SURPRISED THE AUDIENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 371, 21 June 1911, Page 6

SURPRISED THE AUDIENCE.

Mr. Ernest Carpenter tells the following story of Ms early days as an actor : I had got promoted to playing the leading parts, and was cast for Richard the Third in Shakespeare's play of that name. When we came to the last rehearsal and the scene in which the corpse of King Henry is borne across the stage, the stage manager found that he had nothing to represent a coffin. He was a man of resource, as all stage-managers must be, especially those in the smaller theatres, and he accordingly got a plain plank, the size and length of a coffin, and draped it with a handsome pall, so that when carried shoulder high it would look like a real coffin. The stage-manager gave the four supers who were deputed to carry the coffin definite instructions not to put it down,, even though they heard mc say, "Stay you that bear that corpse and set it down." When, accordingly, I spoke the line, they did not stir a hand, but stood splendidly immovable. Unfortunately, however, the stage-manager had forgotten that Richard's next speech was : "Villains, set down the corpse ; or by St. Paul, I'll make a corpse of him that disobeys." I spoke the lines so vehemently that the four unfortunate supers, who had not been present at the re.hearsal, were startled out of their wits, and they at once began to lower the coffin until the plank was flat upon the stage. Naturally the illusion so carefully contrived by the stage-manager vanished, and the audience saw what was comparable to nothing so much as one of Mr. Maskelyne's disappearing tricks. I shall never forget the shriek of laughter with which the episode was received.