The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-17
THE THEATRICAL LIFE.
Those Who Make the Public Laugh
and Weep.
Sorrows That Are Not Exhibited be-
fore the Curtain-A Struggle for
Observation-Disclosures OF Star Ac-
sOrs-DramatIc Art Rising.

'fNow what does that mean2' asked MIR.
yohnario Smythilino.
It was an advertisement. It set forth that
3 popular and talented comedian was de-
sirous Of obtaining an engagement to play in
theatre in New York City during the COM
ing season. The notice ended In this nnys-
FERROUS manner: s'Salary no object"
est means" said he, ''that that IS what
the theatrical profession are coming to.
We are bound for the bow-wows. Actors
used to begin at the bottom Of the ladder
II they worked hard and faithfully, they
might hope for honorable recognition by
and by. But all that has changed now.
Our business has been swamped by anna
tsus and outsiders till there is no place
for anybody If you start in the ranks.
you stay In the ranks. Stars do not
graduate from the lower rounds any
more. They are made by accident and adj
vertisiug. They float in at the top.
HALF of them don't know anything If =
woman has a nice. quiet, Iady-Iike manner,
that's called acting now days. And the
salaries of ordinary actors have come down
fifty to seventy-fivs per cent in the last few
years"
'sBut don't understand that" said I.
''The public who patronize the theatres pay
as much for admission as they eve did, even
in wer time Theatres are better attended
than ehey ever were before, too. Why do
not the actors get good salariesp
SIT Is competition that bring them down
TO neutrality-suspicious. among man
ayers and among themselves. Our business
follows the tendency of the age. A few
people at the top get all tine money and the
rest go without any. There ara larger earn
ings made On the stage than there ever
were, but the managers and few stars get
it ALL"
Mr. Johnario Smy thilino is himself well
known and popular comedian. If you
heard his name you would know it at once
BE has made you laugh like child many a
time. But the funniest men on the stage
are sometimes those to whom, off the stage.
life is very serious business. Did not brave
old Thackeray say of the clown in the plays
ssHe shows you when his mask is off face
that's anything but gays"
eyes, says Mr. S. 'rve gone upon the
stage and made an audience roar with mirth
Gil some dropped over in their seats, and all
the while was in such trouble that I could
have kicked them for laughing. I've fairly
raised the roof off the house with funny
hit sometimes when I've had such a splitting
headache that could hardly see my way
across the stage"
SHOW does a comedian get his training7
WI ere does he learn his funny thingsw
ga comedian must be born. He cannot
he trained or made The fun is in the shape
Of his face, the trick of muscle. Look at
me. What kind OF young lover would
make saying, % NEE darlingP with this
Tnouth?
At that he gave grin which sent his au-
dience OF one into commissions.
ST don't doubt it, said /. ST believe every
word after hat"
Mr.. s. continued: GA leading man can
be made. A funny man can't A comedian
can't be anything else very well, either.
tried it once. A good young lover has the
best place in stock company. I thought
once to prepare myself for that. spent a
thousand dollars for training, gave it to a
man who knew he could train me TO take
the part of splendid young lover. Istudied
it; played it; I was fired. Then went
back to my bald-headed wig and funny old
man business"
s.But it's ever so much better to make
att is the highest mission in life to amuse
ones fellow-man. There is so much sorrow
Ia the world.
eyes, hut how does it happen that the
young lover always gets more money than
che funny manF
az give it up"
ssHow does it happen, too, that the young
lover makes all the mashes? infatuated
ladies send him mash letters by the hundred
and fifty. The heavy villain gets them too,
once in a while. But the funny man
rarely ever receives love letter. Why is
thatF'
Again gave it up If Iove-making and
fun-making viii not go together, why is
tn Which Is the best if we cannot have
bothi
srYou have no idea what change little
thing will make In an actors face. When ]
start out next week all this mustache must
come off, comedian with a mustache
loses his best point, which is his mouth. The
most expressive feature of the face is the
mouth
..Mcre 80 than the eyesT'
.'Oh, my. yesl The eyes come next, how
ever. One of my friends has way of NOV
ing the muscles Of the front of his chin up
and down that never fails to bring down the
house. Hardly any other man in America
can do it, and he is known all over the coun-
try as the man with the 'Wagging Chin"
ga hard lifea There is no business on earth
to compare with it An actor nowadays il
. tramp, a genteel tramp, that's all it
amounts to- BE must be on the road week
in ana week out. The travelling knocks him
ali 10 pieces It takes all the life out of him.
We anish PLAYING in one town of certain
evening. We load up after the performance
Is over and go on to the next place We
railroad all night There Is no sleeper or
parlor car for the company, mind you. Only
che star and the manager get that. The
stock actor must double up or hang upon the
corner of q car seat any how he can If he
can sleep that way, very well; If not, it is
all the same. He must beready for rehearsal
next morning and the play that night. An
actor viii sleep ten or fifteen hours at a
stretch when he gets chance, so worn out
Is be. So it goes on the season through.
Our railway fare and baggage Transports
ton are paid, that is all. We must pay our
own board, and we are lucky indeed to get
hotel rates at anything less than So so day.
Only the stars can go to the swell hotels.