Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1913-02-27
SAVING The Scene
An Emergency For Which Actors
Must Ever Be Prepared.
ACTS NOT ON THE PLAYBILLS.

and a Feline Intrusion In "CamIlle."
An experienced actor is supposed to
be able to cope with any stage emer-
gency, no matter what is lacking or
what happens. Cool, self possessed, it
is expected of him to turn the ridicu-
lous into a source of applause rather |
than of disapproval or laughter.
And among the necessary acquire
ments for the actress is an unsuitable
self control, no matter if by some care
lessness she is thrown into situation
almost without precedent. She must
never fly off at a tangent because of
some unrehearsed incident. She must
not scream when the perennial gallery
idiot yells "Firev' If something is for
gotten she must try hard to hide its alb
sence or invent a substitute.
If anything unusual occurred l al
ways tried to incorporate it into the
play if possible, as when in the school
room scene of Miss Mutton" / was as
tonished to see a large water spaniel
come trotting on to the stage, waving
his tail at me as if we had been bosom
friends for years. l don't like to recall
all the things l thought about that dog
for Il moment or two.
Then l rose, and, thanking heaven
and a generous master for the collar he
wore. | grasped it, and, having stroked
his silky ear with the other hand,
said to my pupils: children, do not
wish to curtail your pleasures, but L
have told you before that l cannot per-
nit you to have your pets in this room
during lesson hours. Now, don't force
me to remind you of that again"
And the little girl who played Paul
quickly and cleverly responded to my
wink. "Oh, excuse us this time, Miss
Mutton, and we won't do it again"
And, taking the dog from me, she led
him off into the retirement of private
life, while in the morning one newspa-
per remarked that among the prettiest
of the lighter touches of the perform
ance was the scene at the Christmas
tree in the first act and the dog scene
in the third act"
Another time, in Baltimore, when L
was playing Camille" l had similar
experience. In the fifth act | had stag'
gered from the window to the bureau,
nearing that dread moment when l was
to see the reflection of my wrecked and
ruined self in the looking glass. The
house was all attention, watching dim
eyed the piteous, weak movements of
the dying woman. Just then L heard
the quick indrawing of the breath that
startled womanhood always INDUCES
in before either a scream or laugh.
My heart gave a plunge. What is
it? Oh. what is wrong?" And l glanc
ed down at myself anxiously, for really
1 wore very little in that scene. ''What
is it?"
Then came a litter, and evidently il
was growing. In agony turned quick
ly about and found myself facing 6
monstrous cat. Starlike, he held the
. very center of the stage, his two grea
topaz eyes fixed unfinchingly upon my
face. His tail stood straight and ag
excessively in the air, twitching will
= short witches at the very top.
, Alas, no wonder they giggled! Blu
how to save the approaching dealt
scene was what went through IN.
mind.
Clinging to the bureau, I slipped t.
my knees, and with an earnest praye
that he would not resist my appeal il
a faint voice l called him to me
Thomas looked suspiciously at me, hes
itated, then approached gingerly ant
shifted at my fingers. Then he rubbe
his dingy body against my knee, AM
in an instant my arms were about hin
my cheek on his wicked old head
D What a sigh of relief went like way
= over that audience! L had won!
e l then called Nanine to relieve me
and the applause that swept the hous
was as balm to my great distress
said to Nanine, "Take him downstairs
he grows too heavy for me to pet
. And Sir Thomas was carried off re
luctantly, imagining perhaps that
was envious of the hit he had made.
" Ny manager, who was somewhat G
S a wag, of course made the most of tn
saved situation. A gentleman met hi
II on the street the next morning and wa
. anxious for him to settle an argumer
between himself and wife.
"My wife, who has seen the play SCI
eral times in New York, insists tn;
the beautiful little scene with the C,
d belongs to the play, while | don't reca
It it. nor do any of our acquaintance
1t whom l have asked this mornin
ia Won't you kindly set us right?"
"NNillingly," replied my manage
"Your wife is in the right, my dear 81