From Vaudeville, The Book by Caroline Caffin and illustrated by Marius De Zayas, 1914.

Here's a precursor to The Iceman Cometh.  The sudden appearance of an ice man, and not the long-expected murderously jealous husband, ends a comedic sketch with one character screaming in fright, and the script promises that it's one of the best finishes in vaudeville.  From A Cold Finish, A Vaudeville Sketch by Harry Lee Newton, 1905.

"I once attended a convention of vaudevillians and nightclub performers.... It was nonsense atop nonsense. Though the members constantly referred to Roberts' Rules of Order, they seldom followed or even understood them. If a member got the floor by claiming a point of privilege--whatever that meant--another actor-member, well aware of theatrical billing precedence, would call for special privilege, and another would claim extra special privilege." --Bill Smith, The Vaudevillians

"The climax of the old 'knockabout' act," from Pearson's, 1903.

Does the spirit of Vaudeville wear a novelty hat?  From Bachelor Ballads by Harry A. Spurr, 1899.