Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-07-12
PAfINaTO 60 ONTHE STAGE.



Costly Debcts.
81 N r Ssm.
Not long ago an actress, who takes
kindly interest in struggling young profss
sonal sisters. went to manager to procure
q situation to play minor parts ct small
salary for the orphan daughter Of profess
SIGNALS.
II have no use for her." was his reply to
the actress request.
"But think she ia entitled to employ
ment, az she was born in the profession"
Look here" said the manager. opening
book and turning over several pages
covered with names and addresses. There
are some fifty people, all Of them willing to
act for nothing, aud the majority Of them
so anxious TO appear on the stage that they
salary during the time they appesr at my
thester.'
But don't they want to appear in lead.
ing parts? l want you to engage my pro-
tege for small roles"
"0h, mol They're not over ambitious.
They're ready to come here if only to spout
ten lines The usually do well, too, because
they are willing and pliable, and stand any
amount Of coaching. Why some twenty
FIVE of those on my book are ready tor any.
thipg-even standing with the super ladies
Then they don't make trouble for your
mot as much as professionals They're
as docile IS lambs You zee, they consider
it great favor to be allowed to appear un-
l.. o-I d.
TO promise whatever ask of them. There
are really number Of advantages to me
in letting these amateurs act. In the frat
place | cave q salary Of $25 on each Of
those / allow on my stage, for / could hardly
offer iess than $25 to professionally the
lady you want me to engage for minor parts,
for instsnce-and often receive as much
as that from each Of them. They make the
oyer themselves. Only yesterday good
looking young lady came here with her
mother. They hesitatel and looked at each
other as il each wsptsd the other to speak
first, and then the mother asked me il |
couldn't give her daughter chance to appear
in small parts, told them that was sorry,
but my salary list was full. oh, she doesn':
want salary,' exclaimed the mother.
We're willing to pay for the privilege Of
having her appear on your stage. She
mentioned good sum, and I've put il down
opposite he name. ! think Of seudi1g for
her for our next production. There's ten
! line part in the play we're about putting in
rehearsal that ought to be dressed we'll, 80 |
think she Il suit.
do you engage those whe pay you bsity
VERY often, but not always by any means.
AS you see, in this book some names have
no amounts set opposite them. Those are
the applicants who are willing to go on for
nothing, but don't pay me for letting them
act. The others are willing to pay me per
week the amounts opposite their names.
You might think that those who aren't will
ing 10 pay me stand no show Of being sent
for But that's not the case. Often some
among them may be so pretty and 80 bright
locking that take them for small parts
which don't require fine dressing. Those
which do require fine dressing | give to the
women who are able to pay me, and the
more expensive the dresses needed the high.
er l 90 on my list, because ] think that those
who can afford to pay me highest can afford
to spend the most money on their dress.
Then you don't furnish the costumes for
these smateursY
"Oh, no! They do that themselves. That's
another advantage Of employing them; |
save on costumes, Many small parts, yoa
know, are for court ladies and the like. They
have to be extensively dressed. These are
what my leading amateur ladies q use lead
ing in q strictly financial sense) revel in.
III give you case in point. The last play
but one had a seven-line part which had to
be richly dressed. Igave it to one Of my
leaders. ] suppose her dress must have
cost her couple Of thousand or more, for
it was from Worth, and she must have worn
thousands Of dollars worth OF jewelry. She
came to the theatre every night in private
carriage, went on the stage, got of her seven
lines, and Grove away. Now calculat the
advantage TO me Of employing her. She
paid me fer coaching her in her part
couple OF weeks before we put the play on.
was on regular salsry from IT while the
play ran, she saved me the expense Of bay.
ing costume, and, after al, she did the part
better than most Of the profession lis | could
have got for $25 week"
And did you have other amateur in the
came play"
II had young MAJ, but no other wo nan.
No, it's very rarely yon can employ more
than one amateur lady in one play, because
each wants the best and most expsnsively
dressed OF he minor roles. If on, should
have a seven.line and the other q twenty.
line part there'd be trouble OF course, il
there are several minor parts of equal cali.
bre can employ several amateurs"
- "If one of these rich amateurs, like the
young lady you mentioned as having been
in your last play but one, does nicely, don't
you give her work 10 do pretty much all the
timer Isn't she playing with you now|
NO. That wouidn't be good policy. You
see, further advantage Of employing these
amateurs is that you draw large numbers of
their friends TO the theatre. In fact, one Of
the principal whims these people want to
crafty in going on the stage is to have their
friends among the audience, and be compli.
mented by them afterwards at little suppers
at home Cd their toilet appearance aud act.
ing. They also like at these gatherings TO
talk familisrlg of the prominent profession
ais. Night after night they or their friends
get up theeiTe parues, ana tnese Gao AS
sure you. ten in the boz Office receipts. But
after month or so the novelty wears of
and their fr;.nds stop coming. After that
they are not Of 30 much use to me as fresh
installment from my Est, so ! give them
rest. Tbat',the reason | keep 80 many on
my books Once in while an amateur, c.
pecially one efthose who,can't afford to peg
me, but are wiling to sst for nothing. shows
such pronousced talent that | regularly en-
gage her for my company, and she becomes
q professional out and cut. also have 90
my list nuaber Of mea who are willing to
act for nothing. and even pay me for the
privilege Of appearing at my theatre"
as there any use Of my going 10. any
other manager to find place for my young
friendT' asked tbs actress.
"Not 10 the manager Of any frstclsss
theatre" VAS the reply. They've got lists
an large "A nina"