Life, 1919-04-17 · page 26 of 46
Life — April 17, 1919 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine discusses circus entertainment and theatrical productions of the era. The main illustration, captioned "Why Johnnie Hung Around the Stage Door," depicts a young boy eagerly approaching the stage door of a circus or theater, while a circus performer (likely a clown or acrobat in period costume) gestures from the doorway. The satire plays on the timeless appeal of circus life to children—the article discusses how the Ringling Brothers circus has refreshed its acts, and how theatrical organizations like the Society of American Singers have attempted to create quality entertainment. The humor lies in showing a boy's unbridled enthusiasm for backstage access, capturing the romanticized allure circuses held for youth before modern entertainment options existed. The broader editorial content criticizes theatrical productions for lapses in quality and excessive self-importance among performers, arguing such institutions could thrive if standards improved.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE- acts and pst new life into them. Even the clowns and their work have been edited. They may be fewer in number, but what they do is mostly clever ad of mostly stupid Of course the real way to enjoy a circus is to take a kiddic You won't have to bey, borrow or steal one for the p Just whisper your desire to the . And if it happens to be a poor kiddie who otherwise could xo—well, the quality of merey will have nothing on you f Dlesserness. omeenneent Harbingers of Summer Eines D energetic Ringlings havin’ 1 to the bis ANTHE” was the last cf of the organizatio caf the historic Barnunt which all winter has been z eras at the result is not an apparently Theatre at t and Sullivan produc cally a better one than was badly butehe some particulars, but is achieved not so much by orchestra a r chorus it is impossible 10 destroy Wc new features as beauty. sa new twist The season's experience of the Society of American S up, There are has det t the as eney i f this town who xo te the York for this class of entertainment. Suficiently bac spring with the same re properly managed, an enterprise of the kind givin othe oe chureh performances should become a solid institution y Easter. None of them expeets to nda a ner of light music. In novelty in the experience, but sal, over-self-importance of some of the principals an noinward urging that will net artures from tradition have been the main defects in so ve denied ' 1 unization. If it is to survive and i . yielding to this urge, he © the circus faults are corrected no reason why it 1d not fin others of mature age has heen coor less profit in New Y 1 glad welcome plementa with the lack of novelty, This tours to other cities, Rat to do this it will have to impro st of the old its standard of staging and performance. And here's heart WHY JOUNNIE HUNG AROUND THE STAGE DOOR