Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-19
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
Does Writing PIays Pays-A Case in Point
Drilling Real Soldiers for the Stage
Several Queries Ansvvered-The New


Does Writing PlayA Pays-A Case in Point
Drilling Real Soldiers for the Stage
Several Queries Answered-The New
TheaEer Bonner.
DOES the writing of plays payS A corre-
spondent propounds this quesrion-which
would have been answered in Sundays paper
had not adverse circumstances prevented it
and the answer must be that it depends upon
the play in the first place, on the actors who
are engaged in the production Of the play, and
often upon the fame of the author. If play
pays its author at all it is apt to pay very WELL
The best wav to understand how well good
play pays is to take the case of such we'll
known playwright as Mr.. Bronson Howard.
His latest play. shenandoah" )" which has been
very successful, is at present paying the author
81. 400 week in royalties. In few weeks this
sum will be more than trebled, presuming
that the two road companies, one
starting at Chicago and the other
at San Francisco, meet with
the success the original production has had
at Palm ar's Theater, New York Beside these
sources of income from the single play of
Shenandoah" Mr.. Howard will exact the
same royalty from the English production Of
the play, for which representative OF the firm
owning the play will start this week to arrange
in London. When that production is added to
the American ones Mr.. Howard will have an
income from 81, 600 to Sc, 900 from shenandoah"
alone. He has a number of other plays which
are paying almost as handsomely. 1t can be
seen that in this case play writing pays 1t is
pleasant to think that this fortunate author is
an American writing American plays for Amer
leans.
TALKING of Shenandoah" am told that
during the rehearsals of that play the gentle
man who was cast to play Captain Thornton,
the Confederate officer, in going through a
scene in which he is placed under arrest by
two Union soldiers, took occasion to say to the
men, who he supposed to be ordinary everyday
'supers," that they we're to take hold Of him so
and so, and now" he said, ''be sure when the
order of march is given TO put forward your
right foot" The menmade no reply, but day
or SO later the actors breath fell TWO feet when
he was informed that the men who figured with
him in the arrest scene were United States
regulars 20 Of whom, from the Brooklyn
Navy Yards. appear nightly in Shenandoah"
He was not any worse of than the stage man
ager, who at the first rehearsal gave the regu-
lars a command to run, and was surprised to
see them run off the stage into scene room
where they kept jostling each other in the
corner. in an apparent vain effort to go
through the wall. Command them to halt"
sergeant suggested. "Halt," called the stage
manager, and the soldiers ceased their
scrambling. The laugh of course was on the
stage manager.
WHILE theatrical matters are on tap as it
were another correspondents query. to which
an answer is overdue, may be disposed Of Sol
Smith Russell is married His wife is daugh-
ter of Oliver Optic. This is his second mar
riage, Mr.. Russell's first wife having been
Louise Berger, of the well-kuown Berger fam
lily, who died six or seven years ago.
It is one of Mr.. Russelps advantages in his
race for fame that his domestic life has been
free from those volcanic disturb bances which
are not unusual in actors families. Probably
there is not an actor In the whole profession
who has such desirable friends In every city
as Mr.. Russell has.
ONE can very well see by single glance at the
audience in any of our theaters that very
vicious style of bonnet is being very generally
worn by adorable woman. It is structure
which comes to a point almost at the top, and
is faced with birds wing, or enough feathers
to make wing counted ten of these abom-
Unable distractions scattered over two or three
rows at the Bijou last night.
should like to hear q wearer Of one OF these
bonnets defend its use at the theater. The
pleasure is not likely to be Forthcoming.