Article September 26, 1983 Issue

Are we teachable?

LAURA E. LOVETT MURPHY

It was the first day of rehearsal for the new resident theatrical company. A breeze blowing through the half-opened windows ruffled the pages of the manuscripts held by the members of the cast.

As the rehearsal wore on, the ingénue thrust her manuscript into the hands of one of the "extra" players and left the room, asking the other girl to read her lines if her next entrance came before she returned. Sure enough, her entrance was reached, and the new girl read the part.

The director looked up in surprise. "That's a different girl reading those lines!" he exclaimed. After the rehearsal, he complimented her interpretation of the character and asked her to play the part. Distressed at the prospect of causing the ingénue to lose her job, the young woman asked the director if he would help the other girl by telling her what was wrong. "It would do no good," he replied. "She is not teachable."

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