New-York tribune., 1900-12-02
CURTAIN R4IsERs IN PARIS.
AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE A MUCH NEG
LECTED THEATRICAL INSTITUTION

l. y
LECTED THEATRICAL INSTITUTION.
Paris correspondence OF The Pail Mall Gazette.
The question of curtain raisers'' is being dis
time ana pobs5y lot fGr p the a59 TRe oS one hs act
pieces that precede the piece de resistance the
theatrical bills scarcely be said present 10
serve any conceivable purpose, and the point has
render them OF some utility. These hors d'oeuvres
OF the dramatic banquet are as tasteIess and IN
their appearance when the table is on the stage
them wbstever 1n Iine cass % on 10 - ! 'aSs @ %
not even take the trouble 70 read them. but take
a subordinate The lever de rideau IS nsves re-
assaTsed IN any stTet ssEss OF Ine word = 3
is acted by mysterious incapabIes who canno. be
called actors and actresses, as they know nothing
Of their calling. and paid little for il to Be
possible for them TO live by it Inaue in plot, ~
the curtain raiser is beneath contempt as species
sons Who 5v aee5snt or oSf S 'S n5l, rST So's & PS
at the theatre early. and there its services erd.
raiser might be made 70 serve the Interests OF the
budding dramatist BY giving him opportunity
with this object was carried OUT so1, fTssS sr S
ago. Authors dues in France. as is generally
known, are levied BY the Society Of Dramatic AT-
ing the payment Of authors rses m a. U to the s
OF the reform n question it had ordained that the
third Of the u per cent on the nights takinss.
which is the sum the MANAGERS have to hand over
a very considerable matter and in the Old days the
authOr or the principal piece mad 70 take care as
rule 10 be also the author Of the curtain raiser
TO make an arrangement by which he appropriated
the Hons share of the disputed third"
To throw the field open 70 the hedselng dram
atists the society reduced the payment for the
lever de rideau to per cent on the takings. and
added the proviso that this payment must never
exceed the magnificent OF 10 francs This
measure did not have -he result hoped for The
curtain raiser remained the unconsidered trtie II
had previously been The managers refused as
before to take the least trouble 10 see that II was
properly mounted and acted. and young authors Of
talent declined in thess1 circumstances to let their
work be played to empty benches
The suggestion made is that the society
should take in hand the cause OF the young
dramatists in effective fashion II is pro-
posed that the society should appoint a commit
tee Of it's members whose business IT would be TO
read the curtain raisers submitted 70 them The
pieces they approved would see the light in virtue
OF a new regulation BY which managers would oe
bound play the leveFSre rideau presented BY the
committee No piece Woufd be allowed TO run for
more than a month and the concession would be
made 10 the managers that they would nave no
fees to paw On the ~ther hand they would have
to give dress rehearsal OF the piece 70 which the
press would be invited n this scheme We're car
rfed out it would certainly be to the advantage OF
the public and the young dramatists but the man
ayers might be expected 20 grumble az the inter-
ference with their liberty Of action. And grand
motherly legislation in the theatrical world might
have no better results than elsewhere.