The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-05

engineer must Oe at MS s"lpcuooaIu before
the house opens and remain there until
the audience has gone home. The actors
and actresses must be in their rooms dressed
and ready to go on before the curtain rises.
They are summoned with an electrical call
bell by the promptcr. When their scene is
over OF when the curtain falls upon an act
they return to their rooms until again sum
moped. Upon this basis IL Is easily seel
that there can be no crowdlng at the side
entrances and none of the conversation and
foollng which was once so common among
PLAYERS and stage hands. So far has this
tendency gone that many managers have
eujoined the handing of baskets of flowers
and other floral tributes over the footlights
to the stage and compel the giyers to send
them around to the stage door for delivery
The result of THE discipline Is not only
the better acting and setting of plays, but
also a considerable saving in time and
trouble. The between-acts are shorter, the
movement of the drama is quicker and
brisker and the probability OF accident or
mistake greatly lessened. Taken altogether
the profession prefers this order of things
to that which formerly obtained, when
players and stage hands chatfed one another,
swapped stories and did just what they
pleased while the play was going on few
feet away. On one occasion, not so many
years ago, when some lurid melodrama
hind the scenes twn actors were boxing,
two actresses dancing jigs and half dozen
telling jokes over huge pail OF beer for
which they had sent out. Such scenes are
an impossibilitp to-day.
There are many, nevertheless who re-
sent all innovation and regard every novelty
as sign Of deterioration. Sometimes they
are not very far from right. At one time
William Davidge, the great comedian, was
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visit an editor for the purpose Of obtaining
satisfaction. He ran off the stage and
made a quick change" by covering his
nose and chin with make believe blood,
blackening one eye, substituting for his
handsome coat one of shreds, and convert
ing his necktie and collar into hard knot.
When he returned in a moment and sor-
rowfully informed the audience that he
had seen the editor, it brought down the
house. On the occasion in question, he
came to me when he came back from be-
fore the curtain, to which he had been
twice called, and said slowly, This is what
modern society calls high art. Damn
modern society!"
Despite the decipline of the present day
there are still left some pleasant social
phases. Nearly all of our great stars are
very sociable and nightly use tueir dress
lng-roomS as parlors for intimate friends.
Such brilliant players as Frank Mayo,
Maurice Barrymgre and Steele Mackaye
drew men of the same stamp around them.
1t Is no surprising thing therefore to find
| III their dresslng-rooms the leading wits,
| poets, playwright5 and players of the land
and to hear conversations which, however,
| interrupted by the continuous disappear
ances, are always a treat to the lovers of
| intellectually. Women as a rule care lit
| tie or nothing for such pleasures and
instead of entetalning outsiders pass their
| leasure moments knitting, crocheting, EN-
broldering, sewing, reading or talking with
| the fellow members of their cpn pany.
OF the treatment of actors by one an
| other but little is to be said. A company
is very much like family, so necessarily
| intimate are the relations of its members.
| Sqnabbles and petty quarrels happen at
| Tunes IN the dramatic as we'll as in all other
| fields, but in the long run, with the excep-
tion of the star, good feeling aud even
| good fellowship prevail With the star
| things are different. His success depends
| considerably upon the efforts of hrs sup
| port end their living depends for the time
| being upon him altoge, her. A great part
| OF his conversation with his company con
sists in Advertising, reprovipg, suggesting
| rehearsing, scoldlng and warning them as
to their work. Some stars, the late Edwin
Forest TO, example, are very severe upon
beginners and careless or stupid players.
Mayo and Barrymore are strict but very
kindly. Both have been known to give
hours of valuable time in teaching poor
| actors and actaeSses of inexperience or lin
tied ability.
There is one feature af life behind the
| scenes that is unknown to the general pub
lie and that is its benevolent side. At
every performance some unfortunate
Ihespian comes in by the stage door to
borrow from some friend III the company.
Or it may be some professional raising a
fund for the benefit of the sick or injured
fellow player Who ever it may be seldom
goes away empty handed. 1t IS no uncom-
mon thing to have five such visitonts at a
single performance. This charitableness of
the profession is constantly abused. Men
and women who are too lazy or disapated
to work or too proud to appearin roles they
think beneath them keep themselves in
comfort by borrowing or begging from
Industrious and thriftful friends, SO great
has this evil been at times that it led to the
formation and remarkable growth of the
Actors Fund. Since this notable instItu-
tion became power the appeals for charity
have greatly fallen off and now come
almost altogether from the indolent and
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