The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15

happy chorus giris gave audible siVhs Of relief.
"fhe newcomer was qniet and apparently
Company approached him timidly, bearing in
mind her experience with his predecessor. and
told him that sho felt ill-too i'll TO 20 on. He
Allowed her TO 20 home and expressed his sym
patty in q very manly fashion. Later that same
gtr Tss po ovsr Ismt,.p spe bsa S rsS, Mas s pon
her mother. The stage manager sympathetic
ally inquired:
"She confessed that che was homcsick.
There don't cry he s.id. You are among
For several days after that he was notice
ably kind to the pretty chorus girl. When she
REACHED the eity OF her n9me an old school friend
and 1t was rumored in the company that she
was engaged 10 be married TO him. The stage
neither affirmed nor denied it. From that time
on his manner toward her was decidedly
changed. He did not speak to her when they
met on the train or at the hotel. He did not
answer her polite greeting OF Good morning or
Good evening and At each performance the
reproof from the stage manager because OF some
supposed defect in her costume. in her way OF
dFefsiH nss a eer nH syitS Ge At to n' the %e exSerPcnced peopl.
In the company that the little chorus girl was In
for II. At rehearsal one gay, whsn the stage
nights carousal. he made her the special OBJECT
OF his III temper. Still later she was called on
BY the manager to play an important part at
short notice. and the stage manager was sum
moned in q hurry to rehearse her Tor the nights
Z performance. lie nau Decn uTlukltlk 0eaNliy.
and was In an ugly mood. The rehearsal he gave
her was simply q farce. He kept her at the be-
ginning of the trst scene until she was phy'i-
cally exhausted. When 1t became too late for
her to rehearse the more important lines and
business of the part, he said to her %<ruffiy:,
"'You have had enough rehearsal. and you
are supposed to know how to get through the
nights performance.
That night instead Of giving the prompt
book TO tho call boy, As was the custom. the
stage manager held it himself and deliberately
and maliciously caused the girl 10 miss nearly
every cue. She was sick with shame and dis
courappment. made an absolute failure in the
part. and did not continue with the company
longer than was necessary TO give the custom
airy two weeks notice.
"Atterward the stage manager became holder
In his methods OF perst ecu on Sne Sirt resenSe5
a week salary for some insignificant violation OF
the stage rules. That stage manager is stlll in
the business. and he openly boasts OF his powerto
crush ANY woman on the stage who does not per-
nit his Objectionable attentions.
Perhaps stage managers are 70 worse than
other men, said The actress. You know there
was a time when men had dozens OF wives and
they saw fit. some OF the spirit OF that time
must still linger in u few men OF the present
age. The sight OF htty; sixty or a hundred
probably arouses in him the old domineering
spirit. the insolent sense OF superiority and pro-
prietorship which men evidently had over
II once sat At a rehearsal before I became a
member OF the profession. The play rehearsed
was \ melodrama employing Urge number OF
auNili1ries. They we're exCeIlentIy drilled. The
stage manager. whom l had met before and con-
sidered a very charming gentleman. used the
most terrific oaths in directing the different
scenes in which the army OF sGpers was em-
p.oyed- Afterwardi in comptImenting him upon
the excellent work lone by the collection OF men
and womeu under his control. | asked:
But why 10 you Use such language
They would not know VIII ,t | meant il I did
not swear at them, he replied That's what
OF curse, there are gentlemen in this line
OF theatrical work as N ali other branches OF
the profession, but the man Of chivalrous in
~.-,N .A..la-f n.lnN.n fnAz mo a.nrN m Yn.RA
much Roadway as a stage director Of a company
employing a big chorus or a big ballet. Sucn
mer, II they attempt the work. give it up in de-
spair after A few trials. Ii would seem that bru-
tality and capahility are linked together, for the
towart their employees. ant who know very
we'll the character OF each Stage manager. en-
gage year after year thetyrar;s N IA" business 10
stage their costly productions; The propr'etots
themselves become the personiirntlon OF meek.
ness during the rehenrsals OF L Dig production.
for the great stage manager has generally quar-
relief with every member OF the stan from the
business MANAGER to the scene p inter before
the production IN question is IN proper shape for
presentation 10 the public.
cot course l admit that the stage manager
has much TO contend with. some very stupid
people go on the stage with The idea OF making
gigantic strides in the procession with nothing
but pretty faces. good voices. or shapeiy legs to
a person 10 turn 10 the right AMI have her in.
variah!y turn TO the left, or 20 have her raise
by two when they are supposed 10 intricate by
i, their gestures great Joy o. great distress. !
have noticed that unlntclIi-ent women, when
rcprimandei for such faults. invariably resort
10 tears. Tim. rs likely a. not, the stigs
manager uncork- the walls OK his wrath upon
some other memoir u the company.
Have yOu never observed what A depressed.
patient. sober DOSING ia. Of women are in he
duction-. Yhc u~lI.Orlty VI mem look as II they
had lost all interest in the outside world. They
are the membrrs ~ IN. great army o. pro'eS.
sienal rhOrus people. ar, n | might say. wouIer
resign d TO their f+tc, OBJ god 70 earn their lIv
iny and ,vurcrIuZ nothing better than they get
q" Tn EYHr kn.W Tl.f There IL no line in .u,lprv
more severely marked hun that which scpar
Rtes The girl who has perhaps one lin" to sneak
figure in the ,nsenbic ! | had II good miny
things 20 learn in this respect when ! started or
Young woman upon her htyIlE received three OF
four fines 10 sneak. >He turned on me in tn,
""'Why. She +rii. I'm not \ chorus girl. Die
you think was one, 81 the chorusi III have
yoq Snow m one Of The nrineiP9is;,
tnnt | did NOT dArs To answer her, and it wa;
many weeks before ! realized what had been NJ.
offence. The 7espoctnbj.'ty Of the various mem
f.Ts OF the chorus IL also very tender subicCt
one Christmas night, 4rvertl ot The girls in lis
playing heir presents between the acts, .hOwet
sonic very ilny ,tiamoni ut among heir gifts. Ii
! the utuosr Innocence | al .Tes~ed one girl
who did not get diamonds for Christina
p""'Oh, well she replied. rurtly, you need no
, be making remarks. notice that you dres
r THAT also WAS 4 puzzler to me for a goo,
> "Yon Won't get much information about ren
life on the stage from the pictures in the maga
zines or fushy pap"--. Witch depict gay!
! dressed ballet giri-. parking with jewels. an
! drinking champagne Hehint the scenes or tiir
Ing with swet! Young mcr or dccrcpit old roue,
. aiways representr'! IN those pictures OF l.lege
: stage lie.
! serious young women, They are nearly all c
foreign bl-th Aad they ave lives OF eNtreIn
eronSmv, The gay.sr ding ! nave ever see
: them doing behind the SCENES was knitting 9
crorhrttins lace. Some even knit their stocl
Q inCs. They bring their mending and sowing {
2 ali sorts 10 the theatre and work on it betwee
Il scenes. \ large majority OF the ballet, rs wc
, as OF the chorus, have fathers. mothers, brothers
u sisters. or children 10 support, and NJ
a , Tey Of them have to take car OF Incapahl
= husbands. Life is very scrions 70 these Tomcr
and NOT ~ ~. tnr p" ,-nn The ni i IrCs Az p'"'u'
i The really expert ballet dancers have bee
n trained from childhood to IN hard work and
y snfTer un.umrlnin!nSIy. | remcruber one youn
4 woman who was = sprrIl IHI. SAc dlL a rOusinl
e rlotous !u4ce while on m" stage, but, when %
4 dance w,, ended she could be seen behind IL
q scenes Or in her dro-sinE room, night after nigh