New-York tribune., 1897-01-17
IN ANOTHER ACTORS PART.
A WORD ABOUT UNDERsTUDlEs.
THEIR TEMPORARY GREATNESS is NOT QUITE
FILLED WITH PLEAsUREs-A HARD ROAD
Up THE HILL OF FAME.

with their picturesque ana Narieo "NeS 49,
humble member whose lot is full oil chahse "''u
rornexi,v and ANNOYANCE and pleasure. even ior
an actor He is the head of the company anu "e -
the tail OF the company; he is admired ana ne -
sccrned he is petted and he Is hateu' he 10 So
tered tolerated and neglected; his merits "
aggeratcd and his faults condoned; everybody -
disappointed when he appears on the stage "e s.,
credit that does not belong TO him ana '"e o'
that does belong to him Is given 10 so"'eoo'' ~
This Is the hard lot Of the understudy'
The understudy. as everybody knows VINO Nnow'
anything about the language OF the stage "' ' "
tie actor who takes the place OF another actor
wien ho IS unable for any cause to give MS per-
formance Except the parts played by star "c'ors
there is scarcely part that anybody plays wn'o"
somebody else is not ready to play at any minute
Stars cannot have understudes. as n general 'hihs
OF course because the audience is supposed 10 oe
paying its money TO see the star more '"ah io'
anything else. The rest is merely the SURROUNDINGS
tho establishment Of the star, and II the f'ar o"
rot he produced it is OF TO try to do any
thing ard the performance has 10 be given up
There is scarcely any calling in life. except that
or the singer or tho musician. that requires the
rcrson who follows II TO be promptly and regu-
larry on hand his place OF business as that oi
the actor II the merchant has touch OF rheu-
,ratism he can stay at home and his partner OF
his manager or his assistant can look after ali 'he
business for a few days and nobody knows the
difference. Inc f1naNcleT can Hr 'Ihi '' III" ''''
and concoct schemes and direct others In carrying
them out The lawyer study papers at home
Even the physician. usually model OF long suner-
ing and faithfrness can. in extreme cases, send
another physician around his patients anu
though they may not like it. they submit
But the whole business OF the actor is the ACTOR
himself The people who deal with him pay their
money 10 see him and If they canno; see him they
want to paw their money somewhere else More
over he must be hand at a particular hour-a
particular minute. He cannot postpone any part
81 his work till the next day when he may feel
better as many another business or professional
can do.
HE ACTS WHILE HE CAN STAND
For this reason actors often do their work IN
physical conditions that would keep persons III
other walks of life out of the walks altogether ana
In bed. An actor stays on the stage ana does ms
part as a rule, as long he can stand up, and ne
can stand up too longer than most people as a
rule. 1t Is not uncommon for an actor 10 pay MS
mart on the stage through long play when he
has TO have a physician in constant attendance all
the time that he Is not actually before the audl-
.nce when ne cannot walk without assistance OF
the stage and when he has TO be kept up all
through the evening with restoratives and stimu-
lants
The sick actor whose presence the stage Is
essential 10 the play is brought to the theatre in
carriage and he has man TO help him dress ana
make UP his face. Any one who Is poeticaHE IT.
clined may ''moralize this spectacle. The sunKeh
hoIlows Of the eyes are colored TO make them look
healthy and the brightness of the eyes themselves
,s brought out by dark lines around them. The
male cheeks are REDEEMED and the hair is arranged
20 look attractive and smart. The audience will
not know the difference. but for any one WHO secs
the disguise go on the effect is ghastly. When II
IS time for the actor TO on the stage his atten-
dant or his friend leads him to the wing and
bpfo IL.
NAV have TO count his steps across the stage
pretty carefully and hold on by the furniture ne
goes but ne hides It all as. well he and
goes through his part. }ie comes off the stage
again. his attendant receives him and goes to
work at him get Nim ready for his next en-
While he is before the eyes of the people there is
an inspiration that supports him. He knows how
It will ruin everything if he fails and 80 he does
NOT fail Even his voice comes back sometimes
when he has at all off the stage. Ihe
thought tina, he is before the audience and that he
must go thrc ugh his part takes him through III
but II is a s;imulant of the same nature as other
s,inulants and he has TO pay afterward for TAX
ing it.
MOVING Up TO FILL THE GAPS
Rut there are times when even an actor Is so
sick that he do his part ana then II IL IN.
turn of the understudy. He is usually minor
member OF the company. Sometimes he IL the
actor who fas the part next in importance TO that
OF the one is sick. In that case somebody else
has TO pay his part. If tns second understudy Is
also a regular actor in the play IL becomes neces-
sary for another 10 take his part. So the dis
ability OF one member of company viii often
make necessary three or four changes in 1t.
With a musical company this is less likely to be
the case. Singers arc less versatile than actors.
The head OF the company. for instance, is probably
a soprano II she Is unable TO appear her place
pany, because she is probably IA contralto. me
next TO her perhaps mas a soprano 'olce. Dut
she plays soubrette parts and canno; do anythi
else. and the vacancy is In serious part. so the
unders,udy is likely TO he somebody pretty well
down along the line. perhaps even in the chorus or
little better In such case as ms tne dd,,an umder
study ordinarily gets s. a performance In ADDITION
10 regular salary. and all the praise ana contempt
that go with the playing Of somebod! elses part
With regard TO the provision for understudies
the methods OF companies differ Sometimes the
they needed and special rehearsal, ,,ar are
held for them Sometimes 1t IS Only When ne dnere
that the understudy is thought Of and then there
That is what makes the other actors in the com
rsny hate the understudy. 1t is a dreadful nu:-
to for lust GO one hs ay ha
been running for six weeks and everybody eiso Is
The public takes two opposite views OF the ,n,
dcrstudy The audience Is always d'sappon'ea "a
not 70 see the actor whom it mad counted on seeing
but who is sev mnen 'nS. ar
cepts the understudy good naturedly and looks
with favor on everything that ne does. as being
the effort OF one who is struggling with a harder
mart than he would ordinarily he intrusted with
rhis view of the often prompts those who
comrent on the performance to give II more credit
than 81 really deserves. and even thoughtiessy 10
saw that II is better than the performance or the
acior who regularly plays the part This Is usually
unjust though not always. but II is almost always
unnecessary.
WHY THE PRINCIPAL DISLTKES HIM
But II IL this general tendency TO treat the under
study kindly that makes the regular actor OF the
mart hate the understudy. Tie knows that as soon
Ms he lets anybody else play his part somebody
Will say that II is done better than he does II.
whether II IS not. Moreover the fear OF disap-
rolrting the audience often leads the manager 10
leave the name Of the regular actor on the bill