The times., 1901-06-16
THE PASSING SHOW.

1uE L hDD1NU DuO w.
Manager Berger, of the Lafayette is in
/ clined to the belief that he is about the
most unpopular man in all Washington!
The reason?
Simply because he has refused so many
ambitious local amateurs the coveted
opportunity of figuring on the play bills
! of his stock company. The average per-
son, according to Mr.. Berger, has not
| the slightest idea of the dozens of young
people in this city who are imbued with
| the belief that they are destined to be
| come great adornments to the native
| stage, and no amount of persuasive argu-
| ment on the part of Mr.. Berger nor his
| stage manager, Mr. Seymour, seems to
| have any weight against the opinions OF
the amateurs themselves or their misled
| but well-meaning friends and relatives
The Lafayette office has been the scene
| of fully a hundred conferences between
Mr. Berger and young men and women
! who want to go on the stage, and think
| the proper opportunity is presented in
| the stock company in their own home.
where they may receive the praise OF
! their friends. no matter now Dad thelE
1 work may be as matter of fact
1t would surprise you, quoth MT Ber-
! ger TO a Times representative the other
| night Immediately after he had refused
! a Young woman, who occupies a rath-
! er exalted position in social circles IN the
Capital, TO know how many similar re-
quests / have to deny almost every oaS.
This Is the second since nave Deeh III
nv Office this evening. They come al me
! armed. with enough letters OF lntroduc-
ton to secure position in almost any
/ walk of life. | have TO go over the same
/ ground with each applicant, explain now
! perhaps, where we may have but one va
! cancy to fill and with hundred persons
| irving for the place. there must naturally
| H..
) bombarded with communications from
| business men. warm personal frlehos oA
! mine. Government offictals' RepTesslhta- Ia.
| tiveS and Senators. Army anu Nay
| officers and, even Cabinet officials. Ihey
! are all of the same tone: The bearer.
/ Miss Ambition, desires to go upon the
! stage. and cannot you give her a cnance
! AT The Iafavette2 They all know she IS
admirably adapted TO stage work, for nave
! they not been so assured by the young
! lady herself and her parents2 it IS hard
! matter TO refuse these requests, but II
/ is absolutely necessary, for. after an
( amateurs are not the least bit desirable,
! except perhaps for parts that require q
/ tremendous amount OF thOuBht, power
( and a smart sartorial display. But give
J the average amateur lines 70 speak anu
. YOU can never count upon what sort OF
/ performance he or she Will give. l re-
! call one Young woman who came TO me
with letters from some OF my newspaper
, friends They were unanimous IN declar-
ing the young woman had DECIDED tai
ent for the stage. | at first held out. but
/ vben one OF her friends. a local drama
! tic critic assured me that he knew OF her
worth personally. and that she was Iile
very person I needed IN the company
/ thought that perhaps in this particular
/ instance / might take a chance,
u did. and for three weeks or more lhe
/ lady was given parts that any bright am
/ ateilr with the slightest bit of talent could
have handled all right but sne demon
/ strated that she was decidedly out OF het
! sphere as an actress. She couldnt even
I remember where TO stand, and there nave
/ been times at rehearsals when the cther
: members Of the company were detained LOT
an hour at a time simply because MI Sey-
/ mour. the stage manager was suussHIls
/ with Miss Amateur. II she was rehearsed
all day to stand IN front of table In the
{ performance. just as certain as dtath anu
/ taxes when the time came for her TO as
4 su-ne the post at night she would take up
. a position behind the table instead of the
/ place she had been carefully instructed
I about. Even in such trifiing matter as
/ this the young woman whose friends
( were sure she was destined fof a great
( place in the theatrical world. was found
lacking, so you can imagine what she did
10 her lines. Mr. Seymour had rehearsed
her three years ago for another company,
/ and he tells me she read her speecheS *
I actly then as she did during the time she
. was with us. In such case there IS alb
-soluteIy no hope for the would-be actress.
. Notwithstanding her staunch friends
claims
Another young woman who had been
/ given a fair trial with our company and
been
{ me and said she wanted 10 nave htart-
to-heart talk with me about her future.
All right ! said, what is it?
Its just this. you have watched my
work and have formed pretty accurate
/ idea Of what / can do Now, II ! am 10 be
. only a mediocre actress. If l cannot rise
10 great heights in the profession. ! don
I want 10 try and will stop Immediately.
The young lady evidently did not OK
pect just the sort OF a reply that ! gave
snH# Ia .A.sFH
: YOU to put aside all thoughts of ever be
/ coming an actress That was all, but 1t
I was seemingly enough and when she left
my office ! presume she was added 10 the
list Of my enemies. and all because ] told
/ her the truth She will thank me. how
J ever. after she gets over her infatuaton
for the fOOtlights, as she undoubtedly
will, for she has a good home and parents
who think the world Of their only daugh-
/ I counsel every amateur who applies
for place to forego the supposed de-
lights Of stage success, a1d tell them We
have no room for anyone, but the very
/ moment they see that we have taken on
I some one new member they all flock
/ around here and ask why they have not
. been given the chance to show their abili-
ties instead of Miss So and So. The pub
F lie may have an idea that its pleasure
/ TO conduct a stock company that is so
Z successful as the Lafayette, and 50 il is
/ Ia some ways, but the one Srea, hugbear
is the amateur. / have many grey hairs
/ now. but by the time we are through for
Z the year there IS no telling whether ! viii
/ have any hair at all left
/ After The Times man had cOnSOlod Mr..
I Berger with the fact that with all real
/ successes there must Of necessity be some
J uupl,asautuoss, the card Of "A young Wo-
man who owns an automobile was
! brought in and the manager exclaimed.
J oh. Lord, here's another-the third to-
] day"
! In viewing the spectacular dances of the
modern stage, few people who look upon
/ the bevildering scene OF shimmerng
cloths fading and flowing in torrent Of
! colors have much of an idea of the great
effort required Of the dancer and the al
. most endless training through which she
has come. "LArSentina. who viii APP
I pear this week at Chasc's. is said to be
/ dancers. Each Of her dances given in
/ rapid succession, requires a change Of
! costume Some of these are mos, wonder
ful creations. and II seems almost impDS-
siblo that the dancer should be able to
solve their mazfs and don the garment
in time 70 reappedr as quickly as Is nee
| essary before the audience. On, LAT
| gentiua s. costumes weighs about sixty
pounds obtaining most Of it's weight from
the burden Of silver spanslcs with which
il is covered Another OF her dances Is
| said TO require costume woven Of tho
finest silver and steel wires. and although
heavy. II is declared to be quite com
Portable.
! In contrast TO these heavy costumes. the
| finest of gauze silk Is worn in two other
| dances. One Of these contains about 3D.
yards OF material, and the length Of the