[_The_ CANTOR _now hears the singing, which is coming closer. He raises his hand. His face is suddenly the face of a corpse, as the door opens and_ MOEY _enters, blithely singing, “Every time I look at you, I want to hotter Hot Tamales.” He sees the_ CANTOR, _stops his singing, says, “Good evening,_ CANTOR,_” and then moves—a well-fed little boy—to the chair by the table, as the curtain falls._] ACT TWO _SCENE 1_ SCENE 1: _The stage of the Fulton Theatre, during the morning hours just preceding the afternoon dress rehearsal of “April Follies.”_ AT RISE: _The curtain rises on a disorderly stage where a song and comedy “number” is being rehearsed. We are looking at the stage from the back—that is, we see directly into the footlights and into an empty auditorium._ _Stage hands are working, shifting scenery back and forth; electricians are placing lamps and experimenting with lighting effects. As the curtain rises we hear the banging of a piano. We see a chorus in practice clothes. We see_ CARTER _dancing._ _In the back, at the footlights, Lee, the producer, sits in a tilted chair, a manuscript in his hand. Grouped between_ LEE _and the chorus, on either side of_ CARTER, _are_ GENE, MISS GLYNN, MARY DALE, JIMMY _and another actor. Seated in the shadowy foreground, playing cards with a stage-hand, is_ JACK ROBIN. _Most of the action in this scene is paced very swiftly. It gives the effect of the hurried disorder which is characteristic of the eleventh hour of a theatrical production. The action is almost frantic—one speech piles on top of another so that you can scarcely follow it. It is not necessary that you follow it. The picture is enough. It is only at certain moments—moments when the story of the play enters with its deeper note—that the action is slow, that characters begin to come into focus—such moments as when_ JACK _and_ MARY _are alone, when_ JACK _is alone with_ LEE, _etc._ LEE That’s all right! Is everybody concerned in the Dixie scene here? GENE Everybody concerned in the Dixie scene stand by. LEE [_A tall, stout man, meticulously dressed. He has a black mustache—probably dyed—and scant, grayish hair on an impressive bald head. Adversity sent him to the theatre, where he made money. Money sent him to Europe, where he achieved good clothes and an air of distinction. He never allows his air of distinction to interfere with efficiency, however; and, on the other hand, no matter how intense the excitement and confusion of the rehearsal, he never takes his coat off. He rises_]. Now, remember—this is the finale of the first act and I want lots of pep. Speak out so that everybody can hear you. This is the last time we do this scene before the Dress Rehearsal, so get it right. All ready? Let’s go. CARTER