NAME

[Illustration: SALLY WITH MARILYN MILLER

MARILYN MILLER IN SALLY]

One may see big electric signs carrying bright-light messages similar
to the above placed conspicuously over theatre entrances in all cities
of any magnitude. Such signs convey to the passing populace the
interesting information that here is located a certain play, and also
that in this play a certain person appears as a main attraction.

Now to the passerby whose knowledge of things theatrical is merely
cursory, scant or non-existent, the two signs given above may have
exactly the same meaning, bear the same message in both cases. But to
all those "in the know" as to stage matters the two signs tell two
entirely different stories, and the location of the names of the play
and the actor convey important information in the theatre code that
the wise ones interpret at a glance.

Here are the two readings as the stage-wise render them, and when I
have told you about this you will catch the point at once and ever
after be able to "read the signs" with a clear conception of their
import:

The name at the top of each sign is "starred"; the other is
"featured." In one, the play is given the star position and Miss
Miller is featured; in the other, Marilyn Miller is starred and the
play featured.

"Well, what of that?" you ask.

Just this, and here is where the importance of it all comes in:

The one that is starred carries the burden of the success of the show.
If the play is starred, its failure does not reflect on the person
featured; but if the actor is starred and failure follows, the actor
and not the play is considered responsible, the actor not having
proven a _magnet_, not having drawn business on the strength of his or
her name. The personal difference to the actor is really very great,
yet "to star" is the actor's great ambition. No one should ever be
starred unless popular enough to attract plenty of patronage and
thereby insure "packed houses."

This applies not alone in the signs over the door, but also in all the
theatre's publicity. Pick up today's newspaper, and look at the stage
announcements. "Mary Pickford in--" you don't care what the play is
when you see the star's name. The star carries the play, in such a
case. "Rose-Marie, with Mary Ellis and William Kent." You are glad to
go and see the featured pair, but in this case the play is given the
star position, it having registered success, the profits from this
musical p