New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-21

making 0hen came the word that was hard TO
read gestures. 30 cents each. Miss - ana Miss
- for laughing at them aloud p cents each
The question-merely for the satisfaction Of curos-
ity. not that IT of any other importance-was
what sort of gestures they were which, in the
opinion OF the stage manager. ought TO cost 80
cents each. After a good deal OF study the word
was made out TO be ''exageratory.'
"Do you have to fine the members o. the chorus
often for make 'exageratory gestures or for other
faults?' the reporter asked.
NO" said the manager. mot very often. With
our company. which is employed through the sea-
son and is thoroughly disciplined there is less need
of it than there f. in some others thai are got
together for shorter periods and not so well
trained and managed. But it has to be done some
times. There other way to insure discipline.
To keep ,hem in order all the time you have got
to touch them where they feel it most, in their
pockets"
What are the usual offences for which you i'm
pose ines?"
Just such as these that you see before you-act-
ing wrong on the stage. or laughing talking
dressing wrong or faults in making-up hardness.
Half .a-dodr is the usual amount. quarter for
little things"
Never more"
ooh for something more important like imperti-
hence to the stage manager. there might be a fine
of a doa- now and then. but halves and quarters
are the regular thing A a woman in the
chorus. or a girl in the ballet. who Is getting 81
week really misses 30 cents and will generally try
hard not TO lose it,
do you have TO keep up the system all through
the season.?
ooh YES: from the beginning OF rehearsas 10 the
very end There is a little more latitude at rehear-
sails OF course than there IS when the piece is
actually on the stage and before the public. II
doesn't make much difference then If chorus
girl whispers to the one next TO her at the wrong
time. and promp;ness is not necessary, though
49, ttgttIar hat
point"
How much latitude do you allow in the matter
Of hardness before you impose hnes?'
None now; We used to- and some companies do
still but we think the better way Is to require abso-
lutte promptnoss. You have heard the expression
among actors. ten minutes for difference of
watches That used to be the rule always, all over
the WORT 1 suppose. That is. you know. If a re-
hoa~sal was calleI for 10 O'Clock. nobody would be
fined for lateness II he got there before lO;l0. y
few years ago in England, they began the system
of calling a rehearsal. say a 10 o'clock for 1880
That mean. that the appointed hour for assembling
was 10 and for beginning the rehearsal 1879 and that
q fin. would be imposed on anybody who was not
there at 1O.3l We did that for while, and think
Il is a good way but w simply give the exact
hour and expect ever body TO be on hdnd' ii the!
would be sac II they suspect that their CLOCKS
ana watches are wrong, they can make allowance
for il themselves and ten minutes earlier
pect us to mako the allowance. , ...,,,,v 81
Actors who were indignant AT the inlpoSltloi. W
fines have been known TO in,inuate tnli ue st%s'
mana ger did IL TO save the money but there II ut
re reason 10 suppose that this is done with any
freo,encv Fines are small penalties for people
s,,lth small salaries. There have heen Jokes ABOUT
tL rnanager's getting his total receipts from the
fines Of the actors, but they were ohy JONES.
dnes Of a big opera company would scarceH
amount 10 SO I'm the course OF a season. ana II
would not be worth manager WIllc 10 NY W
save money I'm that way, unless ne was even
harder up than most managers have been TINS
some managers give all their fnes 70 charity az
the end of the season. Daye henderson, OF lne
chicago Opera House, does that, and ne mas so0q
bia unruiv Chicago burlesque company on ms
hands and the fines amount % mere than tney 40
With some companies. Some managers save UP ln ne
fines and return them to the actors VINO nave pdla
them at the end Of the season In TINS Cdsc, y. ".
course the only punishment Is the inconvenience o
ooing without the money Tor time, but thc
cbor1,s girls do not know, when they DO wrong
,E,t they are going TO get their fines back IL De
nend1 on tho pleasure OF the manager. and ne does
not spoil the effect Of his penalties 10y tehg that
| he Is merely acting compulsory banker.
II ha DDened once In recoried history mat Cel .
tain stage manager reported 10 ms hlahaser no
Miss So-and-so was fined . cents TOT whispering
II bappened that there were iouG MISS 90
| LISTERS in the chorus and the manager ala not
,l,o,r which one OF them meant. Then the
hrtIliant plan occurred him OF ming erh one u
,,srtinp that amount from the envelope OF each
/ one when payday came. And an TOUT s,I's suo
nt,,ad u-thout complaint. This story-it Is no
| 1abic~tearh,s that violent protests against nhes
are not the rule aud that there are son per solo
! on the stage who know that they ought u ''