The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-08-11
BOOKING TaE ACTORS
GLIafPsEs OF STRENUOUS LIFE
IN THE OFF SEASON ,

Last winters BAD business Has LEFT
Its Mark on the Rank ana File of the
Profession--At the Agencies.
It is between the acts in the theatric-
al world, and yet it is the busiest seas
on. The apparent paradox is explained
by the fact that, to most actors and
actresses. getting engagements for next
winter is about the most strenuous part
! Of their work.
Every day is busy at the rooms Of the
Actors society. in Fortieth street, where
there is roster of about 5000 MEM
bers, to say nothing Of the affiliated,
who number about 1000 more and are
scattered all over the country from
Maine to California, as Is the way with
actor folk. Here those who are out Of
! a job come to see what their chances
are and those who are already booked
come to look at those who are not, to
get their mail, to exchange calls and
get into the professional atmosphere.
The bad season of last winter has left
Its mark on the rank and file. There is
ia constant succession Of hard luck
stories. You could listen all day to the
account of how such a company broke
up In Deadwood, how another played to
the poorest houses ever known. and how
tstill another had to walk the ties to get
home.
The bad luck Of what one manager
called the hardest season he had ever
known has resulted in the sight ofmany
who have been accustomed to spending
their summer under the spreading
boughs, on the beaches, or in the noun
tains, begging for engagements in SUM
mer stock companies, where they can
at least pay their expenses until happy
days again. 1t is hoped that these days
viii follow the election. Until then. so
they say. nothing viii really be settled
in regard to dramatic matters.
IN the reception and business rooms
lof the Actors Society you can see every
possible type with which you are fami-
liar in tragedy. comedy, melodrama and
musical skit. The heavy comedian who
|drags his stalwart form through the
door has an eye for the girl in blue
seated in the far corner while he de-
mands mail of the little girl behind the
bars who looks as IL she might play I'M
|derstudy for some village schoolmis-
tress at a pinch.
In contrast with her is the young
woman with the knowing look. She is.
out of an engagement. but it is quite
evident that it will not be so for long.
she has the trick of the. sidelong glance,
like Maurice Hewlett, Queen Mary, and
tho trick Of the shoulders Another
girl watches her entrance, which every
one of the masculine wall blossoms stops
reading and chatting to observe, and.
says the other woman:
never saw a girl vet that moved
her shoulders up and down that way
who didn't get on with the men!"
The shifting shoulders move toward
the stairs and the line Of men moves
restlessly. There is a manager in the
group. He. asks an psttache, in pink
striped shirt and SCARLET tie the girls
name He gets 1t and half an hour later
the lady Of the shifting shoulders and
the manager are arranging terms In q
corner of the hall.
The stage ingenue comes in. She is
arrayed in short, full skirt of blue,
with blue and white rufiles. a, full waist
like those once known as baby waist;''a
She has string of coral beads about
her throat, a blue parasol with white
stick. which she sucks once in a while;
her hair is done In two braids down her
back and is tied at the top with swirl
ing bows Of grosgrain ribbon. For other
properties she has a lisp which must
have taken her long to acquire.
She might be IS. II she had let nature
have its way, hut she has not, She has
routed old nature. hand and foot. Be
hind the footlights, with charitahly
inclined spotlight, she might pass for
i6, even to the row of baldheads whose
unerrtng instinct for theatrical ages has
developed in direct proportion to the
lose Of their hair
There is youth with her who is sup
posed to be her senior and who tram
sacts the business. She does not VEN
ture to interrupt--she is too young but
is seen and not heard. as all good child
rem should be. Apparently Rochester
is in need OF just such an exhibition of
maidenly innocence. and an engagement
Is arranged then and there.
There is an older lady of the emo
tional school. she Is wringing her
hands and weeping softly in her hand
kerchief as she tells a friend of her
theatrical troubles. As nearly as one
can make out, a city In the West was SO
unkind as not to care for her Ophelia.
But you never can tell about Western
cities, as the friend announces, and the
Clara Norris lady dries her eyes and is
conforted.
The man who looks as If he was
initiating somebody, but who really is
not. comes In, looks about at the girls
taking stock. He is met at the door Of
the inner room by a striped boy, who
announces that somebody wants him at
the telephone.
'tAh, ha, my wife at last" says he,
moving fundamentally toward the
wire.
GIVE her my regards" calls out a
stout gentleman across the room, who
looks the heavy father. .,.
If you ask the location of anyone you
are shown by means of a gesturing
thumb and wink, They all have the
d - -. 81,