i AN AMATEUR REHEARSAL,

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 582, 10 August 1909, Page 3

AN AMATEUR REHEARSAL.

* . SANS LIGHTS, SANS SCENERY . ' rehearsals pf amateur'actors havebeen ■ P 8?, 1 - 1 0 ' s '^A^m©' of \raaßy-;:aii7amtfsing.:.skit, ~ f?. L ™ at ■ fflwe. than ..a "skittiSi 'side', ■ 1 fi performance was made clear.to'the outSaturday .theatre Royal; watching a party of amateur. Mtoirs patiently rehearsing. for : ;:''Niqbel'' * . It was a most uninspiring scene—the stage wide and bare arid very 'cold, an ugly ~ _ c P r ta l n shuttiiig off the sight; of . the audito■v: nuni,\iio stage;properties anywhere, the girls Oyho'm: the..pia jr. .wear pretty; evenifigj frocks): .• -1$: walking *costumes'. .aridfurs,. and ~:'.wiobe.,.;herself.. stepping_->down : from, an imaginary .pedestal, clad in a serge: coat ami skirt, with. motor ' cap : arid' ; . veil, "acting the part of prompter whenever the:play did not , require her' to', ba' straying ; about wistfully a „'.^ e ®?. I ?s'.brough' : her'part. - They were , all- priictiSM.'amateurs,';aiid'they'went ,about :: /their *work •. in a,' very matter of fact, :.ilnself- •;. conscious way—throwing. themselves into their parts-.so successfully-, that ' tho oiw v v spectator • became quifb . absorbed in ' the B^y,'almost forgetting: that ; it was only a rehearsal, until one of the actors would' brwk off in the middlo of a line;* with, shouldn t, .tihero be more .business there, d.0.t0 fill in that pause?' ■ : -^i-T. : reversod those two 'ines: •shouldn't it'go .like this?" ]■v."j: • in. 'the . middle of the most interesting. speeches that-, these pauses would come. v; ■■.. the: holism'this instant, you impu-' •I, iussy, hissed -Helen, advancing in a thTeatening/'manner . towardsi Niobe, ivilo' 'nSeated; I #' ; step:' : or';.two'. with a _ 6tartrled- -look on "her charming face, and •: then l : ' • •• . i ;,. . ••

.. "We'lJ have- that over -again, said she. (.JPPKS ,ner':role; of':Nipbe; for a moment; '> ; : .pegin. .with • Hattie's speech,", and . amateur.'aptorsl'steppcd•back/in to theii: places' • ■ 6evoral lines earlier •in the • scene;' working up, again fe'eliiig v: "leayfe the;house/hussy." : \ ' : ; . ' It was like tliat"'all;through tile rehearsal; ■ at'moments that' seemed >most. thrilling, (when ,v . the : one ■ outsider the ; ' perform ance* ;X■ felt; quite stirred up 'with . the way it. was going)/ it .would; stop- dead: • Niobe's ' cliin .. would bo 'hanging 'over, tjie' shoulder of .the unfortunate fmimin whose homG shc had • been restored to life; 'she would:be loving him tenderly-with a'pretty, unstatuesquo . .. grace,, andth© voiceV of■■ the sfcdgomanager . wouldvbe.jheard, -i.'.'Noj ;not like that;. Bold v '• h®' 1 .-' an dfor'£ moment-..there',wwild'-bo' '■ 'a,; transforination'iscenei^^^^^ 'hang over his'shoulder while-he . held her so that 'the house ::could soother ' f ac9: ;'/" i'iOr '• Eeter/jwould '.start I ;back ; /with ja,£!ppk.;.of. : -horrorj. and, even asi ho'-started one would- ' . hear, him., say,:; "Look, d-o ,1' start , back ■ justt •V as-'.far,.,,as.-;this, . v or.how-shall/I do.- it??i and- ; ibrroil %•. would;;cdmo ' agauij jquites.; and> unconcernedly, t ; i; :v; . f ;''''Q°;tßrough"-tliat; : 'part again:;': ,You.must- ■ put "more ginger into it,.•• and ■' step oiore -. quickly,", said 'the voice. "No, try-again;" .--And, 1 always-iri'-.the same -pains-: takinp 'way, without the .'least trace ot . selfconsciousness the ; actors would go through it.again>until.;they.'got ; ..it,right;.',-: , It. .was not often , that they had to go through any part 'of : 'it again,; for,, this 1 was ' '.' one of a-'; number, of. rehearsals, and ; + Jiey.! ; ; : well .every Jine,- . and ; ;had:\settled • most of the. business -before,.. • ■ ' • V;-}■

r-'ylp'. was interesting;'to. watch • tho i; stage manager-and- see how carefully the 'positions of the actors had to be arranged—how hero they must stand back so that the •. new. .g6.verness, : \as:shq appeared tp : constefnatiorij niight.'be sGen-clearly in. the audience,:-a;"matter that was ; obviously. ■ important;: 'though •' ; it.; would; not istrike . anyone else. - They took it all in a very matter-of-fact '.way;, and thefunny,•'things;'.;that-■ happened (lid not appear ,so ; funny,, to - them, because ;they 'had_: seDn;. it; all .before.Peter.;was the most 'serious of all. •' Not - once. |was : there a smilo on his,face unless.it had;to come there •in the, play/.'and he was most convincingly anil - woefully, affected by.'the/trouble:brought upon; his .■ head.v'-'The ; others . ;\yere serious enough iC on-'.'the-' stage, serious considering :how. full .of! the . farce really is, /and only once did the'severe Helen ;so.,;far." forget herself,'as,.to ; laugh;'wheii she should have been most; condemnatory;.''and' thit,.w'as'wh"en'Niql>e wept.bitterly .on'PeterV shoulder, in full / unashamed', .view ■ of' all i his' family, ,while his wife flung/herself into .her sister's. : shoulder—a festive scehe:'.. :

.V | i.l'or thp. rest of tho time Helen swept- ; .■! ?iri contempt, 1 and Hattie, played-.-up wilfully, and Cornish tried ; / blunderingly to get out . of the nasiy "hole ho was in, find .Niobo heaped embarrassment on poor -Peter's :head, all in the most ap- - proved .manner. Hero ;md there a line wis forgotten,.or some new bit' of ;business was •.■■■ discussed,: hava ;'j thought. the . thing, was ' quite;'ready for . production. If it ;goes ,as.' : well .whea as ''it ;-;-'di.d-: Ton .^ < dull 1 grey curtain.' .the audience will enjoy itself thoroughly,, but still more enjoyment , would .. it .ih'aye had ; could'.it; have' seen* the' plain, clothes rehearsal as well. 1 r *