The San Francisco call., 1896-11-08
BEHIND The SCENES IN SAN FRANCISCO THEHTERS

Well, Jack, Frances and I had our
hearts desire last night. We were behind
the scenes-really talked with the actors
aad saw them making whiskers and put
ting on grease paint. 1t was heaps of
fun.
Oh, whewl wish your cigar was more
expensive.
Why, Jack, don't you know, actors
. are ever SO much like everyday people ?
What did l expect? L don't know. /
guess some thing different But to begin.
We went first to see Mr.. Friedlander and
told him we wished 20 inspect the dress
1ng-rooms OF his theater.
why, with pleasure" he said. land
you'll find none better in the land"
BY the way, he's tickIed to death that
Mckinley's elected. Now, don't frown.
YOU'D better take off that white necktie-
'here's yellow one. Then Mr.. Fried
lander whistled through tube and told
Tom, the stage doorkeeper, to admit and
show us everything
We went round and Tom ushered us in
OF course, Frances had to trip on the
stairway and then giggle. 1 told her 10
stop, as giggling wasn't becoming to i1.-
spectors. Well, we went through a sort of
baggage depository directly to the sacred
precincts of the actors. The members of
the "Tennessee's Pardner" company are
like happy family, but most of them
were on the stage, and so we had an ex-
celleht view of the rooms-eight large
ones, warmly carpeted, shelves, cup
boards, running water, electric lights. and
so forth But we were uxious to talk to
:. some one, so Frank Kelly (ne's the stage
manager of the company introduced US
10 Harry Mainhall. He hadn't fin
4 ished making up, but Frances asked
Hhim how he liked the apartments
provided for the players in the
Columbia Theater. His features immed
.atey lighted up with bright, satisfied
smile.
How do I like them? Why, i'm
'mensely! They are comfortable, well ven-
tilated and clean, and remind one of
neatly furnished fiat with all modern i'm
provements, the very latest improvement
being cleanliness. Just think, there is a
window in each room letting in Gods own
fresh air. What luxury that is when we
are used to being cooped up in rooms that
are foul from bad ventilation - amid
grewsome odors,' he continued, as he
deftly glued on his mustache. "We very
has the largest trunk has the most COM
modlous dressing-room; and then we have
TO view ourselves from tip to toe in a hand
mirror. -Four years ago 1 played in a
STOCK theater in the East for three months
where the flooring of my room was actu.
ally rotting. In consequence l contracted
malaria and have suffered from il ever
since. Man wants but little here below.
but insist on cleanliness. plenty of chic
Flqe OF lime, a nice Iooking-glass and.
above all, wholesome SMELL"
Just then the pleasant voices of the quar-
tet broke IN upon u.s. Mr. Mainhall heard
his cue, and with a pleased to- have-met-
you-Iadies bow he rushed away to make
his entrance on the stage, and our chat
was concluded. However, Mr.. Kelly es.
corted US to the exit-he''s so gentlemanly,
you know-and volunteered his opinion
which, TO quote him, was: my experience
has been long and varied, and l consider
the Columbia Theater dressing rooms gems
OF comfort and the best IN America out
side the Avon :. Theater in Pittsburg-
Jack, you're not falling asleep, are you 2"
Our next destination was the Alcazar.
We had to go way underground to see Miss
Buckley, Miss Lee, Mr.. Sullivan, Mr. Doane
and all. those folk. What gentle, lamb
like creature Miss Buckley is, and how
buobling over with merriment Amy Lee
seems; she reminds one of ginger ale when
the cork pops.
Although the quarters apportioned the