Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-28
ACTORS RESPOND
TO MIDNIGHT CALL
PLAYERS REHEARSE IN
THE SMALL HOURS
Members Of the Ferris Stock Company
Are Compelled to Do Extra Work
in Preparing for "Par-
sHal" Tonight

pany at the Auditorium just now
This, it is certain, would destroy all
hope of anything but utter fatigue in
the soul of the most persistent.
The Ferris company puts on Par
sital' tonight, with the fun Wagner
music. The opera-drama is a stu
pendous affair and IL has been I'm
preparation for some weeks. But al
though the company rehearsed faith
fully yesterday, clear up to matinee
time, the production has not yet as
sumed the perfection desired by Dick
Ferris, and so a midnight rehearsal
was called for this early morn.
Now, these players performed in
"Theodora," which is very heavy
show, on Tuesday evening; they re-
hearsed all yesterday forenoon; they
gave both matinee and night perform
ances yesterday, and they will rehearse
most of today. Think what that i'm
plies; then imagine what 1t means to
have night rehearsal called. Then
figure out where the GLORY" or the
10y comes in. 1t would be easier
to catch "Raffles."
Dreaded by Players
The midnight rehearsal is a thing
all players dread. 1t is uncanny at
best. The great barn of a theater is
strange noises. The Pickering daylight
that streaps in during the usual re-
hearsal hours is all gone; not ray
enters. The inky blackness enfolds the
great house like a pail. On the stage
the tired hands have torn down the
last scene of Theodore" and showed
the cage of lions into far-away cor
ner for the night. The footlights and
the borders are af1ame, but the cal
nit i'm, oi1dfanan ic
long since on its homeward way. but
the heavy-eyed and foot-weary Thes-
plans are still on hand. Stage Director
Sedley Brown is walking about with
his fried egg cap down over his
eyes and his red whiskers bristling
like the hair on a mad dog. Dick
Ferris in overcoat-he has a cold-and
dirty slouch hat is here and there.
Director Cammyer and his musicians
drop lights aglow. And the sharp
voice of Brown echoes in the empti-
ness:
"Al ready, now!"
A score of sleepy principals arouse
and shuttle into places, |
They are not brilliant in either de-
livery or action; they have been all
that twice already during the
day, and brilliancy dies after it be- |
comes mechanical.
Flower Girls Fag
1t is Klingsor's garden and the dance
of the flower maidens, one of the most
beautiful of Wagner's motifs, is heard
from the orchestra. The puckered lips
of the cornetist show his own over
work and the bulgy eyes of all depict
plainly their desire for sleep. The
tYmpanist smokes a tailor made"
stoically as he hits his kettledrums |
The flower mafdens are anything but |
fowerlike. They are distinctly be-
draggled They move about with the |
grace and activity of so many hip
popotami. They won't tonight; but |
that will be a performance for the |
public; now it is pure mechanics. They |
sing, but in subdued voices and with |
reluctant gesture.
There are sharp words of direction
from Brown.
do that over; not that way; take
it like this"
The red beard wags and the Brown |
legs caper. The coryphees initiate
He scowls.
"Again!"
And several more times. Finally:
"All right!'
The weary girls literally fall out of
ranks and drop on chairs. trunks, bits
of scenery. Some of them even drop
into slumber
eastman Fails to Joke
The Knights. of the Holy Grail
march. Big Harry eastman, the hu-
man Joke, leads the supers. How he
keeps his face straight is a problem.
But he's too weary to laugh; he drags
his hugeness through the slow march
in stately fashion, and the mob fol-
lows. The girl pages wander from
their paths from sheer weariness, and
Brown hustles them back The girl
knights are now the flower maidens
that were, and they show their sleepy
faces reluctantly. The musicians drop
into the "pum, pun" Of the wonderful
march and the cigarette falls from the
tympanist's mouth in a flicker of ash.
do it again; you know that march,"
says Dick. IT Is his favorite of all
written music, and his very soul is
centered on having it right.
Slower; slower; you're not going to
a fire." he shouts.
The stately, solemn procession winds !
on. The Grail enters and is adored. !
Harry Won Meter (Amfortas) groans, !
and Andrew Robson (ParsifaD stands |
stolidly by. The scene ends.
"Fair," says Dick. you'll have to !
rehearse that a good deal yet"
The choir boys are too tired even
to stick pins i'm one another. The !
little girl pages tumble into mamma's |
laps and slumber till the cue comes |
And meanwhile, another scene is pro-
ceeding. and more weary players pom
der their lines and stumble through the
vast emptiness of the stage.
There were hours of this II began !
after II and was still in progress when |
these lines were written; ii was going |
on when this paper was printed. Only |
the gray dawn OF day will see this |
rehearsal and the sun will be up when |
it ends. Then there will be few |
hours for hasty sleep, a bite to eat |
rehearsal And then viii be |
tonights performance and all its glory |
and perhaps another rehearsal.
Oh, yes; there is joy and glory in
being a stock player-if you are not
one.