The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-21


That sort of thing is, OF course IN
common in these days, for we prepare
in advance for Just such emergencies.
But with the best of care managers
are sometimes caught mapping.
When Sol Smith Russell was play
/ ing in a Bachelors Romance at the
/ Csarrfck theater. some years ago, a
| school of acting pupil was engaged to
She was carefully coached in the sew
era1 roles, and everything seemed
/ lovely. Well. about 1880. o'clock one
night Mrs Fannie Addison Pitt was
. Send messenger for her under
study at once shouted the stage man
ager.
Blanche Walsh Saved the Night.
Then it developed that the under
study lived in Elizabeth, N J. That
was before the rule had been made
requiring understudies to be at the
theater every night The manage
ment was in a quandary; there were
only four women in the cast Then
some one suddenly remembered that
Mrs Pitt was not on until the second
act, and. as 1t happened, Blanche
Walsh, who played the juvenile role,
was of during that act Miss Walsh
Puts role IN the second act, removing
her own costume and makeup at the
end OF the first act, and putting it on
again as soon as she had done the
sufficiently recovered to go on In the
third act and finish the play. She
collapsed at the end of the perform
ance, and her understudy was tele-
graphed for the next day, playing the
part for several performances.
OF course you recall the story of
Edwin Booths first performance Of
a really important part, which is one
Of the striking incidents of the stage
as regards quick assumptions of lead
ing. roles. His father was taken i'll,
and young Edwin was obliged to go
on and play Richard Ill He told me-,
chatting about the incident at one
time, that he knew the part not hav-
ing studied it, but merely from having
heard it night after night in the the
ater- As the story afterward went
the illness of the elder Booth was
merely feigned. He wanted to see
what sort of metal there was in his
son, and adopted that means of learn
ing"
The system of engaging understud-
/ les for musical comedy organizations
! differs little from that pursued in
more legitimate drama. In these
companies, however, there is always
such a large auxiliary force of men
and women who sing in the chorus
| that the management is not ordinarily
/ obliged to go outside for special I'M
! derstudies to principal roles. I'm
doubleday rehearsals are regularly
! held, however, for the most aVaila BILE
candidates for important parts. and
I
manager prepared to make any sub
situations the occasion may make nee
! essary.
When THE Prince of PiIsen" COM
pany entered Days theater for it's
farewell New York engagement, prior
/ to being sent to London, Jeanette Beg
card being i'll, her understudy, Miss Ha-
eel Clayton took her place on very
| short notice. Nancy Mills is another
young woman who has enjoyed the OPP
portunity of playing one of the leading
| characters in The Prince of PilSen. -
May Huntington has played the role
| of the saucy bellbOy, Jimmie, on ac-
caSiOnS when Miss WeStcott was I'M
able to appear, and she will continue
to be understudy during the London en-
gagement.
Feat of Miss EngeI.
The other afternoon Miss Engel, a
young member of the cast, who has
been on the stage only four or five
weeks, all told. saved the performance
by means of grit and quick study. One
! OF the principals became i'll and failed
to notify the stage manager until
shortly before the time for ringing up
/ the curtain. The understudy for the
role had been sent to Boston. to fill a
sudden substitution necessary in
/ Woodland" the opera which has Just
been produced there The manage
ment was facing a very serious pro-
/ blem, when Miss Engel valiantly threw
| herself into the breach. She studied
/ her first scene while the opening act
was in progress, and succeeded in COM
hitting it absolutely to memory. Hav-
ing passed through that part of the
play satisfactorily, she went to her
dressing room and learned her second
scene in time to go on when her cue
came. So she went through the entire
afternoon. acquitting herself so we'll as
/ to secure the appointment of perman-
/ ent understudy of the role.