The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-24
AUDIENCE WAS STUNNED
A Dramatic Performance Not
 Down on the Bills.
The Occurrence Was in the Grand
 Theatre in Altar ta and the House

Ezra Kendalrs telegram to Arthur | Dunn. in Atlanta last Monuay night. an- | nouncing the death of Dunn's father, proved not only a heart-breaking pit of
 news to the lively comedian or the Run and of the Gate .City's best people, who l had gathered in the Grand Theatre to see the popular successor of Jimlny Pow CTS climb all over the stage settings in
 Follow the Man from Cook T." They ! had gathered there for an evening of merriment, with Dunn as their le.def, but the message from Kendall, read be- fore she curtain by Manager Jack Lodge, sent them away almost weeping in syni- pathy for the little fellow they mentally pictured as prostrated behind the scenes
 Dunn rs dda get the ensr message st un.l ,5 he audience had fairly filled the house, and. at the moment the leader of the orches- tra tapped his baton for attention from his men. a boy usher hurried down .ae side aisle and disappeared In the passage way Dc hind the lower tier oi boxes. It1 his hand he carritd the Kendall mes- sage Had any of the theatre or troupe management observed the toy with the bit ot yellow paper he would have been stopped and the subsequent dismissal of F the atdfshee would not have occurred. for it, is a rule of the stage that lS4s-N grams Are not to be delivered to any member of the company until perform ance is hnished d rule made to prevent just such occurrences as followed the disappearance or tho boy behind the tower tier of boxes.
 The boy hurli-d on until he reached the stage. There he tuthed into punns dressing room and handed the telegram ms .Helfo sqHn S0ss ssid 0YDeai DadnT \ tAoN7 4hisg Where did you get hst1nresaefE sf,
 ssAt the door, sir, shs boy replied.
 ] tAii right, it's not businssss but I'll take sauint at it anyhow observed Dunn.
 He tore open the envelope and read the brief message. It atat6d that the father had passed away during the afternoon. and asked the comedian to come at 0nse for the funeral. 1t was signed by Eau Kendall, the noted comedian Of the vau- deville stage. who is a brother-in-iaw TRsliiitttfe aomedian sat down on rrunls Las Ne realized the import of the message. The bit ofSpaper slipped from his han l and nuttered to the floor unobserved, fo, :, Duans face was buried In his hands ani his eyes were filled with tears
 In this pOsitiCn the stage managsr found him several minutes later, after Dunn's failure to respond to the stags call had brought that oflctal to his room. Dunn did not speak, but merely poin T. to the yellow sheet on the Hoo, the stage manager picked up and Then he forgot that he had ccIneL toa. dressing room to chide the eoHsediaH for
  the room and closed the door, feAyipE the gaudily dressed 'Flipper@saions wlth his great grief. Ess9t and went through with it. There was a pause. The leader looked up Tor the signal for the opening chorous, but 1t did not come. He heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind the curtain, and then excited voices. The stage manager was explaining to Manager Lodge, who had been called from the arcade.
 Afhush fell over the house, to be broken al moment later by rising murmur which swept from pit to dome and grew louder as people began to ask each other why the performance didn't start
 Through the speaking tu0e the leader of the orchestra was asked to run Tn a march to cover up the delay. The march sounded out and the audience re- stunned It's between-the-acts converse tional tone. Bue when the curtain taii- ed to rise after the march, the crowd again fell to speculating on the delay. and several men in the gallery began 70 stamp their feet to show impatience. A
 wave of hand-clapping followed. ana then the orchestra struck up a waltz.
 In the meantime, behind the cqrtaln there was excitement. Manager Lodge had entered the dressing room ana hao come out again with an anxious express sion on his face.
 nounced to the stage manager. Haul out the understudy.
 The understudy was dressed for one of the minor parts, When he was notinsd that he would fill DunnS s place, ne threw up his hands.
 ''I can't do it." he nrotested. I've never even rehearsed it.
 "'Oh, you can take throw at 1t, any how" the manager insisted. Change up. quick I'll announce the cause to the audience" And before the understudy could protest further the manager step ped out from behind the curtain to a uofnt before the fOOtliRhtS.
 In few words, he explained the cause of the delay. stating that the perform Rized for the understudy in MT. Dunn's place. Then he read out Kendalfs tele- gram.
 he may get his money back at the box office" he said.
 Not a soul left the house.
 As he stepped back behind t,t the oHrtain: ths theatre. The brilliant audience was stunned. Then wave of faint applause broke out and died away as a souno oh surprised exclamation arouse from every
 The understudy met the manager as he returned from making the announcement; r.rd,v VI cant nj t6st do sImply sh1s Pacs cant ne s
 Manager Lodge sat down on q stage rock and rammed his hands deep into his pockets: ,,.,..- ..,, .,,a,,,,,, .,
  he said. and tears welled up into hls eyes its the first time in my thirty three years experience that l have ever disappointed an audience.
 Behind him chorus girls in fancy cos tunes were grouped about the darkened stage. The men of the chorus walked like gaily-cloaked ghosts through tne wings. silently grieving with their tel- low artist over in the corner room. The stage hands stared stupidly at each oth- CT. The only sound came from the other side of the curtain where the rumble of the audience in conversation mingled with the strains of a lively air played by the orchestra
 Finally the manager arose and again stepped before the curtain.
 Ladies and gentlemen" he began, we find 1t impossible to go on with the per formance. Your money will be refunded at the box office" e+t e
 Then confusion reigned supreme in the vast assembly. EXclamatiqns Of disap- pointment went up fr9nl' he pit ana