The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-11-14

~ AGfcI 20 near a stage again
never, never, never.
Tommy nudged me and the,
my legs were somehow carrvin,
me across the stage toward IN
screaming telephone, my nam
was somehow lifting the receiver
The little squeak that / knew wa,
the only sound that could pos.
slply emerge from my tightsnef
throat didn't come out. Some.
thing amazingly close to my Or
binary voice was saying @Hellol'
INTO the m0uthpiece. and wbcr
Philip Ashley came in through the
French windows and we swuna
INTO our first scene, hastily took
back my. prayer. / was having q
swell time, perfectly swell.
wanted to stay on the stage, eSpe-
e1ally that stage. for the rest OF
my life.
Green Apples was a good plav
too. Of the fluffy, English drawing
room school that is almost passe
| IN the American theater, but il
| had an added something that the
passe ones don't have. Tea was
| served only once and horses were
completely ignored. Greeley Nor
RS dialogue was cracking smart
and If the characters weren't real,
/ they were at least amusing.
l remember that performance
only blotchily, as though il had
been pressed upon my mind in
alto-relievo, some parts of il
Standing out wildly, the rest fad
ing into the hay background of
an opening night
! remember the aEfsence, warm
and frieadly, faughink in the
tight Places quiet n tbs right
places glad that they had spent
theig fotir-fortieS and do1lar-fens.
II remembeF that first act inter-
lInigsion when the. curtain came
down on a burst of applause that
made Us all grin happily at each
other as We scampered for our
dressing rooms.
| Old Ben Kerry alone was not
elated. Shaking his head in gluIn
surprise, he muttered, Damn
thing seems 10 be goingl" and
( Clint Bogers. watching smilingly
from the wings, clapped him on
the back and laughed.
Phoebe Thompson. her ia G
smudged and her blue smock fly
ing, was on the stage before we
were off. lodging moving furni-
ture and stagehands and electri-
clans.
Once. as l rushed upstairs 70
make a costume change, saw
Alice. ! stopped and took her
/ hand.
Alice, what happened? Was
I something the NATTER"
1 She jerked her hand away.
"Nothing's the matter" she said
snllenly.
Il only thought I might help. /"
'fYOu can't" There were tears
IN her eyes as she turned her head
away and stared over the railing.
You you wouldn't under
stand
Vaguely, / remember costume
changes and hurried makeup
repairs and tense moments while
I waited in the dark wings for
my cue and the audiences laughs,
big sweeping ones that rolled
through the house and little
knowing chuckleS that crept
about cautiously.
Haggard Face
/. A ND then we were gathered
II around the long oak table
and the third acs was ending.
Ben Kerry lifted his glass in a
toast. toast 70 the human race.
and Eve answered him IN her
warm throaty voice. We drank
10 Il. Carol and Philip Ashley and
Steve Brown and Eve and |. and
/ the curtain and the laugh came
simultaneously. The applause was
enthusiastic and prolonged and
the curtain made eleven round
trips before the ciapping died
away.
When at last it came down TO
stay / thought of JEFF, the first
time IN hours. which was a rec
ord. beat il of the set and made
straight for the stage door. He
was coming down the alley and
fg1e looked tall and. from where |
STOOD, handsome. But Of course
no matter where ! was standing
1 JEFF looked handsome He kissed
/ me and stepped back. smiling
@Well,s said, 'show was T."
4 Z ITO good, too beautiful You'll
| be leaving me In the morning for
/ Hollywood fugH nFc
asfei The cinenal Never
How'd you like the play?"
/ Didn't see. If. only saw you
wasn't Carol wonderful"
Sure. swell"
"What did you think Of Ever"
Wonderful. wonderful. And
/ think the radio Is here 70 stay
If il can be commercialiZed
I Cmon. darling. slip into your
ciyvies and wen 90 ashore"
/ After the last four hectic hours
JEFF was like coffee on the morn
/ ing after.
+ / took one look in our room
| and high signed 70 JEFF 10 guard
/ the door. Carol was slumped be-
/ fore the dressing table. her arms
hanging Imply at her sides, and
the face that stared unseeingly
at me from the mirror was bag
/ gard and. even through the make
| 10, strangely white. she started
when she finally saw me and
/ made a halfheaEted dab with cold
cream. ! sat down beside her.
I Carol. what is it2" q
She glanced at NE and tleI
busted herself almost feverkA BIZ
at her makeup box q
Ia be eontfnued