The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1913-04-03
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 te
be able to cope with any stage emer-
gency, no matter what is lacking OF
what happens. Cool, self possessed, 1t
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 situation
almost witt PRECEDENT She must
never fly at tangent because OF
some unrehearsed incident She must
not scream when the perennial gallery
idiot yells "Firer' If something is for
gotten she must try hard to hide its abb
sence or invent 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. l don't like to recall
all the things thought about that dog
for a 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, l
said to my pupils: Children, do not
wish to curtail your pleasures, but l
have told you before that cannot per-
init you to havs 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 1t again"
And. taking the dog from me, she led
him or into the retirement of private
life. while in the morning one newspa.
per remarked that among the prettest
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" l had similar
experience. In the fifth act had stag
gered from the window to the bureau,
nearing that dread moment when 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 I 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 wongT And glanc-
ed down at myself anxiously, for really
l wore very little in that scene. what
Ia It'll"
Then came litter. and evidently 1t
was growing. In agony | turned quick
ly about and found myself facing
monstrous cat Starlike. he held the
very center of the stage. his two great
topaz eyes fixed unhinchingly upon my
face. His tail stood straight and ag-
excessively in the air, twitching with
short witches at the very top.
Alas, no wonder they giggled! But
how to save the approaching death
scene was what went through my
mind.
Clinglng to the bureau. slipped to
my knees. and with an earnest prayer
that he would not resist my appeal In
a faint voice called him to me.
Thomas looked suspiciously at me, hes
itated. then approached gingerly and
shifted at my fingers. Then he rubbed
his dingy body against my knee, and
in an instant my arms were about him.
my cheek on his wicked old head.
What sigh of relief went like wave
over that audience! | had won!
then called Nanine to relieve me,
and the applause that swept the house
was as balm to my great distress. l
said to Nanine. take him downstairs;
he grows too heavy for me to pet"
And Sir Thomas was carried off re-
imagining perhaps that
was envious of the hit he had made.
My manager, who was somewhat Of
a wag. of course made the most Of the
saved situation. A gentleman met him
on the street the next morning and was
anxious for him to settle an argument
between himself and wife.
my wife. who has seen the play sew
eral times In New York. insists that
the beautiful little scene 9TH the cat
belongs to the play. while don't recall
II. nor do any of our acquaintance
whom have asked this morning.
Won't you kindly set us right?"
Willingly" replied my manager.
Your wife is in the right, nay dear sir.
That cat scene is always done. 1t IN a
great fav0rite with Miss Morris. and
she harIo that cat aIl ovar tho counfrv