The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-13
Anaconda Ne0s.

Nothing is farther from the truth. In
the first place the manager of a re-
spectacle organization will not allow It..
He knows better than any one else just
how much Ii affects the standing of
the troupe.
The women of the company usually
sit by themselves, while the men go up
to the smoker. Even If they do have a
tendency towards flirting they usually
suppress 1T when with the rest of the
company. for not only does the man
ager strongly object, but 1t gives the
rest of the women in the company a
chance to get back at them in their
everyday quarrels. j am talking now
of the average company; of course.
with bum" burlesque show 1t is all
different
One of the most noticeable habits of
the profession" when they are on the
road Is the way they seat themselves
in train. The leaders invariably sit
by themselves, and the rest of the COM
pany follows suit, each according to
their own view of their position. And
never, except on rare occasions do
they address a word to the members
of the company whom they consider
lower in rank. 1t is very easy for
train boy to get into conversation with
a member of trouup The train boy
that surely there is no harm in talking
to him. And judging by the stories 1
have had told me, there are more stars
on the stage than the theatergoing
public has and idea of.
Oh, what a difference between a COM
pany going out and when you see
them them struggling back in twos
and threes minus their baggage. On
the way out each one Is Dragging
about the companies they have been
with. This one was not up to the
standard, but the manager being a
personal friend of his or hers they de-
cided to help him out" On the way
back note the difference. II they talk
at all, Ii is rather low, and they wonder
If there is any chance yet for them this
season. But as a rule / rather think
they wait around until next season.
On the road they spend a great deal
of their time in sleeping, and 1t is
amazing the way an old hand at one
night stands can curl himself up in a
seat. One often hears people who know
nothing at all of theatrical life say II
is one of the easiest professions there
is. Perhaps 1t is in the large cities, but
there is a wonderful difference in a
company starting out and a company
returning from six or eight weeks of
one-night stands. That tired look they
come back with is not there when they
start out
But what surprises one most is the
jealousy existing among the various
members of a company. Though If one
considers moment II Is not surprising
after all. Each is so assured of their
own ability and their own superiority
over the rest that there is bound to be
a clash. The jealousy is more notice.
able among the women, though the
men have ii to a lesser extent To H.
lustrate there are a couple of high
kickers doing a sister act in a we'll
known pantomime. and though they
work together they seldom or never
speak off the stage. / know this to be
a fact, as / have had them on my run
several times this season.
The men are the most inveterate
poker players 1 have ever SEEN But
though poker is their chief amusement
you seldom see them playing during
the middle of the week, as they start
playing as soon as they are paid and
usually lose all they care to lose by
Monday morning. They are nearly al
ways cheerful, their bump of self-es-
teen carrying them through trials that
would diShearten an ordinary mortal