How Memphis Star Montego Glover Needled Her Knitting-Obsessed Dresser

Given the amount of time Broadway actors spend at work, it’s no surprise that they enjoy a good joke—often at a co-worker’s expense! In celebration of April Fool’s Day, Broadway.com asked some of our favorite stars to share their funniest work-related pranks. In some cases, the stars initiated the practical joke; in others, the joke was on them. Read on for true tales of behind-the-scenes tomfoolery.

MONTEGO GLOVER (Felicia Farrell in Memphis)

"So, my dresser Betty LOVES knitting. She spends tons of time making socks, gloves, footies, hats and the like for friends and family. Knitty City is one of her favorite places, and they get considerable money from Betty. I myself do not knit and, in fact, playfully call it the 'devil's work' because of the number of women and men I see (especially in the theater) sitting mindlessly looping needles, carrying little bags of yarn around backstage and exchanging endless advice about how to make some sock or glove or sweater. I tease Betty about her 'devil's work' all the time.

"Last year, Betty was working particularly hard on a pair of socks for a friend. She happened to leave the socks unattended in mid-loop on her chair outside my dressing room. I couldn't resist. I took those socks, hid them, went inside my room and waited. Minutes later, I heard a yelp the likes of which no one has ever heard. Betty came flying in, looking frantically for her knitting: under my chaise, behind the table, in the restroom, behind a door, under my pre-set costumes. Nothing. She screamed at me to tell her where the knitting was. I feigned surprise and confusion and claimed to know nothing about the missing wool. She flew out of my dressing room like a hurricane, babbling. Minutes later, she came back, checked the same places and asked me again where the knitting was. Choking back laughter, I told her with my most innocent face, 'I have no idea.' She sat on her chair outside my door and started to cry—or sort of whine and cry.

"Now, Betty will be the first to tell you that she's a big ole crybaby. I'm an eldest child and very acquainted with teasing, but that was too much: my grown-up dresser about to cry because her beloved knitting was missing. I took socks from my canvas bag and put them in a very conspicuous place. Betty came back, still moping, and magically the knitting was there! She looked at me and said, 'I KNEW it was you.' I told her I had no idea what she meant. She literally hugged the socks and took all her knitting gear to her dresser box for safekeeping.

"Fun while it lasted!"