New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-22
THE HEROIC ACTORS.
THEIR BRAVERY WOULD BE ALMOST BE-
YOND BELIEF, IF THE AUDIENCES
WE'RE NOT BRAVER STILL

The work OF preparation for the theatrical season
IS going on all town. The season itself Is
now coming on with strides The preparation Tor
4 is always a trying time for the actor. and more
especially for the stage manager. stage man.
aeer usually feels that II he can live through
August and the first half Of September he can
live through the season. Unfortunately, the actor
has not even that assurance to console HIM he
may live through that time, leave town with MS
company. leaving the stage manager in New-forK
with his money in his pocket. and any time WITHIN
three months he may be walking back to New
York for the sake of being in fine physical condi-
ton for another Job which he hopes to get. And
an actor does not count walking to New-York as
living; It IL merely preparation for living.
The stages Of the most OF the theatres are occu-
pied now by companies rehearsing hard. In an
other week there will he rehearsas everywhere.
from the Metropolitan Opera House TO Walhalla
Hall 1t has been no uncommon thing In former
wears for three rehearsals TO go on at once In
theatre one on the stage. another perhaps, In the
lobby and another In the open space at the BACK
OF the balcony
They are coming now-or have come-from every
where lust TO rehearse in New-York as II there
were no other place hot enough. They are COM
ing from the theatrical boarding houses. where
they have been resting since May. They are COM
ing from New-Rochelle and Larchmont and the
whole length OF the Jersey coast They are COM
ing from Massachusetts, Bay and from Maine Two
Il IL cooler and where living s cheaper. just TO re-
hearse in ew-York and II Is reported that com
pany IL on its way from Japan. Companies are
rehearsing here which do not intend TO act In New
York a single time this season. Only they must
rehearse In NewYork.
And the study and the rehearsal OF new parts
are hard work in this sort OF weather. All
through the season some OF the actors have 10 re-
hearse all OF the time and all of the actors have
to rehearse some of the time, but at just this
neriod all OF the actors have to rehearse all or the
time Everybody is hot. tired. impatient, care
less about himself. exacting about others. unrea-
sonabIe exasperated and exasperating. Especially
the stage manager. He put enough venom
for a barrel of Sunday school picnic ice cream
into the simple words my boy" and my dear"
the titles by which every stage manager calls all
actors and all actresses respectively, whether he
has ever met them before not. He leads the
actors hard life, but he has hard life himself
and nobody misunderstands him to the extent OF
supposing that he means anything that he says.
1t takes a good deal OF herosm-the truest hero
ism that OF endurance-for the stage people to get
through these few weeks. But think OF the hero
ism that will be exacted OF the audiences a week
or two hence They have to sit closer. II the
managers hopes are realized than the actors do
short The auditoriums never we'll venti-
lated as the stages. Moreover. the audiences have
70 nav while II they do so sufficiently the actors
are paid II Is an uncomfortable mess all around
this starting a theatrical season. and both actors
and audiences deserve a good deal OF credit for the
good humored way in which they submit to 1t.