American Old Time Song Lyrics: 55 The Snap Dramatic School

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 55

THE SNAP DRAMATIC SCHOOL.
Copyright, 1897, by T. B. Harms & Co.
Words by Harry B. Smith Music by Ludwig Englander.

We're interesting pupils of a snap dramatic school,
We know our Shakespeare backwards, all by heart;
We indicate emotions by an automatic rule,
For we're thoroughbred believers in Delsarte.
This gesture's indication of a mad infatuation,
This pose expresses terror! this means bate!
Then when we stand so-fashion, it is anger, rage And passion'.
We are pantomimic puppets "up-to-date."
Yes, when we stand so-fashion, it is anger, rage or passion,
We are pantomimic puppets "up-to-date."
In Rosalind, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia,
Our elocution fairly will congeal yer;
As Leah the forsaken, your nerves we must have shaken,
We're comic or we're tragic, take your choice.
As Juliet or Mrs.- Desdemona.
We make of every auditer a groaner:
We're eager to rehearse scenes like soul-destroying enrse scenes,
And we have tanks of tear-drops in our voice.

When we hold up our hands like this it means we're gay and glad,
We know, because It's so in Delsarte's book;
We always move on wires, like this, to show we're going mad,
And meaning sorrow, this is how we look!
This means that we discover that we have a faithless lover;
While this indication of remorse;
While this Is our expression when we hear the sad confession,
That hubby's full of grounds for a divorce.
And this is our expression when we hear the sad expression.
That hubby's full of grounds for a divorce.
We vary from the violent to coquettish,
Alternately emotional and soubrettish;
We're awful shy on grammar, but we paralyze the drama;
To monkey with the real "legit" we yearn.
As Topsy, Beatrice or Lady Spanker,
There's no one in the business could be ranker:
We now go on as "supers "but we'll soon be full-fledg'd troopers,
For we have the cheek and talent now to burn.