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Lot Essay
The present work was published as an illustration for Vicki Baum's "December 24th--Closed: How Christmas Came to the Spoiled Darling of a Glittering City" in the December 1932 issue of Good Housekeeping.
The short story follows theatre actress Katya Rohm, who has been starring in the successful Madame Bonivart every night of the year and is looking forward to a night off for Christmas. As seen in the present work, she exclaims to her dashing companion, Frieder Wunstoeff, waiting to escort her after her performance, “'Closed! Frieder, do you realize what that means--closed? Three hundred and fifty-seven times I’ve played the part of Bonivart...I’m so tired tonight that I see everything double.’” While Katya excitedly plans an extravagant holiday party on her free night for all of her theatre friends, she is soon met by a flurry of regrets from those who need to spend Christmas with their families. Eventually, Katya decides to do the same and finds that even glamorous actresses can find comfort in familiar family pastimes, at least once a year when the theatre is closed.
The short story follows theatre actress Katya Rohm, who has been starring in the successful Madame Bonivart every night of the year and is looking forward to a night off for Christmas. As seen in the present work, she exclaims to her dashing companion, Frieder Wunstoeff, waiting to escort her after her performance, “'Closed! Frieder, do you realize what that means--closed? Three hundred and fifty-seven times I’ve played the part of Bonivart...I’m so tired tonight that I see everything double.’” While Katya excitedly plans an extravagant holiday party on her free night for all of her theatre friends, she is soon met by a flurry of regrets from those who need to spend Christmas with their families. Eventually, Katya decides to do the same and finds that even glamorous actresses can find comfort in familiar family pastimes, at least once a year when the theatre is closed.