The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27

Jessie Busley Is In receipt OF q salary OF
500 from Mr.. Frohman, who has told her
that she may never expect any more u
he has promised her employment always
At that figure. Miss Busley accepted TINS
offer as a kind of annuity and every year
hnds her with Mr.. Frohman.
Hilda Spong got a. leading woman OF tne
DAILY Theatre during her last year thefS
SITS week, but It Is doubtful Il she could
command that salary now, az she most uh
wisely allowed herself to grow stout ana
matronly. .,,o
Bessie Tyree got for short time $3.50
q week. 1t happened that she had the lease
Of the Madison Square Theatre. Tor whicn
she had no possible use, as her play mao
been complete failure. kirke Ia sh The
Earl Of Pawtucket."
you may have my theatre" Miss Iyree
said, -but you must take me along with H.
And cost $3.50 week
Thus it happened that for several months
Miss Tyree drew the large salary OF s1So.
But half that sum IL In excess OF what she
has customarily received.
Katherine Grey gets SIPS for her partici-
patton In melodramatio plays, and, although
she is 30 much better in sympathetic parts
that do not require her to wear sunbonnet'
she receives the same reward. Rose Cogn-
Ian, although she has ceased to be star, Is
able always to command $3.50 week.
w. H. Crane, Nat Goodwin and Il. II. 80
thern are really their own nagers although
their tours are directed by some manager
who gets small percentage OF the receipts
j. X. Hackett and Richard Mansfield are
openly their own managers, and pay no
percentages, but a salary. to the business
managers that they hire.
William Faversham, Charles Hickman
and Robert Eceson receive weekly salaries
Of $500 and percentage OF the profits, ana
the management, Of course. assumes al!
risk John Drew has the same kind OF
arrangements with Charles Frohman, al.
though his salary and percentage are, OF
course, much larger, and his earnings de-
pend in q large measure on the quality OF his
play. When he has q good one his earnings
may be very large, but when they are bad
they are horrid.
Lawrance D'Orsay. who is the star OF
"The Earl of Pawtucket" if ever an actor
was star Of play, had the usual experience
Of being full fedged star OF the most popu-
lar play in town at salary Of SIS a week
He was receiving that salary from Charles
Frohman when Kirke La Shelle borrowed
him for the part Of the Earl
Miss Tyree was getting $3.50 week, and
DOrsay, who was the star, got S76 until the
close OF the season. Now, OF course, he has
an equable contract by which he gets $3.50
a week and a share, and he Is to be starred
next year
Robert billiard earns so much more in
vaudeville than in the regular theatres that
he plays In it most of the year, His regular
salary IN dramatic productions is $500, but
he is not often engaged in this kind of work.
Jameson Lee Finney, who is approaching
stardom, is able to command a large salary
as the number Of light comedians is Shall
He receives s275 in New York and $500 on he
road.
rhorlao noltop ,lp-,ya raceiyad f,C0 n
week when he played the leading role in
The Sign of the Cross," and Charles FIoh-
man engaged him last year to act the title
role In ulysses" at the same price. The
production was postponed, and Mr., Froh-
man asked to be released firm the contract,
Offering to engage Mr.. Dalton the next
year Mr. Dalton refused, continued to
draw his salary without acting at all, and
when the play was given this year another
actor was engaged for the part,
Wilton Lackaye is one of the actors who
hold out for large salary and never act
until they get 1t. Consequently, he acts
only with Amelia Bingham who engages
the most expensive companies of any man
ager, or with j K. Hackett.
Aubrey Boucicault can always get $500,
and Vincent Serrano, who is but little known
to fame, happened to be youthful and good
looking enough to reach the 500 mark with
Elsie de Wolfe 8 company, although he
has spent much unoccupled time since
waiting for the same figure. Frank Worth
ington, In spite of the great disadvantage
OF his physical appearance, always COM
mands $3.50, and William Courtleigh. not
withstanding his good looks, has not yet
reached the 500 mark.
John Mason Is one of the men who re-
ceived more salary few years ago than
to-day. Now he Is to be engaged for $50
q week, and he received less while leading
man at Days under Daniel Frohman.
Robert Haines, who is still a beginner
here has not advanced beyond SIPS, but It
seems inevitable that he will. His contract
with David Belasco expires next spring.
He will then go under other management
unless no decides to be star in play by
his wife. In that case the tour will be on
his own responsibility.
These figures refer, Of course, to only
thirty or thirty-fve weeks out OF the year.
But even under those conditions. the popu-
lar actors of the stage make their money
easily.