OCR Text |
Show Karl sat down, then stood up to spin the piano seat to a lower height. Seated again, he flexed his fingers, feeling nervous and scared. The piano keys showed only dimly in the pale light. Feet shuffled as people entered and left the theater; the sign on the screen changed to 'Those not having seen the entire program can remain for the next show.' Behind him, Karl heard coughing and a lot of conversation in foreign languages. With a clattery whir, the projector started to roll, and the title 'The New York Hat' appeared on the screen. Karl struck a chord, waiting for the first scene -- there it was: a woman lying in bed, apparently dying. What could he play for a deathbed scene? He hit the same chord again, then, in desperation, began to play 'I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen' because he couldn't think of anything better. Expecting snickers from the audience, he waited tensely, but the audience remained silent. When he stole a quick glance at the theatergoers --he could see only the people in the first two rows -- they were staring at the screen, their expressions rapt. Karl relaxed a little. The theater seemed filled with immigrants, mostly, people like Andy Stulak's parents, who had no need to understand English to appreciate the drama of silent films. Since they were unfamiliar with the American tunes Karl was playing, they wouldn't know whether the songs fit the scenes or not. A sigh of approval rose from the audience as Mary Pickford appeared on the screen. Karl had seen her in a movie several months earlier, and remembered her because of her long blond curls. Playing |