The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-20
BEHIND THE SCENES.
Olive Logan's New Book About Actors,
Theatres and Other Things of the
Kind.

ponderous one it is-not in quality but In quaint.
ty. Six hundred and twelve printed pages lie
between the covers. Eut, fortunately, 1t Is not
heavy reading It's all about that realm OF fascl.
nation-the stage. The title Is, Before the Foot
lights and Behind the Scenes" Books about
theatres and actors the gossip OF the green-room,
and the secrets of that little world which is shut
out so completely from the great world by the
drop.curtain, are always entertaining, and few
persons are better qualified to lift the veil and to
tell these secrets than Miss Logan. In the first
place, she Is "to the manner oorn." She and
hers have been Identified with the stage for a
very long time. Her father, Cornelius A. Lo-
gan. was an actor held In much repute, and
Miss Logan herself went upon the stage
when she was a mere child, not more than
four or five years ole. In the next place, she has
left that profession and turned author aud there
fore Is at liberty TO speak OF actors and actresses
with more freedom than would otherwise be prll-
dent. Finally, Miss Logan is wonderful gossip.
She loves to use her pen; the six hundred pages
attest that fact. And then she Is bright and
witty, and has collected together mass OF anec-
dotes, some OF them old and some OF them new, but
most OF them entertaining. The scissors have play
ed no considerable part In preparing the work. 1t
is q sort OF dramatic scrap book, the clippings
probably OF several years, all bound together into
narrative form By the bright thread OF Miss Lo-
gan's own thought. The book covers pretty much
the whole field OF amusements Miss Logan
speaks of it as "a book about the show business
In all Its branches, from puppet Shows to grand
opera, from mountebanks to menagerles, from
learned pigs to lecturers, from burlesque blondes
to actors and actresses"
THE WAGES OF ACTORS.
Among the topics specially dwelt upon are:
Training for the stage; the severity OF the work:
rehearsals; the memory OF actors; stage rules and
their strict enforcement; how TO make up the face
etiouette among actors; their salaries; the proper
ty man; scene painters; ballet girls and blondesi
Jugglers and gymnasts. Besides these anu nun
dred other such subjects, Miss Logan mas some.
thing to say about menageres and wild beasts,
how these latter are caught and how they are
tanned, and the dangers that beset the daring
tanners. As some OF our readers may DC inter-
ested to know how the salaries Of actors compare
with those Of persons In other vocations, we
give Miss Logan's estimate. She states that IL
Is not easy TO get at the precise figures, slnce
not only Is the rude question never asked In the
profession, "What do you get week ~ but 1t Is
point OF etiquette among actors TO remain IN
Ignorance OF the pay Of their fellow actors. Miss
Logan says: "The salary OF q leading actor or ac-
treSs ranges from $40 10 $50 week. But Know
one leading actress in New York who gets Sl0o a
week. and two who gets S75 each. These, how
ever are peculiar cases. all three being actresses
specially attractive for yontf beauty anu talent.
Walking gentleman or lady Will get from SD TO
S35 q week; old man or old woman, from SIS TO
$40; while other players OF lower grade OF tai
ent than these will get all the way from S25 down
to $40 week. should say there would be no
lower salary than $40 week IN Il theatre FOR any
one who appears on the stage, even for members
tl,a ,otIo tthnunh II Ia that
times extra men are engaged from the street for
some special purpose. who receives no more than
So or 81 week. The pay OF stars Is very
different matter. Usually these ladies and gen
tlemen play for q share In the receipts at the
door; and when they do this, OF course their pay
Is regulated almost wholly by their drawing
power. Sometimes, however, the most celeora'
ted actors and actresses In the land have ensag-
cd themselves for 1Sed salary per week or per
night. In the case OF very popular players this
sum is sometimes almost fnbolously large.-The
largest salary that has ever been paid to star In
this country Is that which WINS paid to Joseph
Jefferson, at Booths Theatre, IN August anu Sep
rcmber, 1885, namely $500 per night. Even at
this price he proved an Immensely profitable star,
drawing an average OF sl2oo every night through
out the season."
PADDING AND PAINTING.
Concerning the delicate questions Of padding
the legs and painting the face MISS Logan enters
into some curious details. "The woman,h she
saws, ssor the man either, who cannot exhibit
shapely figure on the stage. mas &C. certainly no!
There arc quite number OF these professors OF
symnetryi In this country, but they are most
numerous in Philadelphia. They, advertise quite
freely In the theatrical journals, and no one
need be In ignorance OF their whereabouts. They
do not boldly advertise the unpleasant word
ipaddlng,' OF course-the popular term for paul
ding. is symmetrical goods.' Much need not
here be said on the 'noduS operandt Oh tne paa-
tights in such way that they shall increase tile
thickness OF the calf, the thigh, &C.: and woven
putting silk or cotton in tue place where nesi IS
wanted and thus conceang leanness or deior'
nifty. Thus u tragedian with lower limhs Ike
pine stems can pull on his tights ard stand be-
fore an admirng audience with the sturdy legs of
an athlete. ~
70 make up the face is one Of the subtless arts
OF tile actor. Who that has witnessed tile actlng
OF Ristorl In Queen Elizabeth but WILL remember
how from act 10 act she yisibly grew older before
our eyesY Not only by voice, and manner, ana
gait was this change effected, but her lacc bright
and joyous at the beginning OF the play, became
gradually wrinketl, pale aud careworn; her hair
grew grayer and grayer, until ut last as she lay
On the couch representing the dying Queen, she
seemed reduced 10 skeleton and livid as corpse.
This was brought about solely by her perlect
OF how to make up the face.
al was behind the scene or the French Theatre
In New York one night when Rlstori was playing
Elizabeth and when came to look closely at her
face IL seemed a meaningless nass or white anu
OuCk H1uEkS Will uCCp NuohSo Va AS' "huS1
eyes but at one step or the effect was wonderful.
Il is easier to make up the face TO look old Than to
look young; nevertheless careful mlnglng OF
mink for the cheek, white for the forehead, black
for the browS, and carmine lor the lips VIII go
great way toward making an old and homely
woman look like q young and handsome one."
REQUISITES FOR A THEATRE.
Misc 1or,n nuotes 4 numerous list OF the arti-
.les that the property man Of iirstcass theatre
los in his curious museum ready fur use. Among
them are: "Suns and moons; sheet-lron or thun-
der, aud dried peas for rain, powdered rosin TOR
lightning, and cut paper lot snoW.storis, lattes !s
FOR the crash OF failing buildings: trumpets for
Lhe rrowls of ferocious wild beasts; rose'pnE for
The blood OF patriots: papier ntdche banquets:
lin money for spcndthrift3. anu orass crowns lor
kings; brOomsticks fer witches; leauen watches;
leather armor for the bodies or brave knights, tin
spurs for their heels and dog chains for their
necks; legs OF mutton, loayes ol bread, and plum
puldincs. all of canvas stuffed with sawdust;
iour 10 make dcspairng lovers look pale, and
pe.ulion to make the noses OF Jolly landlords
o0k reds
MEMORY OF ACTORS.
Gavin r.,,,rs, ,,c instances of the memory OF
,ctors ore piyan, For instance, year or two
sInce Mr. J. w. Waack, Jr., 1t Is stated, Weat IN
M theatre In Washington eniiteiy perfect ~ ZIG
part of Bob Brerly in the 'IicSc'.oi-LeaTe.Man,"
having commit:el the part III thIrty minutes;
ANA Edwin Booth when bnG. got through
RicharI iii. in the illness OF his father, without
having s.udied it. Miss Logan also states that
her own father once took tic .onS anu diflicult
tragic role OF Black Raph ON remarkably brief
notice. The part was placed IN ills hands at six
O'Clock. and at halr.pasI seven the curtain rang
up. In the interval Mr. Logan had not only studied
his part but dressed and maue I'd his lace lie
PLAYED the part to the enl without mistakes. al
though at one point he was So 'isCohcerleo ~ see
audience that he sent around to request the person
TO law il aside. Such powers OF committing parts,