The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-17

penses have doubled and his pay has been
cut down half good ordinary actor gets
only from $50 to $50 week Out of that
he must pay for his living, his dress and all
other expenses How much do you suppose
viii be left to support a family onl
''Then, too. the standard of dramatic art
has been raised immaasurably in America
in the last few years The public used to
put up with anything pasteboard crowns
and paper muslin satin. The same shabby
old bit Of scenery would do equally for the
palace of the King Of Denmark or a hay
making. That Is all different, too. Now
carloads Of scenery must be transported
with the company Costumes must be rich
and fitting and copied with historic accu-
racy."
''Veu, that's good indication, isn't tia
sign of the growth Of artistic culture in the
county,!
eyes; it's good thing for the public, but
it nearly kills the actor. Under the pres
ent travelling theatrical system, the small
towns get just as good entertainments IS
the large cities. Every town can now have
its own hall and theater, and the companies
come there and play. Why, look at Zanes-
vile, Ohio, with its opera house that cost
half million dollars. Lima, Ohio. has a
magnificent theater, too. That would not
have been possible under the old system.
But tell you it's rough on the actor. It
turns him into mere wandering fakir, with
no home or settled family ties. At the close
of the season he comes to New York City,
tramps Union square all summer looking
for another engagement You will see dozens
of actors promenading there any afternoon
I'll
the Rialto.'
Another hardship is that the theatrical
season has been shortened. It used to run
forty-four weeks, now thirty to forty is the
limit. The actor goes in debt for bis board
during his idle months, and it takes all he
can save through the season to square him
up for his last summers living. That done,
he comes out at the end without cent
ahead, and repeats the experience. Oh, yes
An actors lot is a happy LOT, and there's
mint of money in it, as you see."
''Stars generally command their own
prices. But even they do not roll in wealth
always"
Lester WalIack is most successful mana
ger, but he can make no money outside Of
New York. He went starring few years
ago and failed.
''Our profession are now mostly in the
hands of their worst enemies, the theatrical
agents. We cannot do without them, and
they are in league with the managers to
break down theatrical salaries still further.
| Almost everybody who can stand up strai hit
| is seized on and chucked in to I'll a part,
because he. will go cheap. Consequently
dry-goods clerks, gamblers, walters and
| chambermaids, and people who have made a
failure at everything else make a rush for
the dramatic profession in drove. We are
| flooded and running over with would-be
actors. Look at their experience i'll Ro-
many Rye. The managers wanted to cut
down pay below what any respectable, ex-
| perienced actor would accept So they took
| in lot of the cheaps There are twenty
three speaking people in the piece. They
had rehearsal They fred five of their
| new company that time. At the second re.
hearsal they fired thirteen more That made
| eighteen. Out of that cheap company Of
| tventy-three there were only five left"
| sfNhy do they keep that silly thing rum
ming week after week all summer at the
- theatreg' I asked suddenly; Nobody
| goes to see it hardly"
'Just to say it ran in New York so many
| months. They'll play to gas money in order
| TO saw that If piece takes III New York
its fortune is made. The metropolis settles
the fate of play or an actor. But the
money in our business is made on the road,
outside of the city"
care you SO very, very bad, you theatrical
peoplea"
! Smythilino made a horrid face--one Of
his most killing stage faces.
''We're just like the rest of the world. Oul
people can easily behave themselves if they
have a mind to. Most of them do. But
there is this: If young woman wants to &C
queer she has more opportunity for it in the
theatrical pro ression than elsewhere. Actors
are a superstitious lot; perhaps the unceT
tainties of their business make them So
There are such sudden ups and downs. They
mostly fear the number thirteen, and they
have dread of splitting salt"
SmythiIino unused. and stroked the short
silky moustache which must be sacrifices
this week
'Pm afraid, too said he, ''that we use g
frighful lot of slang. By the way, dont
mention me- His royal jags is a tart ole
duffer, and some time when he is on a bat
he might fire me-" ELIZA ARcHARD.
Nrr1y Uop~r SAINT %