The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-04-29
SAVING THE Play
Actors Are Often Called Upon TO-
Exercise Quick Wit.
SOME CURIOUS EXPERIENCES.

Rose Eytinss Once Extemporizsd the
Entire Part Of Lady Isabel In East
lynne"-How John erouoham Made
q Hit Without His Leading Lady.
Quick wit has saved many an embar-
RAISING situation, turned many a seem
ingly disastrous failure into success.
Politics, literature, courtesy, all are
served by quick tongue and ready
word.
Actors as we'll as business men, have
special use for quick wit, so often do
they need help out Of difficulty dur
ing the play. A college performance
was saved from wreckage by one of
the young actors.
One of the cast, boy easily upset,
had just given his line, "All need is
an advertisement" when half of his
stage mustache fell off.
ooh, no." said the ready youth be-
side him, seeing his embarrassment;
"what you need is hair restorer."
And under cover of the laughter the
victim had chance to recover himself.
1t was surely the same readiness
that enabled Rose Eytinge to go
through one Of the most extraordinary
experiences any actress ever had. In
San Francisco she was once asked to |
fill Mary Anderson's place at short
notice, appearing with the local stock
company. The play was to be east
Lynne" BY singular chance, no prompt
book could be found, nor could they
secure copy of the novel. Miss Ely
tinge protested that it would be i'm
possible for her to play, as she had
never so much as seen the piece. That
fact they refused to believe. More
over, to add to her difficulty, though
all the company claimed to know the
old drama backward. no one seemed |
to haYe an idea Of the lines she, as
Lady Isabel, would have to speak.
"Oh, that'll be all right" said John
the manager, to whom she
appealed. Just you sob and look sorry, ! !
ana It Will 60.
So Miss Eytinge, rather than cause
the loss of closing the theater. went on
totally unprepared to act in an abs0-
lutely unfamiliar play.
Tom Keene. the Archibald Carlisle,
instructed her in the proper emotion
from scene to scene. "Now she's a
jealous cat, jealous cat" he would !
whisper. "Now she's kitteny." New
she's sorry she was such fool" "Now
she wants her young ones" ''Now she
up and dies"
The performance seemed to cause en-
tire satisfaction to the audience, and
as he generously handed
over half the receipts to the heroine of
the hour, declared, "Well, you may
have had to vamp that part. but I've
often seen it played with less SOUL"
The story Of an experience demand
Ing similar readiness of wit is told of
John Brougham, the early American
comedian and playwright. On one &C.
casion, when his own clever burlesque.
''Pocahontas," had been billed and the
house sold out in advance, the leading
actress left. without warning to take
another position in Baltimore. The au-
dience had assembled before her alb
sence was discovered by the manager
and star. AS it was that play or moth
ing Brougham, who was famed for his
witty impromptu speeches, went before
the curtain and suggested giving the
piece without Pocahontas. He recalled
the old story of the actor who played
Hamlet so execrably that on the fol.
lowing night the tragedy was given
with that character omitted by request.
snow, If Hamlet can be acted with
out the hero" he remarked, why not
Pocahontas' without the heroine? OF
course you are all aware Of the fact
that 'Pocahontas' is much greater
play than Hamlet Even If you do not
know that, do, and ought to, for I !
wrote it myself Are ybu willing to |
try it?''
"Go aheadw came the cries from the
audience, who settled themselves back
to see the result.
The burlesque proceeded as usual
until the entrance music was played
for Pocahontas; then, turning toward
the audience, Brougham, as Powhatan.
sadly began: Ladies and gentlemen,
that sweet strain is supposed to bring
my daughter Pocahontas on the stage.
You are already aware that she is in
the city Of Baltimore, and the stern
law Of the land will not permit Chris
tan, much less a savage, to be in two
places at once. Thus does the law
protect that most useful instrument,
the alibi However, II Poky were here
she would hasten to say Whereupon
the comedian gave her lines in exact
limitation of the missing actress, keep
ing up the dialogue in two persons all
through the play. The delighted peo-
pie who were fortunate enough to be
present declared that Brougham was
avenged.
G.. P. Huntley tells of an incident
that took place at an east side theater
In London. The goods" were booing
the piece and throwing chunks of bread
ne tho nnrformorS Es3