deny that,' said Julia.
    'All an actress like Julia wants is a vehicle. Give her that and she'll do the rest.'
    Julia gave the young man a delightful, but slightly deprecating