The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.

share from the ranks of the stock com
panies, as IL is from most all other de-
partments of the theatrical profession
The training that comes to stock PLAYERS
is invaluable and with the infusion OF
more of this class of actors and actress s
will come an increased elevation of the
vaudeville stage.
The latest acquisitions in his lire are
Hal Davis and Inez Macauley. who played
a delightful little sketch at Chass's last
week. Speaking of the difference between
stock playing and vaudeville Mr.. Davis
said to Times man:
ITO get out of stock company work is
like getting out of jail. Miss Macauley
and myself have been engaged in stock
work for several seasons past, and Up 10
about eight weeks ago. when we made
our FIRST vaudeville tour on the OrpheHm
circuit In stock work one simply sells
ones self body and soul to the theatre.
There is positively no time to call .-our
own for oftentimes in the Wesi We won d
have to play on Sundays. Each morning
there is a rehearsareof the play that is to
follow the next week. And if The pr due
tion is a big one, the stage manager viii
give you an extra rehearsal after the
evening performance just to show there
is no i'll feeling.
When do you study your part for the
next play? Why. between ac,s. walking
10 and from your hotel and the theatre.
losing sleep, anyway at all. just so you
have it ready when the manager calls
upon you
You men don't have half the trouble
We women 90 in stock work." Interrupted
Miss Macauley. We have not only 20 re-
hearse study our paris. and all that sort
ming and scheming wardrobe. AT er the
stock companies. playing in vaudeville
seems almost too good to be true
The admirable work of the chorus of
the Metropolitan English Opera C~mpany
at the National Theatre last week re-
ceiYed a large share of praise Not lit
tie of the credit for the excellent en-
sembles that were features OF the diff
ferent performances is due to the stage
manager of the organization, Mr.. E. d.
Temple. and while he never appeared him
self except in the role of Koko in The
Mikado" yesterday afternoon. his efforts
were constantly in evidence. Mr.. Tenn
pies past work in the line of stage man
aging operate productions has well fitted
him for the responsible position he oc-
cupied with the Sayage-Grau company.
He is an Englishman by birth, and in his
native country he received much expert
ence with some of the more important
comic opera organizations. In this coun-
try he has held the position of stage d.
rector for Francis Wilson, which he re-
signed to go with Colonel Savage to su-
perv.se the work of the Castle Square
companies and last season was spent be-
tween Chicago and St Louis, with oc-
casional trips to New York to look after
the company at the American Theatre.
The Temple methods of running a stage
are not popular with the principals or the
chorus at first, but they are none the less
effective, and after the performers realize
tnat the stage manager looks upon his
position from a purely business stand
point they cannot help but see the ad-
vantages that accrue from following his
instructions
Il handle my people, mean the chorus
in particuiar-much the same as kinder
garten teacher instructs her pupils" said
Mr. Temple to Times interviewer on the
stage at the National last Monday night
during the performance of Aida" Il
take nothing for granted. For instance, !
do not tell a chorus at rehearsal that a
table on the stage will a night represent
tree or that a chair on the right hand
side of the stage is supposed to be
Louise or door or anything else. | have
the scene set for each act and show the
people at rehearsal just how the scene
will look at night That is why the wait
between the second and third acts of
Aida just now was SO long. / had a
large number of colored men to help fill
out the picture in the pageant scene and
was unable until this evening to get the
scenery in position to rehearse them. /
simply had to hold the curtain and make
the audience believe that something very
unusual was going on behind here |
would much rather make an audience suf-
fer by sitting through an uneommouly long
intermission than to give an imperfect
performance, and that is just what would
have occurred if l had not given
the extra people the rehearsal
which has Just been concluded. Why, at
the Metropolitan Opera House the work
ing force, which includes the scene shift
ers fhe stage carpenters, and the prop
erty men. had never before heard Of such
a thing as setting scene for a rehearsal
and there were all sorts of protests when
1 insugurated my system, but they at
once saw the common sense end of II, and
l never had much trouble after the first
week or so. l have always tried to instill
into the minds of the persons / have had
control of that We were all there for work.
Even | myself have often had my coat
off and with pair of overalls on and
sans collar, have compelled the principals
to go through q rehearsal just the same
as the chorus. OF course. they have de-
INJURED. Such thing would never be
thought of on the other side of the water.
but neither does chorus ever work so
well over there"
The Times man suggested that having
10 stage-manage SO many different operas
Mr.. Temple might occasionally have TO re-
fer to diagrams or charts Of some kind for
the proper business
II never had a diagram of scene in
my life" said he. Il carry it all up here
Tapping his headl and can jump in and
produce any opera you can name and give
the proper setting and business for each
act as accurately as if | had it all written
down. My whole scheme Is embraced in
the word work / work myself and make
those under me work. I'm called hard
taskmaster, but the people in the audience
praise my results, and they could be OBJ
tanned in no other way.
Mr. Temple had just informed the inter-
viewer that he would join the Castle
Square company in Chicago this week and
alternate between the Windy City and st.
Louis. when the curtain descended on the
third act OF Verdi's Egyptian opera. and
his coat was of in moment. and he was
busy directing the setting Of the next act,
while giving minute directions to several
assistants about matters which. to the
ordinary mind. were insignificant but
which we're all included in the complete
ness OF Mr.. Temples work.
One evening last week, when the town
board" was in session in 'All on Account
OF Eliza" for the purpose of determining
me manner in which it should deal with
the said young woman for questionable