The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-10-23
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the stage.


month. It's the greatest snap In the
world to be an actor. Think Of it.
$3.50 week." -
This young man voiced the general
opinion Of persons who are not IA
maliar with the conditions under
which actors work. Those who know
what they earn and what they have
to do to earn it do not deny chat
they are as body greatly overpadd:
but they also take into consideration
facts which the general public to
very likely to overlook.
Thus the ordinary actor Is not
employed for more than IS weeks
in the year, and In many cases the
period Is shorter. Indeed there are
few actors who stand so high in their
profession that they can compel man.
ayers to engage them absolutely for
whole season. They are always.
unless they are stars, subject to the
two weeks notice clause.
That means that in case Of the fail
ure Of play the company can be dis
charged by giving the members two
weeks notice, or paying salaries for
that time. This provision is, Of course,
necessary for theatrical managers who
might be ruined by being compelled to
carry an expensive company over the
country for whole season when the
business was poor.
Then the demand for certain kinds
Of actors n very great. Young men
of good presence to play leading roles
are not numerous, nor are there
enough women with notable charms Of
manner and personality to supply the
immense demand that has grown up
during recent years for actresses.
Only the popular players receive the
large salaries that reward the lucky
members of the profession. The great
rank and file must live with the great
est prudence to get along at all on
what they are able to earn.
The women stars are the most prof
table today, and by that is meant the
women who are really stars In the
old fashioned sense of the word. Wo-
men like Maude Adams. Mrs. Carter,
Minnie Fiske, Annie Russell, Julia
Marlowe, Mrs. Langtry, Blanche Bates,
and Henriettta Crosman are sure OF
large profits, whatever their plays may
be- One year their earnings may be
$15, 900 and the next twice that sum:
but they are In any case beyond the
chance Of having their careers sud-
denly ended because their plays fail.
The two most popular actresses In
this country are Maude Adams and
Mrs. Leslie Carter, and their earnings
during the past five years have been
enormous. Mrs. Carter IL under sal
airy to David Belasco, just as Mauie
Adams is to Charles Frohman, and in
to their fxer salaries they re-
ceive a percentage.
Viola Allen, when she became star
with the Liebler' company was not
looked upon by other managers as an
promising proposition. She
had a larger degree of confidence in
herself than the managers had in her,
for by her contract with the Lieblers
she arranged for salary of only 500
a week; but she got very large per
cent Of the profits.
Every play she appeared in was a
success and out OF "The Christian"
alone she earned more than $50, 900.
I'm the Palace of the King "The]
Eternal City, and "The Hunchback"
were all immensely profitable for her
Now she is so well established that
she can act whatever she wants to,
and In her revival Of Twelfth Night"
this year she IL to finance her own
company and be her own manager.
Mrs. Carter, unlike Miss Allen, does
not take large percentage and al
small salary. She now gets from Da-
vid Belasco $1.400 . week and share
Of the profits naturally no larger
share, az her manager takes on him
self the financial burden Of the per-
formances In which she appears. The
Carter plays have been 60 successful
. small share Of the profits represents
q large weekly income.
Maude Adams has probably never
cleared less than So, 900 year since
her first reason in The Little Minis
ter" BY her Contract With Charles
FrohmAu she gets . liked salary Of
$500 week and about 50 per cent ct
the profits. And any other manager