Playing to One Man.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4359, 20 December 1882, Page 2

Playing to One Man.

The following good story is told of Emmett, the comedian :—

Mr Kmmett, being iaterYiewed, was asked to how large an audience he had ever performed. " Well, I don't know," he replied. " There were nearly I.SCD pesons in the Grand Opera House last evening. Of course, as it was the first night, some of it was paper.. But my share of the receipts was more than 809 dollars—that is, 60 per cent; of the gross receipts at the box office. I think I played to over 2000 people in London opce. The smallest audience I ever had was in Columbus, Ohio. The afternoon business was at its lowest ebb when I struck the town. After two or three performances the posters announced a matinee. I went to the theatre at two o'clock that afternoon, and found my company skylarking, behind the curtain, in their every-day suits I looked out in the auditorium ; there was just one man in the theatre. I went behind the curtain' and requested the company to dress. ' Great Ceosar, Joe,' said oue of them, ' you ain't going to play to that one man, are you ?' • Yes, I am, he paid his money, and be shall have his moneys worth/ I told them that the performance must go on ar usual, and I warned each one that any attempt to guy the audience, or any failure to play a part in full, would be the signal for a discharge. Well, the orchestra played the overture, and the curtain arose," Fritz continued. "I walked down to the footlights. I invited the audience to come forwatd and take a front seat, where he could see and be Been. He thanked me, and settled down in the front row. I suggested that a little generous applause thrown in, where the actors deserved it, would serve to inspirit; them, and warm them to their work. He seemed to appreciate the situation, and agreed to give all the en* couragement that he thought we deserved. The performance began; I don't think I ever played better. I threw myself heart and soul into the character, and sang the 'Lullaby' so tenderly that the entire audience was in tears. He called for an encore.- I told him we rarely nave an encore, but as this was an extraordinary occasion he should have one. He applauded liberally at times where no applause was deserved, and again failed to applaud where applause was deserved. At such times I called his attention to the omission, and asked if on reflection he did not really think that. he had made a mistake. A hint was sufficient. The company paid no attention to him, but went on with the performance as regular as clockwork. At the close of the second act, the manager entered the theatre. He had been out for a walk. He seemed dumbfounded at seeing the bouse brilliantly lighted, and orchestra playing soberly to one man. But he was more astonished when the curtain arose and the performrnce was resumed with as much unconcern as though there were a thousand dollars m the house. But he bad an eye to business. He sent word to the newspaper reporters, and half a dozen of them arrived in time for the last act. No actor ever received better criticisms. Some of them were over a column long. It turned out that the audience Was the owner of a copper mine in Michigan, and very wealthy.! On the following night he gave the whole: company a banquet at a leading hotel. He entertained us as handsomely as we had entertained him, and we parted with mutual regret. Just a year afterwards, I announced another matinee at Columbus. It was well advertised and the house was packed to suffocation. I took in over 1,203 dollars. My sense of duty to that one man, who had invested the small sum of half a dollar, had returned me a golden harvest." .