The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23
BUSY DAYS FOR THE ACTORS
MANY COMPANIES REHEARSJN0
UNDER FORCED DRiTGRT.
Not Enough Halls In Town 10 supply tho
Demand One Hall tut Into Four--Re-
hearsais From Early Morning TIL Late
nj Night-Out Of Town TrOupcs ISnsy.

The corner Of Thirty-third street and
Sixth avenue lacks at I o'clock in the morn-
ing the animation it exhibits later in the
day. Attention is therefore attracted by
the sight Of half n hundred men and women
going to the stage door of the Manhattan
Theatre, in Thirty-third street They be-
gin to arrive at Gas, and by 7:tS the door
has closed on the last Of them
One of the first to come Is an engrr, ner-
vous-looking woman with bright red hair.
She arrives in a cab, bows 10 the few mem
standing on the sidewalk and bustles in to
the theatre. This is Mrs. Fiske, ana sh- is
compelled to begin her rehearsals of Mary
Of Magdala" at this early hour because
the stage Of the Manhattan Theatre 10
used for "The Earl of Pawtucket" later in
the day Her case illustrates one Of tho
difficulties that confront managers just
now.
Rehearsal time has for some seasons
been a problem to New York managers.
Most Of the theatrical companies open
within few weeks Of one another, and all
begin their rehearsals for the season 40
about the same time.
The result is demand for places in which
to rehearse that it is almost impossible to
satisfy This state Of affairs led frm
Of producing managers to hire an aban-
| doned skating rink in Orange in which
they could conduct their rehearsals every
year and be sure Of finding room when they
! wanted it.
This year the situation is more difficult
to meet than ever before. The COM
panies are more numerous than ever. Last
| ~ ba fhoatrirnI uraarliaa
tanned the advertisement of hall which
could be rented for rehearsals, SUN
reporter asked the manager Of the hall
yesterday il there was still opportunity
in his hall for rehearsals,
"Nothin' DOM" he said, with a grim
satisfaction. Might have saved my
money and not put that 'ad' in at all. The
place was taken before it came out in the
paper and taken for longer than ] Was
ever able to let it before, even at this time
"One company comes at and then re-
hearses here until 2. Then comes another
until 7, and at that time the third begins.
| and they stick to it until they feel the time
has come for them to break up Finally
| the stage manager lets EN- out at II.
Il could have rented that corridor there,
besides the main hall, if the other COM
panies hadn't put up kick and said they
"ClC PoJ he enough w ~ bHV NIH1lc pihNU
while they were here.
| "A friend of mine worked a great deal
better game. He's the manager Of a hall
twice as large as this. Well, he divided
the floor into four parts with chalk mark.
That enables him to rent the four corners
to four companies at the same time. They
pay less for 1t, Of course, but the hall makes
great deal more out OF it in the end. Be-
sides, the rents have gone up this year
The reporter went to see the hall which
had been 30 profitably cut up by its shrewd
manager. 1t is spacious place on 10
parts that were about equally large. In
these stood groups Of from five TO ten per-
| SONS, who to a casual and uniformed
spectator did not seem to be taking great
deal of interest in what they were doing
| They were evidently acquainted in some
cases, as members OF one company would
move out of their allotted corner and go
and talk with people in other parts Of the
| hall.
I'm not in this scene" was the expla-
nation of one Of the actors to the stage
manager. "and I'm going over to talk to
Miss Butterfly if you don't want me here"
Miss Butterfly, whom he indicated, had
already edged her way to the outlying
chalk line of her reservation. But these
efforts were in vain.
But do want you here, said the stage
menager-a very hot looking man man in his
all the scene over again.
II was a preliminary rehearsal and mono
of the actors had learned his part. They
all carried little typewriter books In
which only their parts We're printed. Some
of them. studied these while they were
manager and others listened attentively
to the other actors
Don't interrupt me, one Of the women
said to another who came up to her. I'm
trying to find out what this plays about"
She had TO listen to the other actors to
accomplish that. az actors never receive
The entire manuscript Of play, but or v
their own parts. Their idea OF the play
in it's entirety is got only from the first
reading or what they are able to hear at
rehearsals
Preliminary readings Of plays are GUS
tomsry in the highest class companies.
The learning Of parts Ia also done IN large
measure at rehearsals. Actors read the
speeches from the manuscripts until they
gradually learn them.
Unless a part is long. they are able 10
master it by this means alone and need
devote no time TO memorizing II. When
a letter-perfect rehearsal is called by the
stage manager. a very few hours Of study
enables them to be in that condition even
II the part is longer than the average
The system Of having shorter period
for rehearsals than formerly has had it's
For the last fifteen years II has been GUS
tomary for actors 10 rehearse a piece for
four weeks, occasionally leaving out inter-
walls of a day
But there has been a rebellion against
this old-fashioned plan, and nowadays
rehearsals are held for about two weeks
only. II Ia thought now that better effects
are got from int ense and not extensive
work Two weeks are considered enough
now. and there are rehearsals and long
ones every day. Under the old plan IT.
was possible for two companies, rehearsing
on alternate days, 10 utilize The same space.
One of the city theatres illustrates the
present demand for space. The stage ls
during the day divided among three COM
panies The first floor of the broad lobby
is given over to two companies that share
it during the daytime and the smaller foyer
on the floor above is used by company
giving a musical farce. This theatre Ia
therefore occupied almost the whole day
by contingents of the same organization
Musical plays are often prepared before
the choruses and principals have to APP
pear together in different parts OF the town.
and the two sections are combined only nc
the final rehcarsas.
Lyric Hall il occupied by eighteen COM
panies rehearsinG when their turn comes In
the course OF the day. Some New Workers.
may think that only actors 40 we'll known
to them as John Drew, Maude Adams and
Annie Russell are rehearsing here now.
But that would he considered character
istic Of New York's provincial point OF view.
Among the organizations preparing now
A.llt-