The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-03
LOW SALARIES OF ACTORS.
Poor Pay and short Seasons tho Rule
Nowadays.


Five feet nine
"how much do you weigh!'
About l6O i think. W
Turn your profile.
moment oc silence followed, while a
young man, turning olear-cut, regular
profile to the view of his companion,
stared at "a frame Of theatrical photo
graphs on the wall OF managers oiiice.
stand up and let me look at you
The young fellow arose with some slight
embarrassment. His TWO years exper-
ience had not placed him In Just this
position many times before, SO he flusned
a little as he got up But he remembered
we'll enough what was just then necessary
TO throw back his shoulders and stand
as high as his straight, slender legs would
allow him.
You'll do" the manager said, with
some reservation in his tone, and you re
one of the cases In which the photograph
did not lie entirely. But If give you
part can you dress itY'
What Is the partY' the young man
asked, determined TO say he could dress
it whether able TO or not whether IL took
frock coat and dress suit or Roman
toga.
"Oh, it's a very pretty part, the man
ager said. Its tho leading one, and the
only costumes you need are two colonial
uniforms. one fatigue and the other full
dress. You ought To be able To do it for
$3.50. The parts that of young cap.
tain and it's very good one.
what are you PAYING" asked the
young man. with as much decision in his
mind If not in his tone as there had been
when he inquired about tho costumes he
would have To wear. lt was reputable
firm of managers and there was the pros
pcct of making contract Immediately
instead of passing through summer
OF uncertainty, with the possibility of
10, mall llah at bo N an
offer that was not so good 80 IL seemed
TO him that whatever the amount might
be ho would accept It.
"We are paying S35 for season of
thirty weeks, answered the manager.
You are certain of employment through
taticn'-here he smiled grimly-'and
you are not likely to lose your time in
working for us.
Thirty five seemed a small sum even to
that eager applicant and he was busy
with mental mathematics the moment he
heard the amount. For his young wife
and child it would take at the least SO n
week In New York, or wherever they de-
cided TO live permanently. lt was out OF
the question for them % travel. On the
road no could not live for less than Sl5 q
week. There was s. week to be paid
for costumes, to make up the cost of $3.50
for tho thirty weeks That left 50 a week
u
which he would be unemployed. 1t
seemed desperate enough outlook, but it
was sure. There were tho wife aud the
baby and there was living for them out
of that sum. Other offers might not
come. and they might be no better when
they did come. These reflections passed
rapidly thorugh his mind and he decided
quickly.
Come in tomorrow TO sign the con-
Il act" said the manager, land I'll be
able TO tell you then about the rehearsals.
Well probably have four weeks of ii here.
The actor thought of this with paug,
but 1t disappeared in the satisfaction of
having settled his plans for the winter.
1t was true that the result had not been
brilliant. 1t had taken unusual physical
endowments TO get the place, and his
ability in his profession had been estab-
lished, else he would never have been
asked to come to that managers IS office and
talk business.
This case was one used to illustrate the
claim that the salaries of actors are not so
large as they were several years ago, in
spite of the stories frequently heard of
popular leading men who receive such
sums as $500 week, popular comedians
who get equally large rewards, and other
favorite performers who are paid i'm the
same proportion. That these stories are
exaggerated has often been believed, but it
was never thought that there had been
any such diminution in pay as recent
cases Indicate.
When Laura Keene paid william
Blake, a popular actor Of old mems parts,
500 week and George Jordan, called
the handsomest man on the stage at that
time, $l20 week. the newspapers spoke
OF those figures as very high. They were,
indeed, for that time. The salaries gem
orally ranged from $40 TO $50 for the
host actors of that period but these fig
ures were larger for that time than the
high salaries of today are. The cost of
living was very much cheaper. The years
engagements were longer. At the most "a
months holiday was given TO actors, and
sometimes they were not idle for more
than two weeks. Now the longest period
OF work that an actor can get under any
circumstances Is a season of thirty y-four
weeks. During the other eighteen he is
comnelled to live on what he can save IN
tho season. The salaries paid do not
afford much surplus for that. The tver-
age actors salary today Is not so much as
$40 week. 1t Is, in fact, considerably
under that sum. In the past actors would
live with their families in the town in
which they were acting. Now they must
pay the expenses of their families as well
as their own when travelling.
The actors pay has not advanced In
proportion TO the compensation paid to
declined. The sums paid to leading men,
say fifteen years ago, were larger than
any paid today. Charles Ihorne received
between Sl75 and 500 during his great
est popularity at the old Union Square
theater, and Montague got 500 at Wal
lacks. Now one OF the best known lead
ing actors got last season Sl25, another
receives s,5 and third gets $780, Yet
they are In exactly the places occupied by
the men who in the past received salaries
nearly twice as large. The same change
has taken place all the way down the
line, and, while the salaries paid TO young
men may not actually be smaller in
amount, they are in result, for prices are
everywhere much higher. Two-fifths of
the actors on the stage today are depen.
don't for their support during the summer
on relatives or friends. This is not the
result OF improvidence In many cases, but
is due 10 the fact that salaries have been
reduced TO n figure which makes any saw
ing, even with economy, out of the ques-
tion. There are, Of course, exceptions to
This ruI hnt thav tpNlnta faxy