Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-14
riors, gardens, etc., which does duty in

teriors, gardens, etc., which does duty in
farces.
The master carpenter is charged with
the preparation of all the woodwork
used in the frames of the sceners, and
in the sets, which nowadays are fire.
quently almost built up on the stage.
The scene-shifters are under his orders,
and, as scenes have to be shifted with
almost lightning speed, their nsmber is
legion.
The property man makes or provides
all the properties that are required in a
piece. This includes everything-from
furniture to theatrical suppers.
The gas bill amounts to about f30 q
week. Few dramas, and scarcely any
burlesques, are without moonlight effects,
which are produced by lime light. At
Christmas the moon generally costs q
manager at least 420 week.
The band is usually contracted for with
the leader. 1t costs about $50 a week.
Everything connected with bringing
out piece is under the control of the
stage manager. In q first class theater
the company consists of at least the fol-
lowing artists: One leading man, one
light comedian, two old men, three walk
ing gentlemen, two character actors, two
low comedians, one leading lady, one old
woman, one young leading lady, one
singing ehambermaid, one broad cham
bermaid, three walking ladies, utility
men, male and female supernumararies
Salaries of stock actors and actresses
vary from fl2 to s2 They are by no
means easy people to manage. They
live in a world apart, and their
ideas of their own merits are fire.
quently at variance with those OF
theistage manager. No part is too good
for any of them, but few parts are good
enough. Those who are cast" in bad
parts in a play usually announce their
intention to leave rather than play them,
but on reflection they generally think
better of their decision. No one, how
ever, will ever play a part hair
breadth out Of his own particular line
If first walking gentleman we're asked
to play third walking gentleman's part,
he would be as indignant as an attorney
general were he called upon to defend a
pickpocket in police court.
Managers are often blamed because
minor parts in piece are badly played /;
they cannot, however, help themselves,
because good actors will not play them.
Actresses stand even more on their dig
nifty than actors their mutual jsalousies
exceed even those of fine ladies. Audi
ences must often have remarked that in
burlesques, songs and dances are intro
duced in defiance Of the requirements Of
the situation. The reason usually is that
Miss A refuses to play unless, like Miss
3, she be given song, or, like Miss c, q
dance. The great difficulty in bringing
out burlesques is to find actresses who
will play the part of girls. They all
want to be boys-to show their legs,
which, in nine cases out of ten, are
padded. The padding is woven into the
flesh-colored leggins which they wear so
that it is almost impossible to detect it.
STARS.
The bright particular luminaries some
times receive as much as sixty pounds q
week, or they share the receipts after
expenses. Their great object is to play
10 a piece with which they may afterward
make the tour of the provinces; they
therefore, as much as possible, eschew
those which require elaborate and expen-
sive scenery. As a rule, their engage
ments are more profitable to them selves
than to the managers who pay them.
Their lofty estimate of their talents
stands in the way Of their financial sue
cess. No play suits them unless its
whole interest is concentrated on them
selves, and the public will not put up
with what are called lone actor pieces"
Ballet girls are seldom required in
theater except when burlesques or pan
tomimes are played. They receive
about 25s. week. 1t is an error to sup
pose that, as q rule, they are fast" On
the contrary, they are usually the dsugh-
ters or nieces of actors, and they work
honestly for a small pittauee.
Besides the persons already enume-
rated, there are, on the working staff of a
thester, dressers, gas men, fremen, check
takers, cleaners, one or two messengers,
hall porter, q prompter and call boy;
altogether about one hundred persons
find permanent employment.
A play is either paid fer by percent
age on the profits, or at fixed rate per
night, or it is bought 1t is by no means
easy to obtain good ones. The number
of bad onsa sent to managers is enormous.
They are usually written by aspiring au-
thors, who know nothing of stage effects
It requires not only talent but considera-
BILE technical knowledge to write we'll for
the stage. Managers are almost always
obliged to fall back upon experienced
dramatic authors, and to accept with
gratitude whatever they may offer. Three
or five act plays, when not paid for by
percentage on profits, usually cost from
f200 to e300, or from ca to E5 every
night they are acted. The price Of
good burlesque varies from ESQ to el2O.
Farces are seldom worth more than el0.
Their success usually depends more upon
the actors than the author.