UNREHEARSED EFFECTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 35, 30 August 1890, Page 9

UNREHEARSED EFFECTS.

(BY AN ACTOR.) Most actors have met with more or less comical or embarrassing incidents in their career, and those who have played much in the ‘ legitimate ’ or stock pieces will, I think, have found that one paiticular piece is more productive of such incidents than others. In my own experience I think more mishaps have occurred in ‘As You Like It,’ than any other piece, though, to be sure, it once happened to me in playing Romeo that in careering gaily into the Friar’s cell after the Balcony Scene, I tripped over the lintel, landed Hat on my stomach at the holy man's feet, my dagger in one direction, my cap in the Hoat and my wig hanging on to one ear. Needless to say the Friar’s line ‘ Wisely and slow, they stumble who run fast,’ provoked a roar of laughter. The Friar was old Henry Howe, now of Irving’s Lyceum company ; the scene of the exploit the Haymarket Theatre under Buckstone’s management. This calls to memory another humorous situation in the same play. After slaying Paris, on approaching the to-all-appearance defunct Juliet, I discovered I had forgotten the deadly potion. A smothered cuss-word eseaped me, drawing from the deceased one the question ‘ What’s wrong ?’ ‘ Forgotten the phial,’ said I. ‘ Ob, Christmas !’ said the corpse. The call-boy saw my difficulty and ran to find the phial. As I was assuring the charming Juliet that I should be somewhere near her when worms should be her chambermaids—whop ! Something tolerably heavy was thrown from the wing and alighted somewhere about where .Juliet's corsets were tightest. ‘Good Heavens! What’s that'!’ whispered the lifeless one, from whose lip death had sucked the honey of her breath, as her heels gave an involuntary kick in the air. ‘ Only the poison,’ replied I, deftly removing from its resting place an eight ounce blue bottle with a scarlet label, on which was inscribed ‘ The lotion, for external application only,’ and proceeded to poison myself with the cork. That time the audience was not in the secret.