Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29
ACTOR AND MANAGER.
How Both Are Sweltsring With Heat
and Anxiety in New York.
GRAND RUSH OF THE SOUBRETTES
The Field Occupied by the Dramatic Agency
and Its Usefulness.
POPULAR LADIES NOW ON THE STAGE


try, few, perhaps. give thought to the
labor involved in the formation of theat
rical company necessary to the production
OF the entertainment. Those that do prob
ably know nothing about it. I thought o.
this the other day while sitting in the Office
of a well-known theatrical manager, Mr.
Thomas H. Davis, who is also Secretary Of
the Dramatic Managers Association. This
is the season of the year when managers oi
| the various combinations which are 10 &c
upon the road next season are making NJ
their list Of performers and arranging date:
] for the production of their plays. At this
season the office of New York manager il
a very busy place.
AS old theater-goer as I am myself,
confess that I had very little idea of the
routine necessary to bring the actor and the
manager together. Nearly all of the plays
that are produced under the combination
| system are cast here in New York. For this
reason the metropolis is the Mecca for actors
and actresses of all grades and specialties.
A large number Of these people swarm about
the managerial offices and press their own
claims with energy and ability.
THE LADIES AREN'T BACKWARD.
On the particular occasion OF which I
speak, half dozen women called within
half an hour, and taking the manager aside
briefly filled him up, so to speak, with their
individual merits and professional charms.
Modpsty is lost on manager, and very little
modesty will be observed among these ap-
plicants stating their own cases.
'It is very difficult and trying matter" 4"
said the manager, ito find a woman who
he If fho
soubrette. I am going to try an experiment
this season with Iour soubrette parts in a
single piece. and I hope to encourage such
rivalry between them as to draw out their
best qualities. You know these people are
very jealous of each other, as a general
thing"
"Please tell me something about son.
brettes. What are the requirements and
what makes them SO dificultto obtain?
''This is the age of the soubrette," said
the manager. 1.-The farce comedy which is
just now the rage brings that class into
prominence never before known. The
soubrette and the low comedian are the two
real leading features of the American stage
to-day in points ofnumbers and Importance.
Promenading up and down Broadway
every afternoon are several hundred women
of various ages and more or less loudly
dressed, who call themselves soubrettes.
They have played small soubrette some
where at some time, and from that time on
besiege the managers for an engagement.
A good many of these don't want an en-
gagement, as they live by their wits.
VERY DIFFERENT FROM OLD TIMES.
"The soubrette part is very attractive
one and requires peculiar talents wholly
dissimilar to the demands of the stage of 20
years ago. 1t was then the women who
could take emotional roles. society charac-
tiers, leading business, Juvenile parts, and so
on. The present demand is for q woman
anywhere between the age of 18 and 25, who
is bright, petite, vivacious and sprightly of
manner and who can sing and dance, as
well as cleverly act. Personal attractive
ness goes great ways with the soubreute,
and if she be beauty and young and have
the above requirements she can make all the
way from $50 to $3.50 a week. Beauty is
not necessary, however, and is, in fact, rare
among good soubrettes, but she must have
personal attractiveness.
'Her early training is more than likely
to have been received in the variety thea
tiers. Most of the soubrettes OF any reputa.
tion to-day come from the variety and music
halls. They form the training school of the
soubrette."
"Who are, in your opinion, the leading
soubrettes of the American stage to.day?"
THE LEADING soUBRETrEs.
To mention them by name seems invidi-
GUS. Let me see; there is Katie Hart late
of Tony Pastors Variety Theater, now of
Natural Gas;' Della Fox, now playing at
the Broadway in Castles in the Air;' Kate
Davis, with Monroe and Rice; Lena Mer-
vile and Marion Elmore, both graduates Of
the London music halls. Lena Merville is
in the Sea King this week; Marion Elmore
has married and retired, you know. There
is Flora Moore, whom have just engaged
as soubrette with my new play, The
Hustlers,' who is pretty we'll known by
those who have seen The Bunch of Keys
and Mestayer's productions. She is also a
graduate of Tony PASTORS and the variety
theaters and is one of the most high-priced
soubrettes on the American stage. There are
Lillian and Daisy Ramsden, who came from
the music halls of London. Ollie Arshmere,
a California girl, and Carrie Tutien. Both
sing in comic opera now, but GO with farce
comedy the coming season. There are
Vivian, Emily and Veevie, sisters, who
formerly did sketches in the variety busi-
ness, but who also now go VI ith farce comedy.
The latter played in The Still Alarm last
season. There are the Irwin sisters and
Rosa France in THE City Directory The
latter appears In the Three Rose Buds and
dances the skirt dance. There are the
French sisters who are wives of Evans and
Hoey of 'Parlor Match notoriety. And
there is Alice Harrison, who has also been
with THE City Directory recently. Patrice,
who was with Roland Reed, Lost in New
York. etc.; Annie Lewis, with Later On
Patti Rosa, who is now starring, and Flora
Walsh, Hoyts wife, who goes next season
with "A TexaS Steer, are some others.
soUBRETTEs THE MANAGERS HUNT,
The popular and high-priced soubrettes
are generally modest In attire and equally |
so in language. You never hear one of |
them using variety slang. She is in such |
demand that she does not have to hunt the |
for the managers are hunting |
her. She is conscientious worker and |
hard student, and has no time to be loafng |
on Broadway, and that is the reason you |
never see her with the mob.
"The imported soubrette is not as good as |
her American sister. She has not the |
natural sprightliness and keen sense of |
humor that are a part of almost everv |
American girl. The character of humor |
which she brings from London would put |
the American audience to Sleep or drive it |
out of the house. The English soubrette, |
however, usually excels in dancing and |
singing. and the song and dance are a diff !,
cult combination. She has enjoyed better
schooling in the variety business than is |
usually the case with the American girl. |
Her methods require good deal of cor.
rection before she is fitted for our farce
comedy parts"
where 90 the dramatic agencies come
in?''
II II Arrr ~