The New York herald., 1863-11-07
Theatrical.
The8trt0aIs
THE SCARCITY OF GOOD sroox ACTORS.


Mr. J. W. Wallack, Jr, Mr.. Z. L. Davenport Mrs. Da-
venport and Mrs Farren-the Dramatic Aliancs'-
will appear At rweddle Hail. Albany, next week. and at
Brooklyn the week afterwards On Wednesday and Sa-
turday next vesval who has made great hit In Phila
delphia, will play Gamea at the Brooklyn Academy,
supported by the entire company OF Nblos Garden who
can be spared, because Mr. Grau gives opera at Nibos
on those evenings. Johanna Claussen Mr. Harry Pamers
latest Importation viii make debut the New Chest.
nut. Philadelphia on the cath inst in The Little Sent
nel' and Swiss SWANS !" and will sing Tho CaptainT
and other songs In which she caused furor In London
These announcements Of star performances remind US,
by the increasing scarcity Of good stock actors
at our leading theatres Nibo's and wailAcks tho
only Broadway establishments which claim TO
have first class stock company. Mrs. Wood is going
produce H. J. Byron's admirable burlesque Of &c Tho
Dukes Motto" on Monday, and she acknowledges In ad
vance the weakness OF the cast The Forences the
Winter Garden, will bring out new Irish drama the
same evening and their hope TO up the dencen
ces Of the minor actors by laying great stress upon
scenic effects. Yet Mrs. Wood and Manager jackson pro-
fess their willingness to employ any number Of good
actors they can only get them. That lie precisely the
difficulty There good stock actors in the market
The supply is not equal to the demand Stars most
plentiful; but stock actors are exceedingly
We trace the causes Of this scarcity TO two facs
rst the prevalence Of the mania and second the
liberalty Of most managers Perhaps indeed the lat
ter OF these two includes the former. Messrs
Waack and Wheatley always have acceptable stock
panies, simply because they always willing TO pay for
them They give good salaries to good actors and not
adopt the penny wise and pound foolish policy Of sending
their actors adr whenever they do not happen need
them for week two Now. during the run OF
"Rcsedale' about one-haf OF Mr. Wallacks actors
receiving full pay for doing nothing but they ready
tnra
play which is to follow "Rosedale." Mr.. wheatley is
also paying actors whom he does need present.
whom he expects to need by and by This is the way
manage all large establishments. II the majority OF
managers equally LIBERAL they could easily keep up
their stock.
But, the other hand, It is an understood
thing in the profession that managers are re.
solved to shave exceedingly close, and that they will
pay stock actors little possible and will break up
resort TO other expedient to get rid Of
their surplus stock actors whenever successful piece
lucky star seems likely TO run month For this
reason the first ambition OF actor with brains is to
''get out OF the stock" For the every
buant endeavors to make himself star at once and
never thinks OF joining regular company In order to
study and work his way up Miss Henrques almost the
only debutant remember OF late years, who turned
her back upon the star system and entered the regular
company OF established theatre. Miss or mrs. Jen-
nngs, . young widow, who will shortly make her
debut at walacks intends TO pursue the sensible
But these exceptions which only prove the
general rule. That rule is become star and take the
chances.
The consequence OF all this is a direct injury
to the public, to say nothing OF tho theatrical
profession. We have superabundance OF stars.
Some excellent, like Walack, Davenport,
vestvali and caussen but tho majority stupid pre-
tenders, who hardly At for utility actors leading
theatre, and whose only titles to popularity putting
and large type the play bills The Of At least
twenty star actors 10 whom should like
to advise to join regular company and learn something
II gave such ADVICE however, the reply would boz
1--WE make one hundred dollars q night By starring,
and would only receive ten In the stock" This
reply IL unanswerabls; but II indicates . state
OF AFFAIRS which ought TO be corrected forth.
with. why should actor who d worth one hundred
dollars night as . star be offered only ten dollars
week . stock actor Or, on the other hand, Why
should actor who b only worth dollars week 70
regular theatre be permitted II at hundred
dollars nshti The managers must bs at fault. Tho
public must also be a fault Let tho former buy up eli
tho moderately good stars and will try 70 induce tho
latter to hiss Oh all the bad onss This will leave that
theatrical Utopa-a few great leading actors and plenty
Of ne stock companies II something Of this sort be not
done soon the drama in New York will hardly be worth