The herald., 1893-11-27
How a Supply Was Found
Right in Los Angeles.
Cleopatra's Manager Selecting q
Portion Of Her Retinue.
A Sight That Caused Good Church
Gosrs TO Wonder-Plenty OF Stage
Struck People HereAbouts.
The Scenes.


patra at the Los Angeles theater caused
crowd OF aspirants for dramatic
honors to gather around the stage en-
trance OF the theater as early as 10
o'clock yesterday morning.
Eleven O'Clock wRs the time stated in
the advertisement, but the embryo
Egyptian peasants, lictors and soldiery
had evidently realized that it would bs
case OF first come first served, and
they began to gather early, until at IL
O'Clock there were nearly 200 OF them
blocking the sidewalk.
The good people on their way to
church stared at the crowd and passed
on; policeman caught glimpse OF
the blockaded pavement from the other
end of the street, and, finding he would
run no risk by doing 30, hurried up to
ascertain the cause; an inebriated gen.
tlemsn, with the outward semblance OF
one who had passed the night in
troubled places, reeled up to a by
whisper:
"Whash marrer ?"
Don't know" replied the interro-
gated one, and the anxious inquirer after
surveying him disgustedly, turned to
the policeman and repeated his question.
"Whash marrer 2"
"Oh," answered the bluecoat, "they
want some actors to help 'em out on this
ERE Cleopatry business"
The whiskey laden citizen thought
for few minutes, and remarked;
"Cleopatry-mush ehee bout thish,
make myshelf usheiul," and as by this
time the waiting throng had already
begun to file down the narrow staircase
into the depths under the stage, he
stumbled down in their wake.
Down stairs the women werr. waiting
for Stage Manager Rankin's critical eye
to pass judgment upon them.
Some of them were old hands and had
in turn been comic opera fairies, chorus
singers, anything. These nodded ia
miiarly to the stage hands and made
themselves at home. A few others who
we're not 90 experienced stood in q cor
Drr by Themselves and giggled convul-
eively and nervousiy.
Then Stage Manager Rankin, who had
been investigating the lighting appa-
ratus of the theatre, appeared on the
ecene.
Turn those men into another room,"
he shouted" until l talk to the girls"
and, pushing his way through the
crowd OF interrogating ''supes" he made
his way to the dimly lit property room
where Cleopatra's handmaidens awaited
his coming.
The gigeling and whispering soon
ceased at the announcement that they
would all be expected to hide their
facial charms beneath mask of burnt
cork. The old hands took it philosoph-
-
One, though, q pretty little hair
dresser, whose face is we'll known ON
Spring street, objected strongly:
81 thought ! was going to wear tights,
and"-she murmured. $50 you will, 30
you will, but you'll have to black your
face too, or we don't want you," she was
told.
The mitigating effects OF the tights
was at once apparent, and the dissenter
objected no more.
"Well, don't mind the black N.Y.
sell" remarked another, sit always was
becoming to me-"
What shall we do with our hair ?'
queried a blonde female, whose tresses
owed something to art.
"Change it-no, don't mean that.
Well give you piece OF black net to
put over it, it won't show from the
'front.'" said resourceful Rankin.
"And our hands," objected another
damsel. "Shsll we have to black them,
too?"
Rankin comfortsd her with the assur-
ance that black gloves would be pro-
vided for them ell, and leaving them
made bis way to the waiting men, who
were blockading every corner OF the dim
hallway.
They we're not by any means an un.
employed appearing crowd; on the con-
trary, their clothes we're good, and their
boots shined. and apparently they re-
garded the affair as means OF recrea-
tion, rather than OF making needed
raise.
"Come out here into the light where
can see what you look like" COM
manded Rankin; and they came.a The
rush was like that of 200 men in danger
OF their lives, and it WAS only after the
vigorous use Of strong language that
order was obtained.
The work Of selection was just begun
when up stumbled the whisky-laden
wanderer:
He gazed inquiringly at the assembled
throng and thickly inquired, "Whash
marrer?''
Somebody fell heavily upon him, and
Rankin, running an experienced eye
over tbs men before him, called out to
his assistant:
Gimme two lictors; come here, you
two fellows; no, not you, you two tall
boys" The two tall boys elbowed their
way through and took their places on
the other side of the bunch light, the
sole illumination OF the scene.
The next call was for eight peasants.
There was no stipulation about size this
time. Just plain, ordinary, everyday
peasants were needed, and they were
soon forthcoming.
"Six Roman soldiers" called out
Rankin. II want 'em tall"
There was some more sizing up, and
tall men began to be scarce, but they
were found, and the 36 feet of Roman
soldiers joined the peasants.
AT this point there was elight hitch,
caused by the violent ejectment of the
"vhaah marrer' interlocutor, but
silence was regained and two colored
men were called for.
The colored gentlemen, however
were not forthcoming, and Stage Manager
Rankin told of two OF the crowd Tor
bnrnt cork. Look better than the real
thing from the front, you know" he in
formed the reporter.
Then clean -shaven man was wanted
for magistrate. After q short search
he was found in the porBon Of n tall