Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-13
BEHIND THE SCENES.
All about the Management Of a
TheateF.
a FiTsi-Ciass London Theate r
the Standard.

The proprietor of theatsr gets coed
percentage on the outlay of mis- capital,
so long as his rent Is paid. Sometimes
however it.happens that this is not the
case, or that his theater remains for
many months without an oceupier. Ten
ants indeed are always TO be found, bUl
tenants able to give substantial security
for their rent, are not quite so plentiful.
The lessee Is usually his own manager.
His profits may be large or small. His
business Is essentially speculative one.
La large first class West End theateF
the nightly expenses average about $40
or ESQ; erd The receipts vary from g3D 10
93O0, according 10 the success Of the en-
iertain nents. As a rule, the receipts
are below he xpensfs the loss Ia made
up by some lucky hit, when they are
largely in excess. Christmas is the best
Theatrical season Ia the year summer is
worst, exc pt when it is wet. Ia winter,
however, every wet night costs the pro-
prietors about s20. The stalls are sell
dom "a / exesps between February and
| May. During the season fashionable
people usually 90 to the opera or to par
ties-as their object is rather to be seen
q than to see. During the winter months,
however, they go 10 large parties to the
stalls OF theaters. Although the dress
circle is cheaper and more comfortable
| than the stalls, IL Is the portion Of the
| ster generally The least full.
Clerks and sm al trRdesmen usualIy 90
TO the pit The gallery is the house Of
the working classes, VINO are the su.est
| patrons of theateTs. They take the
( deepest interest In what goes on upon the
stage; and II aUy god " is noisy, the
( intervention OF a pol sD'Rn ia not neees-
sary, ss he Is Immediately turned out or
reduced TO silence by his neighbors. Ap-
/ plAuse invariably comes from the gallery
aid the pit, as the occupants of the
stalls and the dress circ'e, however much
/ they may be pleased, consider IL be-
meath their dignity to give any outward
/ expression to their feelings. Nothing,
/ however, is more deceptive than q fuii
house," for no one, except ths mana
/ ger and the scting manager. knoWs
/ whether it Is He'd with money or "pa-
per-" Paper is the slang term for sB
/ order. As the general pablic dislike a
void, if that vCid be not filed up with
! persons who have paid for their seats, il
| has 20 be filed with persons who have
not paid for them. A large and by no
means poor class never pay TO 90 into a
theater; indeed, thoroughly 10 under
stand the parsimOny OF the human
species, q man must have been the mAn-
ager CT theater.. His table is covered
every morning with letters asking for
orders, on all conceivable pTetsxts.
RENT, ADVERTISING, POSTING AND
BILLING.
Rent usually amounts, with taxes, in
sursnee, ETC., to about $40 per Gnnum.
Newspaper advertising costs about $40
weekly, and pca!ing rather larger sum.
THE WARDROBE.
At the head Of this department Is q
master tailor and q mistress Of the ward
robe. The silks and satins used on the
stsge are usually bought wholesale. The
dresses for large burlesque or panto-
mime cost many hundred pCunds.
Actresses are obliged 20 fad their own
bOnuets, boots and gloves. Actors In
plays CT modern life fad their own
dresses.
THE seen ERY, ETC.
The principal scene painter OF thea
ter Is usually an artist OF sminence in
his profession ne has several assistants
under him. Il Is selt0 / that less than
$500 is spent on cOlors sld canvas in the
course Of a year. Scenes, when they are
not likely to be used again, are painted
cut; but as in each separate piece the
pJslt1cn OF all the doors and windows is
dl1ereDh IL is seldom that . clothes -
can be used second time In every
tleater, however, there Is large quan-
tity Of stock scenery, consisting OF for
ests, interiors, gardens, ETC., which does
duly In farces.
The master carpenter is charged with
the preparation Ofall the WQ5d Wcrk used
IN the fraIaes OF the scenes, and in the
sets, which now a-dsys are frequently
almost built up on the stage. The scene- |
shifters are unter his orders, ard, as
scenes have TO be shifted with almost
lightning speed, their number Is legion. /
The property man makes or prov iies F.
sil the pFcE sFties tAat are required in a
piece. Iais includes everything-from /
furniture to theatrical suppeTs.
LIGHTNING.
The gas bill amounts to about $50 Dar
week. Few dramas, and zcarcely aDy /
burlegques, are without moonlight ef- |
feets, which are produced 5Y llIaa iigAt. /
At Christians the mooh generally costs 3 /
manager at least { 20 week.
THE ORCHESTRA,
The band is usually contracted for /
with the leader. 1t costs about $50 a 1
week.
THE STAGE.
Everything connected with the bring
ing out OF piece is under the control - l
tbs stsge manager Ia first class the /
ser the colapsny cons lists Of at least the 4
following artists One lsading man, one
light comedian, two old men, three
walking gentlemen, two character &C.
tors, two low comedians, one leading
lady, enc old woman, one young leading
lsdy, one singing ehsra bertasi5, one
broad chAmherme!d, three walking Ia
dies, utility men, msle and female super
numeraTies. Salaries Of stock actors
vary from 4l2 to g They are by 10
means easy people to manage. They
live in s-world apart, and their IDEAS CT
tbeis own merits are free g1ently Rt va.
ri2nce with those Of the Stage manager.
No part is too good for any Of them, bit
few parts are good enough. Those who
sTs " cast = IN bad parts in play usual
ly GBnuurcs their intention 10 Iaave
rather than play them, but on reflection
they generally think better OF their de-
olsion. No one, however, will ever play
a part hairs breadth cut of his own
particular line. If first walking gen.
ileman were asked to play i third walk
ing gsntlemsh's part, he Wo9id ID as in
dgusnt as al Attorney General were be
called upon to offend pickpoeket 10 a
police court.
Managers are often blamed because
minor parts in piscs are badly played
they cannot, however, help themselves,
because good sSsOrs viii not play them.
Actresses stand even more on their Dig
nifty than actors, their mutual jeslousies
exceed even those Of fine ladies. Audi
ences must often have remarked that 10
burlesquss, songs and dances are intro
dGced ia defiance OF the requirements Of
the situation. The reason Usually Is that
Miss a. refuses TO play unless, like Miss
B she be given q song, or, like Miss g.,
q dance. The great difficulty In bring .
ing out bUrlesquss is to find actresses
who will play the part Of girla. They all
want TO he boYs-to show their legs,
which ia nine cases out of ten are padded /
The padding is woven into the hesh-eol-
1Fed leggiogs which they wear, so that
L is almost impossible to detect it,
STARS,
These bright particular lumlnRries :
sometimes receive as much rs sixty
pounds week, or they share the re-
eeipts alter expenses. Their great object
IS to play Ia piece with whicn they {
nay afterwards make the tour of the ]
they therefore, ~ mich as
|, s,t,