We will next assume that up to this time we have been working in a hall. Now to perfect the dialogue it is sometimes necessary to go over one speech fifty times or a hundred times, to get a certain inflection and to set the accompanying "stage business." Stage business—all of it—creates some dramatic value for the performance. That has to be worked out, if you want to get effective pieces of "business," much depending upon the brain power and the experience of the coach, whether he is able to devise effective business or not. Sometimes you will find it indicated in the script. For a man to make a success at this business he must have inventive ability. He must thoroughly understand dialogue, how to time it and set it. They must pick up their cues, and at the proper moment, and not make "stage waits" between lines. Sometimes the line is one that calls for a laugh. Sometimes there is a line preceding it, preparing the audience for what is to follow. We call that a feed line. Where the period comes there should be a slight pause. We time that. The actor counts to himself, "1, 2" before proceeding with the next line, that gives a laugh a chance to get under way. If you don't give a line like that a chance, it doesn't get over and the point is lost. It doesn't get the laugh that you expect, and it would if the coaching is done properly. Rehearsing dialogue is very tricky work. You must be very strict when you rehearse it. If anybody on the stage should move, if a chair is moved or if a door is opened at the wrong time while the dialogue is going on, it would detract from the line and kill the play. No one can move while a line is spoken unless it is some kind of a line that doesn't call for a point. But if it is a comedy point that you want to put over, or any other kind of an effective point, the characters must be still and the line must be delivered, and after the period, after the end of the line, you can break the picture and move.
Many a play is killed because people don't understand how to rehearse dialogue, don't understand how to get scenes over; amateur coaches teaching wrong business. I saw wrong business ruin a whole show once in Baltimore. The chorus was walking up and down stage trying to get a lyric over, with no sense of direction. They didn't know where they were going or why. The coach just told them to walk up and down. The soloist's back was toward the audience at times; she was facing right; she was facing left; in every conceivable direction except the right one to get a song over. Of course the number failed. The soloist should have been in the center of the stage so the lyric could have been heard and followed by everyone in the audience. Get the verse and the first chorus over so that the audience gets the idea of the song. It creates atmosphere for the number. If you walk sideways and your face is sideways, the audience doesn't get the lyric. When I rehearse a show the faces are at least three-quarters to the audience, when a person sings or speaks. Nobody must ever have their back to the audience when a line is spoken. If they sing a song or speak a line, everything must be done for the benefit of the audience. That must be kept in mind from the time you first begin to rehearse the company. Whether it is a professional or an amateur company makes no difference. They are trained in the same way.
Now, let us say we have finally perfected the play. They know the lyrics, they know the numbers, they know the "business" that occurs during the dialogue, and they know the "business" of the ensembles. By this time the play has actually taken form, and it is time to rehearse it with the scenery. When the scenery is added, both the ensemble and the principals who do the numbers all report in their practice clothes. Insist upon that. This insures their getting right down to business without "stalling," as nearly all people on the professional or amateur stage are disposed to do.
Go through the sets, get effective groupings so that you get the most natural and effective pictures and it all conforms to the architecture of the sets.
After you have finished rehearsing with the scenery, commence to give them the hand-props. Sometimes I use important hand-props in dialogue before I take on the scenery. That has to be carefully worked out and considered. Otherwise I work the scene rehearsals in with hand-props. You will find that most every one who has to handle a prop will fumble it, will be terribly awkward with it. If they have to pick a chair up and set it some place else, they will drag it across the floor and make a noise with it. They can't pick it up and set it down without any noise. This must be rehearsed. If they have to handle some hand-prop, they will drop it at the wrong time. Most people are very clumsy in the presence of an audience. Rehearse them with hats. Gentlemen have very often come on the stage in amateur performances and worn their hats in drawing rooms in the presence of ladies. I have seen them take them off and place them in the most ridiculous places, even in professional shows. Figure all of this out and rehearse it carefully. I have had awful times just trying to teach them to sit down and stand up properly.
A CORNER IN ONE OF THE LADIES’ DRESSING ROOMS
After the scenery and props come the costumes. We never have any trouble unless somebody is trying to rehearse everything at the same time. Not even in an amateur show do I do that. I won't allow it. The sequence of final rehearsals is in this order; the scenery, the props, the costumes, the lights, the orchestra.
You often have trouble with your costumes unless you get them from a good concern. There are two or three first-class establishments in New York where you can rent most anything. I have given the names of some in a preceding chapter. There is one big firm in New York that has recently bought over a million dollars' worth of costumes from the Charles Frohman Estate, including some wonderful period costumes.