The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-03-12
STAGE REWARDS.
Actors Who Have Made Fortunes and
Those Who Have Not.
High Priced HisfrIons-Lesser Lights
Bearing the Burden OF the
Hard Times.
New York Herald


New York Herald.l
The announcement that Mr.. Boucicault
received from his manager check for $500
each highland that before the performance
was concluded-during three consecutive
weeks, suggests the consideration of salaries
paid the stage people in general, and stars
in particular 1t is evident that while
successful artists make, they do not keep.
enormous fortunes, the average actor
is no better paid than the average clerk,
for what he makes up in salary is lost In ex-
penses. The chief stars here and in Eng
land coin money fast. Sothern, Booth,
Nelson, Owens, Maggie Mitchell, Chanfrau
and few others have the cream of the bust
ness, leaving the skim milk for managers
and pretty hard tack for the minor people
The past and present seasons havs been far
from profitable to a majority of metropoll-
tan managers and ruinous to many provin-
cial managers, but the popular stars have
carried harvests of cash outside of New York,
which place, for some inscrutable reason,
has proved very Golgotha to nearly every
one who bid for public favor.
GLANCE AT BOOTH.
The great prosperity of Edwin Booth dates
from period in the easy recollection of the
present generation of theatergoers. In his
earlier days he had no drawing power, and
when VIM. Stuart, the veteran manager OF
the Winter Garden, announced him for a
season he was looked upon with unaffected
wonder. Fortune and the quick wit of Mr..
Stuart favored Booth that year, and to the
bright suggestions of the manager that he
should play Hamlet" be Hamlet and look
Hamlet off as we'll as on the stage can fairly
be credited the sudden jump he made into
public favor. From that time his star was
in the ascendant. In spite of his bankruptcy
Edwin Booth is regarded as very veal
thy man. His invariable terms are $500
be given before Edwin cal go on" The
present Mrs. Booth is a capable business
manager, and to her Mr.. Booth owes much
In Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco
Edwin Booth is q powerful attraction. In
Brooklyn he played an enormous engage
ment, clearing in two weeks the sum OF
! $25 600, which, however, was but little in
excess of the amount dropped in the Lyceum
| of this city. His last engagement in this
city was terrible blow to him and to the
management. His terms $500 a perform
ance; but the receipts were next to nothing,
comparatively speaking. 1t Is understood
that Booth declines to play more than 80
weeks in year. AT his terms of $500 for
each performance, or, including matinee.
So, 500 week, this would give him an annual
income of $100 900; but he could easily play
40 weeks at the same Terms.
HOW soTHEKE RAKFs IT IN.
Mr.. e. A. Sothern estimated his property
year or two ago at the pleasant figure of
| three quarters of & million. Real estate
values have fallen some since then, but
Sothern has made money still. His terms
are always $500 q performance, unless he
plays on shares, and In the latter speciality
he has had as high as 80 per cent. of the gross
receipts. An engagement made for him by
Mr.. Henry Wall netted him, in Canada, that
extraordinary percentage, and the manage
ment made money at that Unlike Booth,
Sothern furnishes the play. He either owns
or virtually controls all his specialties, and
as rule insists that certain specified artists
shall support him IN the principal roles.
Although he has made much more than
So, 500 u week, it would be fair average for
45 weeks in each of the past 10 years. In
other words, can calculate definitely on
Sl57, 800 annual income not counting benz
fits, of which he always has one in each city
OF his circuit. or the large sums made when
he elects percentage on the gross receipts.
Some years ago Sothern invested largely in
real estate in this city and elsewhere
in the United States, making mistake CON-
mon In those times, from which he no,
only derives no income, but on which he
has to pay heavy taxes. Occasionally Mr..
Sothern has esssyed the role of manager, bul
generally with indifferent success. In new
plays he has found but little profit, but oul
''American Cousin and .'Garrick" are
mines which, although worked necessarily
for many years. give no signs OF being used
up. 1t was said some years ago that the
man who would write first rate melodrams
for Edwin Booth would make fortune fol
himself and add to Booths fame, as well a.
J give him a monumental estate. The actor
) has long wanted a play in which Napoleon
, the Great should figure, he, of course, to play
J the leading role. In this respect he differ.
/, from Sothern, who has had many plays writ
ten for him, while none was ever writer
for Booth. Like Booth, Sothern is married
/ He, however, lives in style and spends lib
: orally in entertaining, while Booth CAREFUL,
, saves and puts away for rainy day.
NELSON AND DAVENPORT.
In some respects Adelaide Nelson was tn,
! most fortunats star our American heaven
!, have seen. She never had an unsuccessful
. season, and made money where other favor
/ ties dropped money: When she first cam
here she was well heralded and sprang a
once into favor. She has made as much a
$1,000 night six nights a week for four con
! secutive weeks. AT times she has played a
low as 81 900 a week, but she found no diff
Guilty in closing contracts for 90 weeks in tn
year at $500 a performance, matinee in
4 cluded. Indeed. the Nelson matinees il
New York and Boston were always feature
+ of the week, as ladies could attend withou
I escort, a fact which out-of-town and suburban
\ residents fully appreciate. Miss Nelson
r property. real and personal. is valued a
. $500, 600, of which large part
2 invested in real estate in New Yor
Q and Chicago. When she was out Yves
3 the surprising growth of the country i'm
Y pressed her, and she was persuaded to bu
. heavily of properties already we'll ballooned
= ,,aco..,or,f h Il he