The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-30
DRAMATIC SKETCHES.-NO. Z.
TINE sUPE,

early times when even the supe got a share Of the
glory. The supe has been chafed from time imme.
moria but always payfully and it would be hard to
find retired theatre-goer who does not read hear
the old name without comcal, mournful interest.
Tie supe is the map who never speaks from the
stage, except in company with other men, Speak
ing by the card, there is such thing as O supe.
'Trained corps Of supernumeraries" there are, but
single super is like an individual atom-his only
value is in conjunction with other atoms. Behind
the scenes these atoms are technically termed
''shouters." They make the moos,-the patriots who
raise or knock the pins from under dynasty by
bined vet simple expression. And they know about
as much as mobs do generally We have heard Mr..
Murdoch tell OF choice lot OF patriots which he
was leading in some piece or other, who had with
infinite care been drilled to make certain eXclama
tions in set order But brains to adapt themselves
to a situation they had not. Murdoch made an in
advertent transposton OF his own lines, and the
following short but emphatic dialogue the
sult.-
Hero-Woud ye be slaves?
ShouttrS-We wouldi we would
Hero fnding il too late to cry back, and trusting 10
Luck)-Would you be free men?
ShouterS-Wed die first!
Such is the supe.
Who is there who has not found an army in
secoDd-class theatre entertaining than the fun
niest farce The wonCer has always been how it
was possible to turn out such set OF scarecrows,
and how with such an incubus ever upon It the iilu
themselves better informed, the spectacle presented
by the supers would be even more ludicrOus to
them than t is The dresses are worn with very
little alteration in numbers of pieces differing
wildly in time and place. The Scotch dress is 30
distinctive that the average sghtseer grasps IFS
peculisrities with little trouble, and so Of few
others hut very often the auditor knows very little
more OF hat is the proper thing for the matter In
hand than the super himself
Where does the supe come from What is the
nducement for him to make a zany OF himself
Hard questions. Sometimes, certainly, he is ambi-
tious to become an actor, and knows no other way
than to begin in the very humbest capacity And
while here It may be said that some distinguished
players have in fact risen from this insgni6c ant
place into enviabe positions. John r. Scott always
boasted that he did. William Gooda who made
such sensation at Barnum's Museum years ago in
the Dr1tnkard was a super only few months before
he made his great hit. Not only such cases, how
ever, but tl who even graduate into the ranks OF
the 'utllity," are extravaganty exceptional. The
matter is riddle from this point of view In the
cases Of ninety-nine out Of hundred there is not
only no ambition, but there is, further, an lgnu-
rance OF everything relating in any possible way to
the DRAMA and an utter Indifference to acquiring any
knowledge on the subject.
Regarding the inducement we are still more in the
dark What inducement, put concretely and on a
scale generally adopted by the theatres OF the United
States, is twenty-five cents a night dollar and
half week! For this munihcent sum the supe SUBJ
mits to an amount OF discomfort and bullying that
would be dear at torty-nne dollars a month. He
cannot be said to be driven into theatre into
gold mine. Even his dollar and half he does not
pocket free OF duty, as shall presently explain.
Not ambitious (of too low an order, as a rule 10
know what ambition 1s) and decidedly not enriched
by his diluted share OF professional life, how and
why the supe exists must remain one OF the un-
solved problems Actors have tried to answer it
from the beginning, but always without success.
somewhat important person in dramatic COM
pany is an individual with the semi Official title of
''Captain OF the Supers." He is usually an actor in
small way, but his captancy Is not determined by
his ab ilties in this regard but by his powers Of COM
mand he has the toughest sort OF material TO deal
with, and it is necessary he should be person with
energy and rmness. 1t is his business TO drill the
supes in their evenings work. to get the re-
quired dresses from the wardrobe and to see that
they are safely returned, and to look after his
couth forces while on the stage and Off it. In fur
herance Of this latter duty he has in the first place
to see that they do what they should as nearly it
is in their nature to and in the second, that they
do not do what they would if they were not closely
looked after In the better theatres there is room
especially devoted to the supes, to which standing
order remands them VIII enever they not needed
on the stage In default Of such provision the stage,
during the performance OF heavy piece, is apt to
be in state OF tumult and confusion. The
supes, of course, do not attend rehearsals Their
revenues from the theatre do not permit
them to rely upon such incomes exclusively
for support, and they have, or are supposed
TO have, other business in the daytime. The cap
tain TeheaIses for them. The stage manager
or prompter tells him, the piece
proceeds, how many men he wants
on scenes specified, and what they to do. These
directions be details to his force aG night rehearslng
them on the stage between acts In the important
movements. The captain doesn't get much ere.
dit from the public for his work, and as he
must make it up somehow, he takes it out OF the
supe. That forlorn creature by his articles of en-
gagement agrees to pay the captain for his services
a certain amount a week, sometimes a nights
wages sometimes more or less The management
sanctions this, as it is found TO be about
the best way OF running the department TIT
captain is in addition paid the salary of "respOnsi
BILE utility"-about Sl5 week-and 1t often happens
during a tragedy season, when an extra force o
supernumeTarts is required that he makes a
much money as the principal actors.
Sometimes the humble supe's position has beel
assumed by youngsters on lark, or desirous o
investigating the hidden Tecesses OF the theatre.
few years ago this done on East in a rather ex
traordinary manner. No less distinguished person
than party Of Harvard students made application
the Boston Theatre, and were employed by the cap
tain with ravening eagerness Never since the keel
the ''BostOn" was laid had sucn fine figures OF me
offered themselves for these elevated posts. Cam
bridge is within easy distance OF the city, and the
was kept 10 until some OF the college authorities
happening to visit the THEATRE discovered our youn
adVenturers despite their elaborate DISCUSSES, an
suppressed their notions OF practical humOr in sun
mary manner. The captain did not know until tn
finale occurred that he had been entertaining angel
unaware.
Lowly hung as the super is in the dramatic CALLER!