The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-01-22
PEEPS BEHIND THE SCENES.
PRIT1TE LIFE or THE
SIllItiS or THE iSI,1GE.
EXtraVagance Of Dress -Exorbitant
Demands Of Leading Artists--How
fortunes are Made and Spent
Correspondence Boston IicraM.

~ CoilSo VlS Mttoe una SopOnC.
Correspondence Boston HciuM
The Now York stage is more
sumptuous than the stage of any
city i'll Europe, not excepting that
of Paris. If II Partisan manager
spends $4,000 francs on the setting
of a " play, he thinks he has been
pre- i. A New York manager
81 S25,O00 on a new play and
tn nothing Of it. Such dress
ms our actresses do, is not
equ llicd in France, or, indeed, in
any society, domestic or foreign,
however wealthy or distinguished.
1t is deemed essential now, at our
leading houses, that an actress must
havo an entirely now and elaborate
costume in every act. Some women,
like Madeline Hcnriqucs, Agnes
Ethel, Fanny Davenport, Clara
Morris and others, have
often worn costumes which
cost, complete, from $4,000
to $4,000. When this is 80, how
can any ono expect to get theatre
ticket for less than S1.5O.
rrIJI. JJpNs cII,DI
Hardly any of the managers make
money in the long run, prosperous
as some seasons may prove. And
the reason that they do not lies
mainly in the fact that the actors
get the lions share. 1 have talked
lately with many managers and
agents, and I confess that I havo
been surprised at the prices paid
to followers Of the mimetic art.
1t is we'll nigh useless to say that
actors arc recompensed according to
their merit; for it is we'll known
that mounto~bank may heap up
dollars, while q man of genius and
consclentiousness may be doomed
to poverty. He or she who catches
the popular fancy, or who suits the
general taste, will be certain of
success, when q man above the
reach of the many may be lire
wardcd for his originality or his
scholarship. AS q rule, however,
players of eminent ability are
appreciated and draw handsomely.
Charlatans win and hold for n time,
it is true; but genius on the stage
is seldom neglected.
JOHN T. RAYMOND.
The career of players is curious,
and the means by which thoy
achieve reputation arc interesting.
They often struggle on for years,
barely getting livelihood, and
then suddenly mako hit which
insurcs them fame and fortune.
John Il. Raymond is o we'll known
example of this. He went on the
stage early, playing great deal in
the California theatres, and never
earning more than his expenses.
He received, have been told, only
$50 q week up to tho time that he
personated Colonel Sellers. The
character, rs everybody is aware, is
taken from Twain and Warmers
"Gilded Age" Twain, over bent
on augmenting his income, decided
to dramatize the book, and ex.
pected to mako the dramatization
rather tragic than otherwise. He
intended to render "Sellers" q
serious part; but Raymond, for
whom the part was designed, pro-
nounccd this q mistake, and sup
ported his position by such argu-
ments that the author finally yield
ed. The comedian co-operated
with him, and so skilfully that the
character Of "Sellers" is virtually
his literally, as it is wholly his
histrionically. When the part,
originally q subordinate one, "took''
with the audience, it was gradually
altered and amplified to it's present
proportions. "Sollors" soon be-
came the whole piece. Nobody
cares for anybody or anything but
him; he is actually the body and
the soul of the comedy. If Ray
mond made Sellers" "Sollers" has
mado Raymond, and Raymond is
cOnsciOuS of tha fact