Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-21

FIVE weeks and was running up Doaro oliI
and never missing meal. The season was
a bad one to get anything to do, but l I'M
ally went on at Niblo's in the pantomlme,
'Babes in the Wood. : It was but SlZ
week, but that was good deal better tnan
nothing, so took it. That pantomlme was
absolutely dreadful to me. There were $50
people, and those English and italian ballet
girls are coarse and vulgar-like SO many
wild animals.
The Downs of Stage Life.
"We had five changes of tights. Those
tights were pink silk, and tell you wore
them with an overwhelming sense OF
womanly degradation. They were quite a
different thing from the wooden opera artl-
cles, and came out in them with feeling
of shame shall never forget. I was per-
fectly Mortified at first, and really never got
over the matter. That ballet was worse
than the tights. Bad language and swearing
among them was common and their manners
were-well, they didn't have any manners
"You know we had strike among these
girls at the final breaking up of the play. 1t
was awful! Those English girls led
the break and things were red-hot. Two
weeks salary was unpaid when the storm
broke. The girls swore they wouldn't go on
unless the ghost walked; and they. wouldn't
leave the stage either. They formed
genuine mob, and bad language in Italian,
French, German and Spanish mingled with
the worst language of the London boards.
Policemen were called in and went among
the girls to prevent an actual outbreak Of
violence. In the meantime the time for the
curtain to rise had gone by and the audi
ence was stamping and pounding. They
didn't realize that there was
A Bigger Show Behind
than they ever saw. One of the funniest
parts of the scene was that many of the girls
were partly ready to 60 on if they were paid.
Others were in their street clothes. Most
of the girls were so excited that they didn't
know whether they were dressed or not
and didn't care. Finally the old janitor,
Flanagan, who has been there 30 years and
and told us we would be paid by him out Of
bis own pocket if we would 60 on. So the
girls hustled into their tights, the belated
curtain went up and the play proceeded.
About midnight we found that Flanagan
meant to pay for that performance only, and
while the girls were crying about that, the
old man went off and got drunk and we
never got cent? Yes, it's funny now, but
it wasn't very funny at the time.
'T was now out of an engagement tor the
second time In my first season. If / went
on breaking plays like this I'd have to call
it bad start. I went back to my kind
hearted and sympathetic lsndlady wonder
ing what would happen next had just
saved enough out of my $12 week at
Niblo's to square up my account. l now
began to run up a fresh bill. If it hadn't
been for that dear woman and kind friends
in her house should have lost heart. They
were very good to me and cheered me up
when felt low-spirited.
Wouldn't Ask for Money.
IT have never taken cent from my mother
since started out. I know that if wrote
her she'd send me railroad ticket and tell
me to come home. So took up my study
again and waited. In about four weeks I
secured a minor position as extra at the
Broadway, in the Booth Barrett engage
ment From wearing flesh tights in pan
tomime I was wearing court trains, or act
ing as a mob in the legitimate. The pay
was but Sc week, but it was worth the
difference to see Booth act nightly.
"I was crazy about Booth. I stood in the
wings until I was fairly ready to drop. He
was grand. I had seen something Of 'ex-
tras' and heard more, and had made up my
mind that they were hard lot. But
changed my opinion at the Broadway, for
those were some of the incest people ever
met. Our dressing room was elegant.
While at the Broadway was engaged in
rehearsing in J. M. Hills "Ship Alloy, I"
and signed contract for the summer sea-
son. The salaries were but S15 for us, but
the management repeatedly reminded US
that 1t was an all-summer job, and we
were contented. This would carry me over
the season.
Tho Third in the First Season.
"You know how the contract was carrie
out. We were told one Saturday nigh.
upon the fall Of the curtain at the close
the performance that the company would be
disbanded and that no more performances
would take place. In other words we were
thrown out without any notice whatever.
And here was the third disaster before my
first year was three-fourths gone. What do
you think of that for luck? So again I
went back to my friend-better and stronger
and dearer to me as time rolls on-my land
lady; and there am again running up a
bill and sparring for an opening wherewith
to settle the score.
discouraged? Not 9 bit. 1t is no
worse for me than other girls. But it can't
continue that way. 1t can't rain all the
time The sun will come out and the
flowers will bloom for me, as well as for
others. This is necessary discipline. See
what I have learned in this time! I've
sung in the operatic chorus, carried banners
in the pantomime, worn the court trains in
the Shakespearean drama, drilled and
marched in the Ship Ahoy'-a pretty wide
range for a short season.
Drilling Is an Ordeal.
'That drilling is terrible. 1t is the hard
est work ever did and requires more ex-
acting rehearsals. I suppose it will not
hurt me, but I'll never 60 through it again.
Another thing, I have learned good deal
about stage business, not to mention people.
"There was lady in our last piece who
was in the chorus for that sole purpose.
She is splendid singer in concert and has
sung before the crowned heads, but she was
hidden away in the background by reason
of favoritism and not allowed a show. This
mere matter of favoritism is another inter-
esting lesson. You would think for the
sake of the success of piece and the swell
ing of the receipts consequent thereon the
manager would so dispose his company as
to get the best results out of it. No, he
don't do it, 1t is largely a question of
favor based on other considerations.
CHARLES THEODORE MUKRAI.