Note 3 — AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS
Reading edition
Once when Allen was rehearsing the supers in the Church Scene in "Much Ado about Nothing," we overheard him "show the sense" in Shakespeare like this:
"This 'Ero, let me tell you, is a perfect lady, a nice, innercent young thing, and when the feller she's engaged to calls 'er an 'approved wanton,' you naturally claps yer 'ands to yer swords. A wanton is a kind of—well, you know—she ain't what she ought to be!"
Allen would then proceed to read the part of Claudio: "... not to knit my soul to an approved wanton."
Seven or eight times the supers clapped their "'ands to their swords" without giving Allen satisfaction.
"No, no, no, that's not a bit like it, not a bit! If any of your sisters was 'ere and you 'eard me call 'er —— ——, would yer stand gapin' at me as if this was a bloomin' tea party?"