San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-29
STAGE

Employment.
From the New York Star.
Exactly like most of the other old
customs of New York, the long-es.
tablished system of employing super.
numeraries in stage productions in
this city is fast passing away
in fact, it may already be
written down as q memory of the
past. The occupation of the "super
captain" is gone. Perhaps the old
est captain" in this country today is
| William Lavelle. He is to be met
frequently on the street-a tall man,
s feet 8 inches. slenderly built, with
smooth shaver face and long hair,
worn after the style of the old-time
actor, swarthy complexion and high
cheek bones that give him the 10
pearance of an Indian. Lavelle has
"~captained" the "supers" for nearly
every star who has trodden the boards
since 1865. But his turn has come to
fold his arms in idleness, and he has
little else to do besides wandering
listlessly about like an Othello with
out Nh occupation.
The first time that I met Lavelle-
and 1 introduce this incident merely
to illustrate one of the plumbers of the
old supper" system and the advan-
tage Of the new-was in Chicago,
when he had charge of the ''supers"
at McVicker's Theater, just after
Lawrence Barrett's day there. A
stock company held the boards at the
time referred to, It's members includ-
ing Laura Don, Harry Lee, George
Learock, Leslie Gosslin and many
more, whose names have passed in
and out through memory's gallery. In
addition to my journalistic duties, I
was seized with a burning ambi-
ton for histrionic honors (long
since quenched, by the tide of
rugged experience) !; and to fetch my
alleged dramatic abilities to the SER
vice, 1 begged Lavelle to take me
on' as of the "supers." The
play was entitled The Jewess. One
scene was set with a huge caldron
over q fire in the center of the stage,
and supposed to contain boiling water
or oil for some one or other of the
MikadO-like fortunes. 1t was the
duty of the "supers" at a certain CIV
en- cue, to seize the Jewess and at
tempt to throw her into the caldron,
from which serious complication she
was of course rescued by suddenly
appearing: friends. Well, we seized
the Jewess. Then we lifted her
up. Upon my hand she sup
ported one dainty foot. We
had raised her to the edge of the
kettle, the mob meanwhile shouting,
"Throw her I'M" and other Christian
like commands. The rescuing mob
stood in the wings, ready to rush on.
They're coming to her rescue!
Plunge her in" cried our leader. And
as he looked straight at me I obeyed.
1t took but a slight lift upon the
dainty foot that 1 held, and into the
caldron went the Jewess. Of course
there was a curtain, and Stage Mana
ger Sharp came very neal being che
death of me.
But under the old system plumbers,
even more serious than this, were
continually happening. That was
because the "supers' were
not to be depended upon. The
manager, company and audience were
at the complete mercy of the ''extras"
in every act and scene. 1t Is so in the
provincial towns today-notoriously
the case in PIttsburg, Philadelphia
and Boston. A stage manager Of a
combination never knows whether
his sur ers" are to remain loyal. The
captain" may assure him that he is
safe, but at the very opening Of a
scene the "supers" may take it into
their heads to strike, and refuse to
Ego on" until their wages have been
doubled.
By the new system, which has done
away with the old in New York, all
concerned in a performance are
placed at ease, inasmuch as manager
and audience are no longer upon the
grindstone of the "supers" caprices.
The extras are now placed upon a
plane of regular employees, under a
'star" dramatic agency, as the con-
trolling spirits style their enterprise,
and the "super" having signed a
contract to perform certain duties,
feels himself more or less under a
bond of conscience to faithfully carry
out his part of the agreement. 1t is
also intended to extend the system to
Boston and Philadelphia. Thus an
agent in advance of q company has
but to give his order to
the agency, and the extras
will be found awaiting the company
upon its arrival. Besides, the entire
number who attend the first rehear.
sal can usually be depended upon tt
remain during the run of the piece
By the old system a "super" went
on N night ito see the show" Thu
next performance he failed to appear
and his place had to be filed by {
green hand. This new man had nevel