Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-05-13

What the Claque Really is-Its Or.
ganixatiOn = Their Privileges =

ganfzatiOn = Their Privileges =
Everybody has heard of Ia claque, the
French institution for securing the sys-
tematic applause of every theatrical
piece, good or bad. The claqueur is a
gentleman who, for pecuniary consid-
Grafton, takes his seat in the pit, and
claps his hands at everything and every
body he sees on the stage, from seven
o clock in the evening till midnight in
clusively. If any individual among the
paying portion of the public appears dis
satisfied with the performance, and so
far forgets himself as to hiss, it is the
honorable mission of the ciogue,T to
bawl "turn him outp' hit him on the
headp' and other amenities; and if there
be any song or TRADE which seems par
ticularly to jar on the nerves of the au-
dience so as to excite shouts Of OhP'
and acute Indications of suffering, the
ciagueurs never miss the opportunity of
energetically demanding an encore, !"
in the hope, no doubt, that a second hear
ing of the piece may enable the malcon-
tents to perceive its beauties.
The Pail Mall Gazette gives some in
teresting details of this noble institution.
Up to 1920 it was usual for theatrical
managers to covenant with chef de
claque (or leader of the claque orchestral
and give him so much year, on the un-
derstanding that he should bring FIVE
and-thirty or forty clagueuers to the
house every night. One day, however,
it was discovered that this arrangement
was not at all paying one. The only
man who thrived under it was the chef de
ciague, who generally made his fortune
at the end of few years, and retired
rich; while his employer, the manager,
too often ended his career in the bank
ruptcy court. The chef de claque had
several ways Of making money out of
his contract. Besides his fixed salary
from the manager he received so much a
year from those who had not much
talent and, in addition to this, he fire.
quently sold at high rate the forty seats
which he received gratis, Nowadays
all this is changed. Instead Of the man
ager paying the chef de ctaque, it is the
latter functionary who pays the manager.
Three or four years ago when cabal was
the Henriette Mareehal of the Brothers
Concourt the chef de claque of
the Theater Francois brought, on
the second and third nights of
the performances, FIVE hundred cla-
queurs to the rescue The uproar
within the theater was terrific; the ctd
gneurS raved, and the students shrieked,
but in the end it was the students vino
got the best of it. They had stronger
lungs. than the mercenaries, aud after
the third performance the piece was
withdrawn. 1t is very curious to see a
chef de claQue in the act of recruiting
his troupe Within a few doors Of every
French theater is cafe where the chief
claqueur establishes his headquarters.
Toward five or six o'clock he puts in an
appearance, and is Immediately mobbed
by the forty or fifty persons who are
anxious to be enrolled for that evening
As a rule, the first thing the chef de
cidQue looks at is the dress of the can
didates. He accepts no blouses and no
slovens. If he sees a man well arrayed, |
hearty looking and forid of countenance,
endowed with good broad shoulders and |
fine big hands, he generally enlists him
lt once The terms of ADMISSION to the
,laque vary Sometimes Especially in
if there is dull piece being
performed, it is difficult to find cla-
luers, and the chef presses every one he
,an get, accepting eight sous, six sous,
md even as little as four sous from each
If his troupe. Should the piece be so
dull or the weather so hot
hat no one will volunteer Z to
,ay even two pence, the chef must
hen have recourse TO what raga-
nufIins ne can find, and pay his
roupe instead of being paid by them.
When there is popular piece, however,
he chefde cldque sometimes has several
hundred candidates to choose from, and
IN such occasions he can make his own (
erms. On the nights Of first perform ,
nee of Aagier, Sardou, or Alexander I
dumas fls, the seats ia the Plaque fetch /
i've or ten francs apiece. II q row is (
xpected, as at the revival Of Ernani I
mee years ago, and that Of Lucrece
Iorgia last Janpary, the places fetch
ute fancy prices. In addition TO the '
come he derives from selling seats at |
roft, the contractor OF the ctdque still
lalzes fine honns by levying a tribute 1
pom the actors aHd actresses. II is I
ways easy for a spectator TO guess G
hich of the performers pay the ctqQne i
nd which does not. No matter how :
light may be the part which an actor or T
ctress has to play, he or she is sure to 0
e warmly applauded If the chef dc y
Iaque has been well paid. For a deJH- +
M 70 refuse payment would be folly
lmost amounting TO arlisiic suicide. o
ONE Of the more popular dramatists, 81
lexander Dumas among them, have, at
fereni times, endeavored 10 abolish
ie elaque, at least 80 far as their oSn h
orks were concerned; but the attempt !. :
Is always failed. As in the days Of = Z
apoleon I, and under the Restoration, Z
Ie eiaeMe is in too good odor with the y
,lice to &c easily superseded. y