Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21

'"rrV'h-oETTING UP AN OPERA EVERY WEEK
PURSUED BY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND SYM
hErRlcALs-How TO START IN THE BUSINESS.
NM UR life is not such fun as it's cracked
q s n up to be" said pretty chorus girl in a
Ssummer opera company to STAR re-
NJ porter the other day. People sup
pose that it's all play and no work, whereas the
fact IS that the reverse is rather the case. Take
specimen day as we find it, for instance. At
III clock III the morning we must be at the
theater for rehearsal, and from that time until
IL O'Clock we are hard at II practicing the fun
and pretty songs which are to amuse people
and make them laugh the following week.
! When noon time arrives we go to lunch,
but at pm. we must be back again at the
theater for another rehearsal, which lasts
until 4. Then we have few minutes
to ourselves before dinner. At
| 1880 promptly we must report at the theater
for the evening performance, and by the time
| we h ave finished that we are pretty well tired
out and glad to get to bed Even on Sundays
We have rehearsals, and, if you will consider
| the fact that we have each week to learn and
| make ready for presentation an entirely fresh
opera you will perceive that existence for US
! is decidedly laborious. OF course, it is much
worse in summer than i'll winter because dur
luS inc COlu season we play the same opera
for months together very likely, and there is
not much rehearslng to be done. With a
travelling company, however, the life is always
hard for the chorus girl"
DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHORUS GIRLS.
but surelya chorus girl has some nice
times"
During the winter season, yes but precious
few while on the road. There are two sorts of
chorus giris-those who are giddy and those
who are not. and there is no denying the fact
that the giddy ones have most of the fun
there is to be had in the profession. You
know very well yourself that the dudes and
men about town i'll the cities are very fond of
running after young women who sing in the
opera chorus. and a girl who Is not over
scrupulous can have all the treats and such
good times ~ she likes by simply accepting
lew OF the invitations which the chap
PIES are so anxious to bestow. But
1t is not to be supposed that the attentions of
men OF tina. sort are ever very honorable, and
the better sort among the chorus girls will not
accept them. The dudes are very apt to be an
noylng, but We get used to them. have been
given TO understand that to DO on firtatious
terms with a chorus girl is enough to render
any young gentleman an object or envy to his
friends. As rule, tue dudes are harmless and
do nothing worse than hang about the stage
door and try to obtain introductions to this or
that one of us: but the so-called meu-about-
town III a city. often persons of means, are a
class the worst and most unprincipled men
know Of. They are proud OF it, too
AT THE STAGE DOOR.
''Do the chappies try to pick up acquaintance
with You at the stage door,"
''Oh, yes. The most impudent of them have
way of speaking to each of the girls as she
comes out. If one of them responds by so
much as litter it is all the encouragement the
chapple needs. But usually Mr.. Dude finds
ont tln Of
usher or stage doorkeeper literally. Then he
sends her bouquet with a little note
expressing his desire to meet her, and very
likely inviting her to take supper with
HIM after the performance. If she replies
amiably, the 1edgling will delight in feeding
her with champagne and delicacies of the sea-
son, sending her costly presents and spending
his papas money on her i'll all sorts of ways
His chief reward for the expenditure will be
found in the eclat he gets from his advertised
intimacy with ii chorus girl. The management
of an opera company always discourages such
nlrtatlons as much as possible because they in
tertere with work. Not infrequently girl who
misses performance on such an account is
fined 80 or even more, besides losing the pay
for that performance. Perhaps you do not
lnow that every performance We miss through
| sickness is
DEDUCTED FOR FROM OUR SALARIES
'Supposing that in winter get SIS week,
am dccked about $3.50 it am unable to at
tend one evening matinee, no matter what
the cause may be. If, while on the road, the
company makes long jump from one city to
another so far away that performance has to
be skipped every member of the company
loses pay for that performance, with the ex-
work the hardest when travelling
is being done. Her duty is to attend
to the wardrobes of all the company see that
they are duly packed for journeys, make sure
that they are always ready and III place for use,
and SO on. Each principal in a company is
allowed hotel trunk and theater trunk-the
latter for the professional wardrobe; but the
men and women OF the chorus can have but
one box for all purposes. Each one must pack
his or her own box and the wardrobe lady packs
the boxes away i'll big trunks for transporta-
ton. All travelling expenses are paid by the
management, you know; but our board and
lodging We have to pay for ourselves"
SUPPLYING COSTUMES.
docs the management supply you with cos
tumes?"
''Yes; all but the feshings and black slip
pers usually. This company l am with now
has even those provided. but it is not usual
Fleshings Is simply the name used in the pro-
fession for pink tights. They cost, when made
OF silk, Sl5 pair; but they will last two sea-
SONS with careful use, or even more. One can
wear llse thread feshings at "a. so pair if
one wishes, but they are not pretty.
If it is necessary for the chorus
to appear in tights of any other
color than flesh tint the management always
supplies them. Under tights we must provide
ourselves with, OF course. Perhaps you are not
aware that a garment is always worn under
meath the heshlngs. Sometimes it is merely
stockings fastened on to trunks but usually
regular tights of Isle thread are employed
You see, if nothing of the sort was worn the
feshings would quickly become soiled by per-
spiration.
sYMMETRICALs AND WHEN THEY ARE USED.
IF girl has not shapeiy legs she may have
the under tights padded with lambs wool
woven into the fabric, to compensate for
any deficiency. The costumer measures her
for such 'symmetricals,' as they are called 1t
Is the costumer who makes all such things
tights and everything else that players
wear. Great establishments in New York are
entirely devoted to the manufacture of theatre
cal wardrobes. The girls who pad, how
ever, are exceptions; they will only do
1t because they believe that their figures
are defective, and, although there are plenty
OF women who consider themselves plain of
face, there are almost none who realize that
their figures are not good. Where padding is
done, 1t Is very apt to be the manager who in
sists upon it. No, don't mind appearing in
tights on the stage. The first time / ever did
so felt dreadfully ashamed, but habit soon
gets one used TO it. None of us like to wear
tights however, because they very in
furious, owing to the tightness with which they
have to be fastened at the waist"
STARTING IN THE BUSINESS.