New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-07
AN ACTORS LOT.
THE HARnSnIPS on TRAYELLING.

Tho unusual amount OF Illness that has prevailed
during the last few weeks among prominent actresses
has had the effect Of directing attention TO the trying
life of members Of the dramatic profession who are
Obliged to travel continually during eight or nine
months Of every year. AS rule, stars manage to
get through their seasons with loss OF few, II any,
performances but within the last month actress after
actress has had 20 stop playing for week or more
and In one instance, that Of Miss Anderson, the
season had TO be closed Tho ordinary feminine as
pirant for dramatic honor is apt TO think the life she
seeks to lead is Of constant fascination excite
ment and pleasure. 1t may save some dsappolut
ment II the facts about the lie Of the travelling
PLAYER are plainly told and when these weighed 1t
will seem less remarkable that so many people have
been III this year than that so many have IN past
seasons been able to regularly continue their aborS'
With the exception OF q few plays, the mounting OF
which IS extraordinarily elaborate nearly every piece
that is being presented by travelling companies Is dur
ing a part Of the season, given In onenight suanuA
Even Booth and Barrett are appearing this year In
few OF these and scarcely any actor can hope 10
entirely escape them. However well route OF
one.nght stands may have been laid out the amount
OF necessary travelling and discomfort Is consderaoio
but In many cases these become almost unocarsple'
and assuredly most wearing and exhaushng' Inc
actors Sunday IS generally devoted to making long
tourneys or as they are technically known, JUMPS
except in several western and Southern state where
the barbarous custom Of giving Sunday night per
formances and sometimes Sunday matinees, preVsh
Monday noon or perhaps later, sees the actor arrived
in the town where he has to play that night he nss
his dinner generally very bad one, taxes nap eaS
supper and geos early to the theatre In oroer 10 I'M
mack his trunk With an actress who has four or hve
changes Of costume, including even shoes and stook
ings. this alone Is no light task. Something Ike an
bour is spent In mahngup and dressing for the hrSt
not and In what an apology for a room Beauuiul
as are the majority Of our theatres, ana ahmrSo'e ~
their arrangement for the convenience OF auo ohoS' ~
comfort and health Of the performers arc the iAS'
things that architects and managers OF country heas
consider The dressing rooms are nearly always under
-. staco where no ray OF sunlight ever penerates
They are mere eupboards without ventilation ana arc
either oyerpoveringy hot or heeIiugly cold. Zen
orally they arc damp, and often wafer may 10 SEQ"
standing on the outer walls or ooEinS through the
Boor. Ono or two rooms may have rags OF carpe' On
the floor but In the others the bare boards arc 10
yealed I'm not usually very clean condition FROM sueh
holes as these, in which no careful farmer "ouu pun
a horse or a COW, the actors arc supposed TO emerge
looking like ladies and gentlemen, and breathing ths'
AT, of refinement and luxury which 80 many SooioS
dramas demand. Tho time spent upon the stage "hcn
"a gpneray terribly draughty is about two and hat
hours During part Of this time an actress may DC
clad In velveS and furs and the next hour may sec
her in Iow.cut ball dress The change from the shining
to the cold stage is often alono enough
TO seriously affect her Four or five Journeys up ana
down stairs are made between the dressingroom ana
the stage and each means q change OF dress. lho
performance Is over, the part more or less eAhausung
has been played but the actress has plenty TO no. All
,ese dresces and adiuncs must be locked up and the
folding must be carefully done, II the dresses are 10
he kent looking we'll Trays have to be Iipd III anu
out of trunks and this in Itself no light WORK. fer
hans from half 10 threequarters OF an hour aior inc
curtain has fallen the Is ready to go 10 her
hotel and seek her bed probably none too well ared
phed fPllg which
small hotels are misnamed bedrooms" In great
number OF such hotels II is impossible to md room
which has stove or fireplace, and even such htuhH
exists tits not every actress who can ioru " pay
so cents night extra for fire. stars ana some esu
ing people can of do but tho average actress
getting $40 week, a fair salary nowadays o~nLo'
afford the luxury. Be she as economical as She cam
hsr sYDenses will run to about 80 a week. Inc
season is usually little moro than eight months ana
she must save enough to live on during four months Oh
summer Her dresses at the beginning OF caoh season
vnI cost from one To three hundred dollaS, and she
frequently has some relative tc whose support she COLI
The actress was left going to bed sIpperisss OF
course for In these small towns no one Is ever SUP
tortunate Il She can go TO bed as often night jump
% Be made These S1sS San nd s.psndns
SO for berth In when sne NAY tr ISE op
leave a. In the morning f eSsans sT great at
eIDepso and much loss OF sleep. Even u t hisao
q inmnsn are escaped, trains have Oileh 10 DC ta
hefore the sun has risen or winter mornings, anu I
S IN tiIi there Is only Just time TO rush 10 the theatre
\ nder these circumstances wretohed meals are hur
sdv eaten in railroad restaurants. at an eIOrbtant
charge Of seventy ave cens: In tho hotels ThSrS
0r5ssslonak can stay at 81 so day-the most that
peone on moderate salaries can pay-the 1000 Is lsusi
this is led during the extremes OF winter part OF
which may be passed in the South and part IN
w. The eTfreme West II Is less cause Tor Wonder uds
actors should be Ill than that any should Keep thoir
health -. A.. .o,d,nons are far less OK
.I 80 hut even in these the unhealthy afeshng'
rooms the poor food and accomm0dauons OF SeGUnI
aoH Stages do not mako the actors career an e@"io