Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-02-21
SAVING The SCENE
An Emergency For Which Actors
Must Ever Be Prepared.
ACTS NOT ON THE PLAYBILLS.

| '~'"SN ~ FNuVdntd9e Va
nine Interruption In miss Mutton
and Feline Intrusion In "CamiIle,"
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 unshakable
self control, no matter If by some care
lessness she is thrown into a situation
almost without precedent. She must
never fly off at tangent because Of
some unrehearsed incident She must
not scream when the perennial gallery
idiot yells "Fire| 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 1t into the
play If possible, as when in the school
room scene Of Miss Mutton | was as
tonished to see large water spaniel
come trotting on to the stage, waving
his tail at me as If we had been bosom
friends for years. / don't like to recall
all the things thought about that dog
for moment or two.
Then rose, and, thanking heaven
and 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
have told you before that 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
was playing Camille" | had a 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 heard
the quick indrawing Of the breath that
startled womanhOod always INDUCES
in before either a scream or a laugh.
My heart gave plunge. "What is
it? Oh, what is wrongp And l glanc-
ed down at myself anxiously, for really
| wore very little in that scene. What
Is it?'
Then came a litter, and evidently it
was growing. In agony turned quick
y about and found myself facing a
monstrous cat. Starlike, he held the
very center of the stage, his two great
topaz eyes fixed unflinchingly upon my
face. His tail stood straight and ag-
yressively in the air, twitching with
short twitches at the very top.
Alas, no wonder they giggled! But
now to save the approaching death
scene was what went through my
mind.
Clinging to the bureau, l slipped to
ny knees, and with an earnest prayer
hat he would not resist my appeal in
faint voice 1 called him to me.
Thomas looked suspiciously at me, hes
tated, then approached gingerly and
niffed at my fingers. Then he rubbed
lis dingy body against my knee, and
n an instant my arms were about him,
nv cheek on his wicked old head.
What a sigh of relief went like a wave
,ver that audience! l had wonl
| then called Nanine to relieve me,
md the applause that swept the house
vas as balm to my great distress. l
aid to Nanine, "Take him downstairs;
le grows too heavy for me to pet"
md Sir Thomas was carried off re-
uctantly, imagining perhaps that /
vas envious of the hit he had made.
My manager, who was somewhat OF
wag. of course made the most of the
aved situation. A gentleman met him
n the street the next morning and was
nxious for him to settle an argument
,etween himself and wife.
"AIy wife, who has seen the play sew
raj times in New York, insists that
he beautiful little scene with the cat
elongs to the play, while don't recall
/. nor do any Of our acquaintances
rhom have asked this morning
Won't you kindly set US right?"
"Willingly," replied my manager.
Your wife is in the right, my dear sir.
hat cat scene is always done. 1t is
reat favorite with Miss Morris, and y
he hauls that cat all over the country S
18th her" =
May heaven forgive him!-Clara Nor
$ in New York Press.