The New York herald., 1877-09-16
AMONG THE ACTORS.
Half a Century On
the Stage.
OLD TIMES IN NEW YORK.
"reminiscences Of Charles R. Thorne, ST.
A Family Of Actors.
TIL F. FIR z E Ii s T
OLD TIMES IN NEW YORK.
T H E F r E E L I S t

among tho
lession in America therc 10 probably not one who
possesses larger fund Of stage experience. varied by
extcnsiye travel than Charles K Thornc, ST.. At
the lessee and manager Of tho Lyceum Theatre
in this city, For forty eight ycarssay in round num-
bcrs a half century-he has bcen identified with
scenes before and behind the footlishts. and during
this long period the best and The worst Of that
curious and generally misunderstood and III apprcc-
ated class known actors. The writer found him IN
his little business ofhce Ftocnth street, tho rear
vcstibulc, as Il were OF tho stately edince with
which the thousands OF our theatre goers
who have passed. under Ms piiiared portals
Fourteenth street more or less familiar. "Less
amiliar would doubtless, be the proper expression,
or It is from this quiet apartment and its neighbor-
hood that ore enters to explore tho mysterious re-
ccsses OF OF the best constructed and most CON-
petely appointed institutions oil the kind IN America
II necessary to so much into detail concerning
tho place, although, as rule, the public are both
tgnerant and curious concerning tho inside
cations OF a popular theatre. WHAT transplrcs
In front may be any night in tho
year What takes place behind and be-
low tho curtan-the lives that the plod-
ding people there lead; Tho struggles Tor
public approval from tho call boy to the chief; the
earnest work that DONE from the artist in his
overalls up stairs, whose easel the side OF house
and whose paint pot gallon, tho who strives
70 become in his own best way oven fragment OF tho
Illusion while illustrating his art-all for merely
temporary enjoyment by tho populace-thcs are
,hngs that few knew anything a6out. A bit Of do
Scription, however, may not be unwelcomc.
THE VETERAN.
Tho old gentleman his desk In this quiet par
or, absorbed In tho examination OF papcrs-not alone
newspapers but letters from OF people out OF
employment; from bpostcrs and advertising
fron In
have somebody psy tho costly bill that puts
bantlng play upon the stage and from
applicants for FREQ ticket favoTs, ''because you
know l wrote for the Bungto~n B~gk or took
drink with at Long Branch" He takes II all IN
like veteran and makos picture to the waiting
gucst--sixiy seventy years old, but rs fresh
and agile any Of hrs handsome Toys. Thcre is
tr1ing hmp his gait as ne gets up 10 mako you well
come and yet in lie elf 1t is eloquent by contrast with
the brighter days in old times when he tho
quick Othello, Macbeth Richard III. Time has
furnished tlc gray to the mustacho that no wears
but the bright, expressive eye, tho handsome
profile, tho broad forehead crowned with
rich brown hair, tho almost utter absence Of
. wrinkle such good humorcd people carry
rs part Of their Rody bcncdictions-all tell of the
splendid v,rlity that marks him as worthy sirc He
saw the writer looking A. rusty horseshoe nailed
apovc tho door, and, pcoring over his glasses,
markcd:--
THAT'S not mine, sir; I'm not shocpcrstitious
Luck in profession Is good thing, bat work is
better don't think, he said, continuing, ''that
there business in the world which requires more
patience and pcrsistsncy, and in which there Is
liability to iaurc, and yet possibility Of sudden
success than in ours A mistake means misery;
q nit means money That's about the secret OF our
business impulses I've the timc whom tho cash
rolled in and thought had struck never failing
placer Three months afterward was spending these
profits in endcavor to keep my head above water.
But, come down stairs Let Inc show you some-
hing"
BEHIND SCENES.
Aud the manager carried the writer away from the
old handbis on the walls that recalled memories
Of theatres twcnty-hve or thirty years
ago. and other quccrly preserved monu-
ments Of the past, to tho place. And
what place! Down into narrow passascs black as
~ feet among labyrinth Of dressing rooms, covering
nearly nall an acre. under the stage and among the
presence to astound Inc audience.
snow you viii see what Fcchter did. All this is the
work oi true artist True, much money was spent,
but II has not been wasted. There is not another
place like it in the country Look al that mass OF
ncry. can bring out any thing"
And The remark seemed true, for over head and un-
der loot, and every side there was the evidence Of
master hand.
The old manager wanted to carry tho writer up into
the c0bweb oil rspcs and scenery two threc hundred
feet air, and show other improvements arrange
mcnts but was desirable to return TO the main Office
and ask questions.
II IS not the easiest thing in the world TO do this,
even toa man who has nifty years to draw upon, and
so the reporter left Mr. rhorne 10 pursue his own
method III nave to talk on This subject he said,
'';ct me bsgn with my wife, You VIII scarcely deny
thiy privilege, Tor family of actors and she
Is successful author. Her name originally was
Maria Mestayer snc won't on the stage hrst child
In 'Pizirro,' in 1s20-pcrhaps before. Pm sure
that William peby not the Rolla OF the occasion.
Since then, until ten years ago. she had done almost
'.I,'s singular namo-Mcstaycr can't you tell me
something about IT,
'Only ihis that her father was an actor OF French
orgip full OF vim, snappy, and, IN an hereditary Way
perhaps, communicated his talent TO the children
Certainly, they all have the same acoral characicrs-
tres. The m)ther was an American. but also an &C
trcss. Emily, who remembered by everybody Of
the old school, is now IN California; Loumc a
splendid fellow. is playing here and thcre but both
John and Charles arc dead The bent OF tho family
mnd-l suppose II came from the French iathcr-
was toward comedy w,sh my w',e cO"a , ,b pay % TO-
God bless em the best you ever saw are following In
the family footsteps"
The old veteran wiped his eyeglasses
Tell me something about tho boys what are
they doingg"
ment, taxing IN, fancy s2Oo or $500 week, aud, his
wlic says the most extravagant fellow she ever mc
Ned Is here playing IN Under the Willows William
Tor the moment is personaiing me rs business man
Ager here Then there are grandchildrcn who are
under study and coming OUT
EARLY STAGE MyMoRIEs
And now about yourself"
"Ah. you ask 100 much. The eyeglasses came
down ssan, aud the Old Gentleman looked rather fran
TIC at The idea OF beng professionally inservlowed
Being pressed IN gentle way, however he said:-
MY memory runs back to '2S or 20, ior went on
The stage wncn was about seventeen years old, 80
you see l am aged enough to he bettcr.'
Where were you bornf'
Here in New YORK. in Chambers street. whom il
was the homo Of the best people oil the city; the
iashionabc ocaiity-not shopkceper hailing dis
lance. no. SIR; not one. We lived among The aristu.
cra,s. lnc PARK Theatre then stood On Park row.
between Ann and Beekman streets
Aitcr went on The stage the HERALD had a little
picc on the corner where the Beckan street Church
rscd 10 stand-a small brick place that only attracted
attention because somebody who was IN charge OF II
seemed always 10 De enterprisng Broadway, when
attempt 10 make comparison between Then nov, IS
m asionishmcn suppose has been built over three
four times. Beyond Prince street Broadway was
Almost ike the suburbs. Canal little better
than u swamp; stone bridge enabled US 10 cross.
Beyond II were hclds ana farm houses
THE oLB THEATRES
The theatres oil that early day in their charac-
YER quite unquc. There was place called the
k q