Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-13

employed in '"The Sleeping Beauty and the
| Beast" they and their elders held high car
nival behind the scenes. A big Christmas
| tree was provided, and Harry Bulger en-
| acted the role of Santa Claus with more
| real humor and wit than the playwright
| had infused into his stage lines. The
| youngsters dubbed together and bought
| gifts for the leading people, showing their
| preferences with frankness that was re-
| freshing amid the artificiality of Broadway
| life.
| In the stock houses where popular prices
| prevail Christmas is really a season OF
| much good cheer. When the company Is
| permanent and few changes are made, be-
| tween players and regular patrons de-
| cidedly "chummy" and intimate relation is
| established by the time the holidays arrive.
And SO it happens that gifts are offered
| in sincere, kindly spirit which is thor
| oughly reciprocated.
The little matinee girl sends the hand
some young juvenile bunch of yiolets. he
wears them in his coat at the matinee
| Christmas day. and she trea sures his stilted
| note of acknowledgment, The matinee club.
| composed of high school girls, who admire
| the leading woman's frocks and weep over
| her woes. send her feather fan, or gilt
| tering aigrette. and buy box for the very
next matinee to see her wear their tribute
| to genius. Even an appreciatlve neWsy
| will remember the ingenue with some I'M
| possible tribute to her charms, and the
| Christmas matinee really becomes bright
| and CHEEKY with Christmas feeling.
Where Christmas is a Day of Terror
In the vaudeville houses where contin-
uous performances are given Christmas
| day strikes terror to the most time
hardened dramatic soul.
The doors open anywhere between $3.50
| and 1870 am. and close at about midnight.
| The head-liners play their customary two
| turns, but those lower in the artistic scale
| play ION demand generally about four
times. If an act is particularly weak II Is
l Ggat,o n,,t no nft6i o--in
| English, to tire it into leaving the house
and making room for the line waiting in the
| lobby.
The low-salaried vaudeville actor there
| fore eschews any Christmas dinner, ana
| HES himself to the nearest Quick-unch
| counter, there to feast on turkey sand
| witches execrable coffee and pie as heavy as
| his spirits. BY The time he has done his last
| turn on the stage he is more ready for bed
| than the festive board.
To the unsuccessful actor Christmas is
likely to bring that blessing of the Rialto
turkey date
| Scattered within easy access of New York
are numerous small cit es, or, more prop
erly speaking, towns, where good shows
never come. OF these the catch-penny man.
ager keeps list, and on quick notice he
scours Broadway for cheap unengaged tai
ent, from which he organizes his company,
rehearses it hastily in some playhouse
whose royalties have expired, rushes some
cheap printing upon the poor unsuspecting
| town and lands there bright and early
Christmas morning. The population, show
hungry welcomes the holiday diversion ard
packs the town hail. matinee and night.
The actors are thus assured of a good
| Christmas dinner and supper and a per-
| centage of the box office receipts. Usually
| these are divided according to the impor-
| lance of the roles played by the actors. This
| will tide them over until New Year day,
| which brings another turkey date
Many an actor now featured on Broadway
! has played his share of turkey dates
ny,a in, hnrr wit,
| GATES. he put on The Clemenceau Case
not abashed that the cast called for no less
| than twelve capable actors, and quite ra-
diant over the returns of lone Christmas
dinner with trimmings" and S125 to be d-
vided among the actors.
How the Holiday is Used for Adver-
Using.
A holiday feature which falls upon Sun
day night directly following Christmas day
is the annual festival for stage children.
This movement started in small way in
1888. with Aunt Louisa" Eldridge at its
head. 1t has now reached such proportions
that its founder has been compelled to tuIn
it over to younger hands, and complete
organization has it in charge. All children
of actors. as we'll those that play regu-
larry on the stage. are provided with
tickets.
The celebration for the poorer children
starts early in the morning, when COM.
mittee of women receives them and provide
them with new clothing which will make
them presentable and lght-hearted for the
evenings proceedings. The celebration
proper opens with a stage performance.
given entirely by children. followed by
banquet in the basement of Tammany Hall,
and closing with a general distribution of
gifts in the great hall above. Three great
trees bear the presents. Santa Claus Is
present in person, and it all costs the round
sum of 50 600 most of which is provided by
successful stage folk and such outsiders as
the Vanderbits. Morgans. Goulds and
Whitneys.
There is still and always will be as long
as the stage lasts a certain class of people
who divert the holiday spirit into advertis-
ing channels.
This includes the manager, who feaSts
| his company behind the scenes and calls in
newspaper men and 1ashlight photogra-
piers He gives his wife diamonds and
real estate that his success may be heralded
broadcast. and his company feels it incum-
bent upon it to present him with suitably
engraved gift, preferably loving cup,
whose inscription will show up well in the
morning papers.
In the same class stands the theatrical
mamma" She keeps the professional pub
locations duly informed of the gifts her
promising daughter receives, from diamond
sunbursts to gold-clasp garters-with the
names of the donors attached.
But whatever the gathering along the
Rialto on Christmas night the heart of the
actor goes out to his brother on the road
and lifting his glass at the close of his
days work, he excaims:
"It might have been worse. So here's to
Christmas on Broadway"
ANNA s. RICHARDSON.