The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
wAYSOF STAGE MANAGERS
THEY BULLY AND HABAsS THEIR
VICTIMS, SAYS AN ACTRESS.

Chorus Girl or Ballet Dnneer-naer Lire be-
hind the Voetlights Not y asund sr Gsyety
ana Dissipation. ~ Asme Foiks believe.
II don't see what allurement stage life can
have for you" said tho reporter to n woman who
has been conspicuous as q character actress in
burlesque and comic opera. She Is no longer
young; she is obliged to wear Rrotesque cos
tunes; her makeup is usually forbidding
rather than otherwise. and while her work on
the stage Is not only painstaking but creditAble.
she rarely is mentioned in any Of the favorable
newspaper notices Of n performance In which
she Il engaged.
"Allurement. my dear fellow" the actress re-
piled. 1T Is many n day since that word had
any reference to stage life as far as I am con-
ccrned. A plain, practical. business proposition
keeps me before the footlights. have so many
mouths to feed. as you know. There Is no other
occupation for which I possess fitness or in
which l could earn anything like my present in
come. Besides, being no longer young; having
no claims to attractiveness of face or figure. and
having learned the ropes Of this business. I am
free from the petty prosecutions, the heartburn
ings. the trials and the temptations which beset
n young and pretty woman who goes on the stage
with little or no talent, and with but faint
prospects OF ever rising above the chorus or at
most a minor speaking part"
Surely" said the reporter. there Is no other
SNeapotAoA IA "hASN . IA y OSodbl
counts for so much as it does in the theatrical
profession. An attractive girl who is fond of
admiration and attention must find theatrical
work decidedly alluring. She can be independ-
ent, can wear lots of pretty clothes, and II she is
remarkably snowy she is certain TO be picked
out as one OF the latest stage beauties. and will
have her pictures in the theatrical weeklies or
those magazines which devote so much atten-
ton TO people OF the stage
The character actress smiled relectively and
went on to say:
Dear me. with all that Is seen and heard Of
people in our profession, both on and of the
stage. how little Is known of our real life. For
instance, you know absolutely nothing about
that tyrant Of the stage. the stage manager.
Heaven help the defenceless chorus girl selected
by him for a victim. There is only one way for
her TO escape. and that is to get out Of the COM
pany. and frequently she has to do that even II
she obcys his every behost. l have wintered
and summered with nearly all the conspicuous
stage directors, especially in comic opera and
extravaganza, and I thank my stars every
day OF my life that l am no longer a
target for their prosecutions or their viles.
have seen girls who could sing. dance. act
fairly well, and above all. make a stunning APP
pearance in stage costume. | have seen them
work patiently. pegsevertnsly. and even intelli-
gently for years without advancing a step be-
yond the chorus, whereas others without such
qualifications gained a foothoii and bounded to
the front. Why Because OF the stage man
ager. Perhaps I can explain to you why l am
contented in my present line OF work with
neither youth nor beauty TO recommend me to
the notice OF that powerful individual behind
the curtain.
Take the case OF a pretty girl who has Just
obtained a place In the chorus in y big comic
opera company. On the surface the stage direc-
tor who is preparing the big production will be-
more than good to her. SO he will to & lot OF
other attractive girls. up to a certain limit, and
then they drop or are dropped by him. have
seen one manager select a remarkably pretty
girl who was not entirely dependent upon her
salary. and treat her with unexpected favor.
. He permitted her to have her own way at re.
hearsals, never rebuked her for trihins errors.
and RENTED her fines, even though he i'm.
posed them :or the sake OF maintaining disci.
pline among the others. One week she was
absent from three performances. According 20
the rule pay FOR those performances should have
been deducted from her salary. but when pay day
came around she received full salary for the
week. That same week one OF the ,rai!est. poor,
est chorus girls was also absent. | knew. AS
everyone else in the company did. that she had
n sick father and several young brothers and
sisters to care for with her small earnings. Her
salary was locked OF course. the pretty
chorus girl iatrered hersel: that she was valU-
able. She did not know the ropes. She WA
new in the business, and the conce!t had not yet
been taken out OF her.
"a few days atterward the stage manager,
happening To see the pretty girl alone in one Of
the dressing rooms. entered and attempted to
!, derstand distinctly that nothing OF that sor, was
/ TO be permitted. She remained only TWO or
5 three weeks longer with The company. but her
: stay was mace mighty unpleasant by the petty
annoyauces OF the stage director. Bea. in mimi,
she obtained her place through, influence with
ana - - 81. -nF ~ fha FrnllHnffnn nd fhn
/. stage manager did not dare TO be openly and
p~ointediy severe with her. Other girls in nc
company, poor End pretty as well. were persist
, emily prosecuted BY him.
He was artist enough TO realize the value oil
attractive women in the chorus. but he seemed
; to ioathe the ug!y ones. IL was simply a matter
OF time when they would be driven out. One
y E6e irs wo1 opporf e1 Ry t as' lssvs the the c ofSpp nny
although 10 would have been 70 her ad.
vantage TO stay there. The piece was booked
l. the slight increase she was TO receive IN
!: another company would not make up for the
Q extra expense she would be put 10 by PLAYING ir
: onc-night stands and making long jumps on the
. railroad. Before che LETT the first company tbs
penalty for resenting his advances would d. hel
r Punishment from the metropolitan stage. lii
= = said 70 her in my hearing:
u Young lady, Ihave seen a good many choru:
5 girls come and 20. Nj influence will keep yoC
t from getting a metropolitan engagement an'
d The girl was alarmed for a time at thi
threat, but ! am glad % say for the credit OF thu
II . b%Nh Nv - w. NEAN 'fAF IhtSN 4AAN
tor of prominence and influence. That Cir
played many metropolitan engagements after
p ward, and with success.
On another occasion when ] was one of th'
principals III u large extravaganza company m.
o observations were not calculated 70 impress M
" with what you call the 'a!lurement' OF stag
l. life. The production was an important an'
costly one. Thousands and thousands OF dollar
70 had been expended on scenery, costumes. an'
properties. and the proprietor stood TO make
IL fortune or 20 bankrupt on the piece, He EN-
gagrt one OF the hesr known DULLES. who Is on
" OF the g~rantsst stage managers in the profession
10 to rehearsc the company and stage the pre-
.r duction for its inl,iul performance. | di
: not have any trouble with him for. as yOr
, know. | attend TO my duties In an o~rciinhril
e satisfactory way, neither pleasing very niue
n nor offending very much. Other women In tn
- company. however. were bullied. scolGed. an
o. insuited to the last degree, and no one kne'
N when her turn wOuln come. One girl in III
- ballet was particularly homciy. She was an e.
:, ceedingly skilfli dancer, however; hence her 81
d glgement. The first time the stage manage
r. was called To rehearse the complete cOmyan
Al his gaze lighted on the hOnleiy ballet girl. II
- turned TO the proprietor, and said in tones lou
10 enough for every one in the theatre to hear: