Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22
ACTORS OF THE PAST.
Looking Backward Into the Times Of
the Stock Companies.
OLIVER DOUD BYRON'S AMBITION.
Friendly Interest of OId-Time Audiences in
the TheSpians.
INTERVIEWING BEHIND THE SCENES
WRITTEN FOR THE DrsrArcH.l

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.l
There is no doubt that the Chicago Audi
torium is very grand affair. The Presi-
dent of the United States went all the way
from Washington to help dedicate it the
other day; and AdeIina Patti made special
journey that she might surprise its unac-
customed walls with the wonders of her
melody.
1t was expected that these two celebrities
would receive at least as much pleasure as
they gave, and that the august occasion
would yield joy in proportion to the dollars
expended. But the President suffered in
mind and body from the crowds that jostled
him; and the song queen, it is to be feared,
suffered in temper from the unpleasant
things some of the critics said.
So neither of them-and not one among
the thousands who hailed them-had so
much enjoyment as some of us have known
on many ana many night in the dead
head corners" of the various Pittsburg
theaters.
Even when we sat sedately in the reserved
seats Of those same theaters, 1 imagine we
had better time than the people in the
great new Auditorium; but when we stood at
ease in fraternsl groups, leaning comfort
ably against the side walls just where the
best view Of stage and audience was to be
had, there can be no doubt at all about the
superiority of the earlier experienced
There was a cozy sense of sociable comfort
about that sort of thing, and at the same
# v...1s -
ence, which nothing but itself can parallel.
Always there would be two or three SYM
pathetic souls standing together there,
and generally half a dozen; and not
many words were needed among them. A
look, q shrug, q punch in the ribs, half
exclamation Of delight or disgust, was quite
sufficient to express in full the opinion of
the play or the player. And the dull or un-
satisfactory parts Of the performance could
always be evaded; for there were other thea
ters. and generally the members of that
group made the rounds of all of them before
the green curtain was rung down.
BEFORE THE OLD STOCK DIED.
In those days each theater was a theater
and not dramatic hotel. The travelling
combination had not yet effected corner in
the amusement market, and the stock COM
pany still fourished, unquestioned and un-
assaIled. "Stars" went ION the road =" but
the actors and actresses to support them they
found resident st all the places where
they might stop. A theater without
stock company, more or less good,
was unknown; and if any expected star
suddenly became a meteor and shot out of
sight instead of beaming behind the foot
lights, there was still no need to close the
theater doors for that week. The stock COM
pany-always in study-could meet the
emergency with some kind of performance
And in some cases they were able to make
people cease altogether to regret the absence
of the star.
Indeed, sometimes the opening week of
the season was kept open for the stock CON-
pany, and the members thereof made &C.
quaintance with the public through series
of standard plays-tragelies, comedies,
farces and melodramas. 1t was hard work
for the members of the company sometimes
for the members of the audience, alsoD, but
it was a very effective introduction, and by
the time the season was regularly opened the
public pretty well knew the strong points
and the weak points of those who
were to minister to its entertain
ment during the winter. Still, the
theatrical public of Pittsburg was
a generous one, and did not formulate a
hard-and-tast judgment at the first. An
actor or an actress might do very bad work
to begin with, and yet become favorite
later by earnest efforts to do better No such
effort went unrecognized.
Whatever is, is right, suppose, in the
world Of amusements, at any rate. If it
were not right, the amusement public would
not tolerate it. The present system, per-
haps, insures a smoother and more evenly
performance, but it renders i'm
possible that intimate personal relation be-
tween actor and auditor which the old sys-
tenn insured. The stock company was a
part of the community; now every player is |
an alien. There is no acquaintanceship, no
personal feeling whatever.
With what freshness of interest we used |
to gather 1T the theaters on the opening |
night of the season! The changes and i'm |
made in the house had all been |
duly described in the papers beforehand. |
and people had much the same feeling Of
pleased or critical proprietorship as in going
for the first time into their own newly deco
rated parlors. Perhaps Arthur Palmer. or
the scenic artist was, had painted
l new drop curtain during the summer, and
f so it-as we'll as the more elaborate pieces
,f new scenery-was very sure to call forth
j round of applause.
The names of the company had also been
published by the reporters, and almost
Ilways the list included some OF the old
avorites. How pleasant it was to greet
hese as they came on the stageI and how
pleasant it was for them to hear the hearty
pplause which welcomed theml Some
lines, in the case of pleasantly remem-
'ered leading lady or soubrette, flowers we're
iven, much applause emphasizing the
retty token OF renewed friendship. The |
rst night was a sort of social observance.
nd was very good in its way. 1t is obsolete
d the old sense.
BEHIND THE SCENES.
There are very many people who still re-
lember the old Plttsburg Theater-the Old
)rury, as some were fond of calling it; but
q the other hand there are very many who
ave no recollection of it at all, and so
luch the worse for theml There the pit was
he pit and not the parquet. The gods
It down there in front Of the stage. and fed
a such ambrosia as may be crunched out of
eanut shells. The aristocratic seats were
q higher level. William Henderson was
lie manager, and there was good-humored
addition that 'The Octoroon" and 1.-THE !
ca OF Ice" had been the only pieces pre-
,nted on that stage all through the war.
However that may be, the old theater
new some grand acting before the war, and
ter it as we'll. Two Pittsburg fayorites =
ere leading man and leading lady here in =
y earlyrecollections of the place-William
cake and Miss ANNE Waite. They were =
Ood artists both, and each could do better = =
ork than some of the stars who are on the
ad-and who don't have to count the ties
the road, eitherl
In some exigency, do not recall what,
ere was q temporary change in the man.