Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-27
BEHIND THE FooTLIGHTs.
The Pay OF Actors and Actresses.

The writer of dramatic gossip in thu
New York Turf, Field and Farm, in
late number of that journal, says:
Madame Tostee, in the first year she
was here, made five thousand fancs a
month during eight months, The second
| year she made eight thousand per month.
Every cent of this was carefully put
away in the Caisse d'Ehargne in Paris.
Mile. Irma (who is talking of coming
back here,) made six thousand francs q
month; Madame Desclauzas, five thous-
| and Rose Bell, five thousand, and very
little of it found circulation in New York.
But these are exceptional cases, and it
must not be supposed that all foreign &C
tresses who have starving wages in their
own country can make a fortune here.
It was only the efferveseence of Opera
bouffe that permitted such extravaganza
on the part of the managers And see
how lamentably it ended. Bateman did
well the first year. Grau thought to do
better, also went into opera bouffe, and
killed not only Bateman, (Which rather
gladdened him, but himself. Yet the
acme of salaries has not yet been reached
by opera bouffe. Operate salaries go
great deal higher Eufranc, who is now
singing al the Academy of Music, and is
worth one dozen Brignolis rolled into one,
is paid two thousand dollars per month
for ten performances. But we can go yet
higher. At time not very far distant
we are to be favored with
the two queens of the lyric art,
PATTI AND NILSSON,
the first of whom is under engagement
to Maurice and Max Strakosch for the
fall of 1871, and the latter TO Jarrett &
Palmer for the spring of 1872. Patti is
engaged for one year, and during the
year she is to give one hundred perfOr-
mances, for which she:will receive 81, 900
in gold each performance. Max tells US
that he will put the scale at 50 and S.,
and at these prices he can make motley,
not otherwise-that is, if PATHS voice
holds out till 1871. The voice Is so
fragile an organ that it can never safely
be speculated on. Nilssonis also engaged
for one hundred nights, at 81, 900 in gold
each performance, besides travelling ex-
penses of all kinds, and expenses of a
suit of four persons. Another
person who commands a price is
FIGHTER,
recently engaged by Harry Palmer when
he was in Europe. We know not exactly
the terms of the present engagement, but,
as Fechter swore never to come over here
at less than $500 per night, we presume
that is what he gets. Fechter is French
man, and still preserves the foreign ac-
cent; so much so, indeed, that one must
have become accustomed to him before
he can be thoroughly understood. But he
is a splendid actor in the romantic drama.
Dawson, when he was here, received
81 900 night. Hermann Hendricks and
Heinrich Helms ditto. Fanny Janauschek
manages her own business. Of other for
eign artistsit is unnecessary tospeak apart,
for they are identified with our own the
alters. The
LYDIA THOMPSON TROUPE, i
for instance, has become acclimatiZed.
Miss Lydia's terms are half the gross re-
ceipts, and she pays her company. Its
members receive from $50 to 5000. Pau
line Markham had 800 at the Tammany,
and now gets $3.50 travelling with the
Blonde Brigade of British Burlesquers.
DOMESTIC STARS
have uniform rate. 1t is fifty per cent.
on the gross receipts. This is what Lolita
receives at Niblo's; what Lucille West
ern receive at the Grand Opera House,
and in fact what they all receive. 1t
then entirely depends on their own efforts
whether they make money or not. These
are the terms of John Owens, Joe Jeffer-
son and Barney Williams. The first is
the richest actor in America. He is worth
$500, 600; Jefferson comes next, and IS
worth, we believe, $500, 900; and Bar
ney Williams, 800, 900. jefferson, in
his recent engagement at Booths, made,
in seven weeks, $27, 1000. He then went
over to Brooklyn, and in four nights drew
over IS, 900, which he divided with the
manager Such earnings make the mouth
water Edwin Forrest, who has taken to
the stage once more, is a rich man. He
always receives sixty per cent. of the
gross receipts, and if he had acted all
along, would probably have been the
richest actor alive Bnt Forrest is char
liable; and, besides, he prefers taking
his rest at times, to wearing his life out
continually on the stage. The actress
who at present is making the most money
of any is
MISS KATE BATEMAN,
who, when taken charge of by the old
gentleman, can feel assured of being
coached by the best manager, without ex-
ception, in the country. Kate gets the
usual fifty per cent, and herself pays
George Jordan, her supporter, 5000
week. Thus far not single one of the
houses Kate has drawn has come under
1000, and they sometimes go up TO
81, 800 and $1,000.
STOCK.
As a general thing, when an actor has
not succeeded in rising above the rest of
his confreres, like jefferson or Owens,
for instance, he is the worst paid man it is
possible to imagine. Poor stock actors
get from $12 to $40 week; good ones
from $40 to S30-never above. At such
| theatres as Wallack's and the Fifth Ave
| nue., it is different. There it is'aimed to
get stock Of stars At the latter place,
for instance, Mrs. Scott Siddons recently
received $500 per week for short en-
gagement. Mrs.. Chanfrau, the best lead
ing lady we have, gets $3.50 per week.
At Wallack's, Madeline Henriques and
Louise Moore both get 800 per week