Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-07-09
AN ACTORS MATINEE.
GENERALLY THE SPECTATORS TEAR
THEIR HOST TO PIECES.

Actors Ar. the Har,hest Sort ef Critic. Of
Member, Of Their own Profession-rhe
Have Besns asd Those who VIII lie
Smile At the Efforts Of the star.
The soubrct,o came clinging to the
arm Of the villain. She was glorious in
yellow silk waist and he was glorious
In high hat and patent leather shoca
Thus armed they felt quite sure Of con.
quering the world, which means thu
they expected 10 "star" together some
day.
Nine out Of ten persons In every audi
ence which consists entirely Of playors
have like expectations, aud right here
lies the structural weakness Of the act
ors matinee Your future star begins
oriticising tho performance ~ soon "a
tho curtain is lifted FOR tho first act. In
every movement Of the star, In cvory
word spoken by tho star, ho sees how
much better he could have done the
part IL he had had the chance. As Sc
not half satisfying to have half u tn
hOufc whispering when ono Is Ia thu
midst Of his Hottest flight in the third
act tho stars first actors matinee Dc
usually his last
"Thcrc arc thrCo reasons for giving
professional matinee, ~ Hidnn old man
agcr. "First, for the self qualification
" tho actor who wants his colleague
20 know what tine work he is doing
second. ont of courtery 90 the profession,
and third, ~ got little advertising.
Tho second Is the mot common. The
manager Of every production which M.
IA long run gets many requests from nc'.
ors who say they want vory much 10 see
It. but can't, because they're engaged
"1ho first thing amaniger docs when
he determines upon q professional matt.
nee Is 90 nsk the different mnnnrers ~
attractions playing in town how many
seats they cal use. Usually every per
sou In every company wants two or
three seats. Thor extra seats arc gonor.
ally occupied by some stanch admiror
Of theirs who will believe that every
criticism they utter upon tho perform.
anco Is true. This person tx called tho
sympathetic car.
"1ickct sellers complain about I'm.
icly people, who always insist upon
such and such a scat But an.act0r,
when tho seutr ARE given 10 him, will
come aud raise u terrible hullahnloo un.
less they arc In q certain. exact spot in
tho house. I've oven known "a manager
20 sond back n dozen seats because no
couldn't get them Nix instead ~ twelve
rows back. There's line Of would bo
nctors waiting outside your door all day
long, who want anywhere from one to
twenty seats apiece, and you don't get
n moments peace until tho thing over
You don't got much peace oven thon
After all Of thor trouble 10 get seats
10 please them, many VI tho actors who
have engaged seats do not come. II
they AFRO merely enemies Of the actor
who gives the matinee they present tho
tickets tn u boarding house keeper; u
they hold an actual 1udFo, they give
them 10 boOtblnck. Consequently the
well dressed leading man doesn't always
hnd the persons ~ his elbows exactly
the sort Of company he would choose
Tho most important figure Ut the pro.
fcssioual matinee Is by all odds the mid.
die aged lady who Is relative Of u
soubrotto. The moru distant tho relation
tho more important sho H. II sho is an
eighth cousin she expects the great doors
20 swing open when sho Is within u
block Of the thentcr. aud eight ushors
come out to meet her She * fat aud
comfortable looking, and she always
has u temper
The old time actor, who has barn
stormed IL IN tho legitimate a. long ms
he could comes 20 zee how low tho
stage has fullCu. Maybe one OF these fat
and comfortable boarding house keepers
Is his sympathetic car, Hotels her that
things wcro lar different when ho mud
Booth wcro starring II; these young
actors don't know much, aud the stage
has gone TO tho bowwowS
Between the acts the corridors swarm.
Acquaintance meet, mud then they DO.
gin 10 talk In this why;
How did Il happen"
Don't ask me, dear boy. Dullhcad
luckl"
And, do you know, he really thinks
ho can act
Eyes l supposo that hc thought he
was going TO aStonish the natives Gadl
Did you notice that ontrancog'
Horrible. Conception is all wrong.
Now. II -
"And II r.
But they break right thorc-cach hc.
Ing immediately convinced that tho
Other does not know anything about IT,
But there are exceptions They arc
usually tho most prominent acton.
Sometimes tho hand Of tho star Is
Rraspod warmly between tho acts, and
he feels the thrill OF triumph with the
words ITS immense, old man. You
are revelation A"
The reporter had on bis riahtside The