And in St. Paul, Minnesota, Vivian Dole, 72, died in the lobby of the Orpheum Arms while rehearsing what her niece described as “one of her entrances.”

Ms. Dole had once acted in dinner theater, church pageants, product demonstrations, and a regional commercial for carpeting in which she said, “That’s not just plush, that’s Palace Plush,” with such conviction that her family quoted it for thirty years. She was known for fainting theatrically at weddings, anniversaries, and one city council meeting where she was not on the agenda.

Her fainting was not always false. This was part of the difficulty. Ms. Dole had low blood pressure, dramatic instincts, and a belief that falling safely was an underappreciated art.

At 6:20 p.m., while entering the lobby for a tenants’ holiday potluck, she placed one hand to her forehead and said, “I cannot go on.” Several neighbors applauded, believing she had begun a performance. Then she fell.

The potato salad table remained untouched for eight minutes.

Vivian Dole is survived by her niece, Margo; a nephew in Duluth; several former castmates; and by a garment bag containing three black dresses labeled FUNERAL, BETTER FUNERAL, and THE ONE WITH SHOULDERS.