The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-14
Stories Of
The Stage.

When George Thatcher betook HIM
self to farce and sought 10 wranglg
with fame through the medium OF ''Tuxf
edo" Miss Dorothy Morton. who wal
in her teens and a likely soubrette, SEIZE
ed upon the offer made her to join Mr..
Thatcher, IT being her first approach
to a contract.
She t~elegraphed to her father: Am
going with George Thatcher of Thatch-
err. Primrose & West. Have signed con.
tract"
To which her irate parent wired re-
ply: How dare you run away with q
minstrel troop? Come home at once"
Dorothy tried to explain, but the fa~
Their was obdurate, and one morning,
Just as she was about to leave for re-
hearsal, a polite Official with stars and
warrants gained admittance to the in
nocent Dorothy's presence and made It
clearto that young lady that unless h
Immediately allowed the officer to con-
duct her to the depot in time for the
next train home he would be called up
on to order police assistance.
And Dorothy, h was under age.
was carried of weeping and wailing an6
sending kilograms to the abode OF her
stern papa. 1t was some time before
things could be explained to him and
the necessary rosy hue OF aspiration
crowned with horse sense enough t.
make the gentleman understand that he
had a gifted daughter who could not be-
withheld from the public appreciation
awaiting her. Now. when The climbs
out at dawn to study lines and songs,
rehearses from n morn to dewy
eve and plays nine performances Q
week. she wishes she hadn't tried 90
hard to convince papa of the purple
| en- stair Of fame and incidental expenses
he was overlooking.
George Bernard Shaw, author Of
ARMS and the Man" and 1.-THE DEVILS
plays Pleasant and Unpleasant" In q
preface to which he asks the question
why people should be Indifferent even
to those OF his plays which are pleas
ant. THE main dificulty is." he a.
the incapacity for serious Tram OF
thousands Of playgoers OF all classes.
with them i must frankly take the Ru-
perior position. / know that many
managers are wholly dependent an
them and that no manager Ia wholly
independent Of them. but I can no mora
write what they wan than Joachim
can put aside his fiddle and oblige q
happy company of bean feasters with =
marching tune on the German concer-
tina. They must keep away from my
plays; that Ia ALL"
In commenting upon the fact that
great many actors at this time Of the
a are forced into idlcness and that
a great many of them do not lay nough
money away to carry them over the va
cation period Hilary Bell offers some
interesting gossip as to the earnings Of
the better known actors and actresses.
According to him. certain of our players
earn high salaries. The best paid play
err In America Is Ada Rehan, who for
many a year has been receiving 5000 =
week-perhaps. Out of that income she
has laid by a tidy fortune.
John Drew receives $500 a week. ana
being of prudent disposition. he Is now
reputed to be worth $3.50, 000-also per-
haps.
For some years back II. III. Sothern
has been making more money than ell
Their of these, but as he assume the
iCcpOiSiDiiity Va hi9
he also loses more. Thus for several
seasons Mr.. Sothern's profits have been
in the neighborhood Of $50. 900 q year.
Lately. however. certain Of his plays
have not suited the public, a he IL
said to have lost heavily.
The two Josephs. Jefferson and MUIR
ply. risk nothing on productions and
little on actors. and by pursuing this
economic system for many years each
is wealthy.
Lillian Russell has received the high
est salary ever paid to a comic opera
prima donna in this or any other coun-
try. Her income began with SIS q week
at Tony Pastors and reached 1880 q
week with Abbey. Schoeffel q Graps
During her 20 years. connection With
the stage Miss Russell has earned about
81. 900, o00-another perhaps. She Ii the
klndlieat and most generous OF singers
and still prodigal. Probably II her Jew.
els were sold the estate OF the golden
diva would not reach 10000.
That was the fortune Georgia Cayvau
had gathered after two decades In act-
ing. Georgia's salary was never high.
She earned 500 q week and saved most
Of 1t.