New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-27
AMATEUR THEATRICALS.
nsvr,u. HINTS FROM A STAGE MANAGER.
knrn,vycr TO TEE DIRECTOR ABSOLUTELY NEcEs-
eARY.

which persons may De calIeo upon W uue
the festive season. few are more dimcu. 'han 'n"'
nj notwithstanding or otherwise assisting III vac po
s...ance Of stage plays in private houses Bearing
.s,. tat in mind, a reporter called recently on
-n,.- aud genial stage manager who divides his
A.. and his energies between New-fork ana Lon
49, and asked for few words of advice which
right be useful to amateur actors Amateurs
Aorld mot aim too high" said the stage manager 10
30 took mn position with his back 20 cneeriui
oosn fI- and lighted a cigar. Let them enoose
oma easy play that requires neither gorgeous uieSs
inc nor elaborate scenery. Ihey can uo mum ''S
a. than fix upon one of Robertson's comedies OF
mon one of the simpler so-called society urapiss'
On which. the actors and actresses can appear Al
.I.;r ordinary clothes They can obtain an analyt-
81 Ust of such plays from Mr. French. OF four-
.nthst Next let them choose stage manager
There may probably be some fellow AROUND VINO IL
tbe enthusiasm OF extreme youth, mas puolisneu'
mr. at least written, a fveact TRAGEDY uehRheu, "a
course to re, olutionize the modern drama ana 10
br,np back the golden age of Elizabeih' Lev 'noin
.xo,d choosing such man for their manager l knC"
that in nine cases out of ten their haluiSi puiso
al, ba IN seize upon him and hoist him lh'o 'ne
rost Of authority but he will not prove a SUCCESS
T. ,ho frst Mace he has had 10 real experience ~
.,.aoood be is certain to be crank "n"V
omateurs want provided they viii not or cduno' go
,rofessionai 10 coach them, IS the ala anu coun'
- ossiauous theatre-goer. Such person KNOWS
tcn INNS as mnch about business anu s'"s $500
Ten 'in 1f Sonr amateur dram attic AUTHORS |
art tomethsr. | assure you that Ihe posio'on VI
stage manager, even among ad,io nav seem easv
go fhourh 10 an outsider the duties idS SUM oa'1
,,,n The individual members OF inc company |
Iii he aiming TO distinguish themselves ana otttuo
Eootb Nodieska, Irving GeneNieVe Wttu' o'lSIiii
IL Tlaro Morris ana when that Is the case |
.. l,~,,s is tine case-tho unfortunate stage man,
., az ms his hands full indeed The actors ana
aetresses want him to he their servant msIeaq OF
sbeir master and, until thoroughly pLoaeh m tleS
resent his interference as thO9EI IL Nel I'uGieu
insnt TO their intelligence ana ably' ny ltau:hs
,, ,sil nsprp his pTeTogative, hrst ~ declaring
49, sbe viii ONLY take such and SUCH part next
- sertinp that she will only play WIN sOch ana
by Aee0I., 90 finally bv giving herself airs and
i~ sneakIng her part IN manner when WCuld IN |
,alnby drive the author were ne Ies.hl' 70 .lao
Na,7eosr of amateurs usually sooner or iateI hhus
Hc,srIf in the position Of general III nominal COM
Ind OF rebellOus troops. lie saws 90 ihls' ana |
co,nnsnv even while asserting, not only 90 ex-
Lii the opposite but subsequently attempt 10 JUS
~ themselves. Bnt the stage manager must ne |
cnrrteonsly firm. lie must maintain Ills authority |
Of ali hazards and there are but few amateur ac
80 Who when they discover that they are guided
6v hand Of steel clothed IN VeiVet glove VIII
rsfuse TO he reasonable ana dOclte'
A,ra,eurs scCu. even II they are ever aware OF
a., ct Ia forget very frequently that among pro-
t.ssional actors obedience is recognized a. card
nj virtue and that upon the stage ot puOllc the
afre there is as much discipline ana OtdeI as III
I;+"rv camp They do not bear IN mind that eyc
Sarah Rernhardt who Is perhaps me greatest living
actress follows the advice ana directlcns CT stage
and that Horny llNluE uUcs tllC odulcs
Inc actor may, OF course, Neutrality-suspicious. as %
tb~sIness5 etc but the decision on ai poin'S rests
with tile stage manager whose ruilng IS maj ana
,yhosa decision cannot be dppeaicu abiHsl' llcl0!
- te secret of the failure OF so much amateur ell
fort When every man does as 10 pieases anu
chooses TO snarl angrly al me person. "osc oHco ~
a. 10 nStyuct crtlclse and correct MN. the oT,
anre naturally lacks that irOst necessary oI az
features homoceneity. Spectators see tue oest OF
the NAV; the stage manager IS spectator. ne IS
81 pnienee at rehearsals He stands IN lieu OF tile
newspaper critics all the preliminary pgriorlli-
ances and il IL useless ana worse Iuah usyics I,I
Am ateurs TO have any stage manager at an uniess
fLey are content TO place themselves unreseIYedIy
in ms hands. With such a guide provided OF
course that he be man oil intelligence ooseI 'dtioh
ond evneTience any average company OF edu-
Gated people NAV act in way which wOnld not ais
cred second third rate pyoesslonal PRAYERS; ioT
tie manaper will arrange the required exits ana
entrances the business, the CROSSINGS anu tHe ~,
tonatIons and If be be competent the result VIII
Ie AZ i,ast AZ successful that obtained by gDOd
conductor with co orchestra or scratch musicians
INT II NJ be possible let amateurs make use OF tne
services OF a trained professional actor, ne VII
toach then, thousand things that no one else can
srd even If he has to be heavily feed. the money
snsnf Will not be thrown away In any case, the
sP ond IL 90 he observed Is that no play can be
sroncrv perforued unless it be produced under the
.nnreme and unchallenged control OF single Lhu
:" And what advice would you OHer 10 amateur NC
tor. ~ asked the reporter , "
let them obey anu let them remember thai
thew are not alone before their audience Each one
has his rart He must not intrude upon tho CONAN
of another and seek TO attract more, noucc IMAM
that 10 which he Is legltlmately enttleG' II ne ee
nrOnn
Rnt Even then he must not act IL such way as TO
over, helm his less efficient colleagues lie must re-
member the neeessty OF homoseneity. Oh tne stage
we Unfortunately have the star 81 stem It's effects
are lameptable enough But an amateur sVar, III |
snnporte1 is a thousand times worse th9n prOIes |
snnal star in a similar situation unless the amateur
stor has the good sense to restrain himself An
otLer common fault with amateurs IS thelr stiffness
- ~ cosnaI conversation with a frend rarely |
N ever appears constrained and awkward III Is |
selEeonscoushess that spois the acting but that
self-conscousneSs may be avoided DY any earnest |
pOf iv1u mucn
let him simply try mako himself at nome IN ms
part and he VII be natural II not actually artistic
in his delivery OF it..
And what about the arrangements OF an amateur
stage making up, dressing, and so on =" ~ ,
THOSE are wide subjects Amateurs Will do well |
to OBTAIN freuchs little books wnich h Irg'
mind one thing The light of an amateur stage Is
rarely if ever garng as that oil the regular 1901
and border lights, Amateurs, therefore must 10
more careful than professionals need be in making
M Let them AVOID using too much paint, anu let
them take special pains IA the lo,nIgs oi Mies; eIc'
nieety of workmanship is needed where the igbt Is
40 soft and the distances are 50 snort as theS Always
are at dramatic performances In Pll.aIo houses
The n1nCs of the face must be very tellcately uo3e
or they will be ridculously peTceptlDle from the
'front.' and for tbs same reason, scenery loI anna,
ieurs rnnst bs painted with greater attention 10
detail than Is requisite on the stage. But many
faults OF painting and lining may be concealed by
the simple expedieut OF having the loot ahd Doruer
ichts az nowerfu as possible. halt-inch iron gas
tne percsd at interv ais tted with ish Tan Duru-
,osras capital gifts: border lights be
exte,nporizad by means Of less Formidable row Oh
similar burners al rtilectors caIpJ INV "n ce.
plumber in half a day or 50 can DO ali that 10 heces
tary in this respect and II the carpenter mas any
mental resources he can fit upa captai stage anu
nroscrnium in few hours with Stats CT WOOD anu
hail dozen pairs of curtains. Any young lady
who can use needle AID will take the trouble can
make capital drop curtain by taking large Ia
blecloth or something OF the kind, and fitting the
back of the stuff with parallel rows 81 brass rings
M Intervals Of a foot OF eighteen inches. The top
tb.c ~ shODld hooks