Mobile phone! Mobile phone! Mobile phone!
That is the first time that’s ever happened to me. I stopped doing theater from around 1995 to around 2005, during which time cell phones became ubiquitous. Before that, having a phone ring during the show would have been very surprising, and the actor could probably assume that the owner of the phone was a doctor, and really needed to be reachable. Or a drug dealer, and the disruption of a play was far from the worst aspect of the call, I suppose. Now, we just assume that someone idiotically forgot to put the thing on silent, curse them.
It was during Rich Alfie; I believe it started ringing during Eliza’s line that is my cue to stealthily make my way behind her and tap her on the shoulder. Eliza turns, sees Alfie in his wedding suit, and shouts awohwahwah!, Higgins repeats the cry mockingly, and then I stand staring at Eliza thinking nothing at all but Mobile phone! Mobile phone! Mobile phone!
I eventually remembered my line, but dang.
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.