The horror and suspense had been so great that when it broke with comic relief the house was really hysterical.

It stopped the show.
I played supernumerary parts in many shows that winter including Richard III and other Shakespearean plays.

At the battle of Bosworth field where Richard cries: "A horse, a horse; my kingdom for a horse," the supers in the army were clattering their swords on the opposing shields in a great hubbub and shouting, "Hay, hay hay!" I was of a thrifty turn of mind, and said: "Hold on, boys.

Don't order too much hay until we see whether he gets the horse or not." A hypnotist came to the opera-house and I volunteered to be hypnotized.
He couldn't hypnotize me.

I felt rather bad about it.