Judge, 1923-01-13 · page 14 of 36
Judge — January 13, 1923 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page by cartoonist John Held Jr. sketches behind-the-scenes details from the Apollo Theater's production of "Johannes Kreisler," praising its innovative stage mechanics. The satire centers on the production's novel approach: instead of actors moving across static scenery (standard theater practice), the scenery shifts past a stationary actor—forty-one scene changes in two acts. The humor lies in how passive this makes the lead actor Ben Ami, leading to a topical political joke comparing the resulting chaos to "the usual Central American Government"—a jab at political instability in that region, a common subject of 1920s American satire. The sketches show rehearsal scenes, including choreographer Fokine's ballet rehearsals and director Frank Reicher blocking the principals through precisely marked positions. The overall tone celebrates theatrical innovation while gently mocking both the actor's minimal role and contemporary Central American politics.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Johannes Kreisler”’ held up to Admire A masterpiece of theater-mechanics and stage lighting Sketehed behind the at the Apollo The: by John Held, Jr. scenes ter Fokine rehearsed the ballet. Even the nimble chamois would find plenty of ground for complaint. But dancers are natural-born kickers. NTIL “Johannes Kreisler” was pro- duced it was the custom of the actor to pass before the scene. In this play, however, the scene passes before the actor. In other words, Kreisler is more acted against than acting. Forty- one scenes shift before him. Twenty in the first act, twelve in the second, and so on till all the scenery is used up. Svend Gade is the inventor. He is also a Dane, BEN AMI, as Johannes, has found plenty to occupy himself with. Yet the task seems simple. After the forty- two scenes have shifted by him, there seems little to do but to wait till they have recovered their whereabouts and begin another revolution. Sounds no more complicated than the usual Central American Government. (f Rehearsing the beheading scene. Frank Reicher put Ben =4 Ami and Lotus Robb wy (the two principals) through their paces, marked a spot on the floor, and set the ma- chinery in motion, comichooks.,