Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-05
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An Amateur Performer Who Insisted
ipon Following the Lines.


An Amateur Performer Who Insisted
tpon Following the Lines.
IL b. not oflel that professional actors
get mixed up in amateur theatric1ls,
bat when they do, as rule. their lives
are made miserable until the affair Is
oyer. A few years ago young wum-
an who wa one Of the reigning bellies
OF tn. -Four Hundred IN this city, wrote
romantic play, plontifully spriuklod
with singing and dancing. She read tho
play 10 her intimate friends, aud they
one and an unanimously declared that
II should b. produced at one Of tho the.
ators where amateur performances arc
held, and that the author should play
the part OF tho heroine. After much
conSing the Indy consented. Tho ply
was called "Kismct,' The cast was Sc.
lected from among the best amateurs,
tho leading man being the head aul
front Of them. The scene OF the play
was laid Ia Turkey, In the garden and
palace of che sultan. The plot was
hinged ON the abduction OF two bcaut.-
iul girls and their final rcstuc.
A clever professional stage manager
was engaged at big salary aud 10.
hcurals began, Everything wcntalong
~ smoothly ~ could he expected until
the last rehearsal. which took place ON
the morning Of the day appointed for the
production. when % noto wis hastily de.
livcrcd TO the stage manager snying that
the leading lady and author had lost her
voice completely, and that her physician
had ordered her not 10 leave the house.
She was very sorry, but advised that q
professional actress DO engaged 10 take
her place. Here was "a pretty kettle OF
hsh''-how TO get an actress az 80 short
a notice. Che costumes must bo fitted
aud the part learned before p. m. The
manager thought OF u friend Of his, Mrs.
Addio Pluukett, Charles plunkotts wife,
who had Just closed her season with
Lawrence BlTett and who was then at
liberty. He sent Tor her and requested
her 10 return with the messenger. She
did so, and after long talk with tho
stage manager consented 10 rehoarso the
part, She was nervous. Of course.
In the garden scene hos sisters lover
has discovered her hiding place and
they are having loving interview, tho
heroine remaining on tho lookout for
interruptions, which may occnr in tho
form OF the sultan's servants. which
would mean death 10 the intruder. At
u certain cue tho heroine rushes up TO
her sisters innco and tells him to ely!
fly for your life-somo one approachcsw
and the lover is pushed through q wick
ct ana escapes. Mrs. Plunbett rehearsod
tho scene carefully and told the leading
man that In case she should forget 10
say all tho lines she would make him
understand when 1t was timo for him TO
make sis exit. Thus II was settled be-
tween them, Evening came, and tho
time for the curtain to be- rung mp ar
rived. Most Of the performers hid stage
fright, one fair amateur declaring that
she had entirely forgotten her lines aud
was sure that she would faint frem
sheer fright,
Tho performance began and Mrs.
Plunkott struggled brycly through her
pnrt, dropping an occasional speech now
aud then, but with professional tact she
covered mp her mistakes 80 that the au-
dionco WIS aono tho wiser. Whom the
garden scene was reached the lover ap.