Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-23

~ HRISTMAS time is usually when
the dear public lavishes it's con-
dolences upon the Thespians.
They are far away from home life;
families are separated; they put up in
hotels and have no settled domiciles;
they are without the Christmas joy and
spirit and most of all, they have two
performances a day and no fun. So the
dear public, ensconced in its own homes,
deplores conditions and expresses its
sympathy.
But does the actor or actress have
such a doleful time at the holiday sea-
son? Not always.
True, the glamour of the children, the
beauties ofhome and mother, the gayety
of the family circle are all absent. But
there is instead that prevalence of the
real Christmas spirit, the generous
hand extended to the fellow being not
bound to one by ties of blood, the out
pouring of pent up joy in unassuming
ways that really give, in their essence,
a finer tone to the atmosphere of the
gifts among blood kin. And there are
festivities which make up in happiness
what they lack in LONELINESS, and fun
such as no family knows.
There will be lavish sport among the
Thespians here this Christmas. The
SIOCk people nave dlTeduy their udy ldlu
out-or their night, rather, for all will
have extra matinees during the day.
light hours. Most of them will cee-
brate Monday after the show. The
Ferris company is especially fortunate,
as the season at the Auditorium does
not open till Tuesday, so Florence Stone
will have great feast and tree for all
the company at her new home which
Will be one round of pleasure. The Be
lasco and Burbank people have largely
gone into homes, and they will join one
another. as individual taste and fancy
dictate in rousing times in celebration
of the period. The Orpheum bunch is
most to be pitied; vaudevillians travel
in pairs or small cliques, and while
there Will be doings among them there
cannot of course be that large gather
ing which will be Characteristic else
where.
The Maxine Elliott troupe will be en-
tertained in her private car, and that
gifts will be lavish the stack of parcels
at the Mason already bespeaks. The
SUnder Southern Skies" company at the
Grand will have no private car, but
equally large piles of parcels show that
things will be doing there, while the
company just leaving has it's own ham
per of gifts to break into after depart
1ng. It's celebration will doubtless take
place on the train-perhaps is over by
now.
Gifts are the real feature of all the
Thespians' holiday doings No class of
people are so generous one to the other
as are the player folk, and stacks of
remembrances will be exchanged by
both stock players and travellers.
Several of the hotels will have little
dinner parties of players, too. This is
a favorite way that appeals to those
who live beneath alien roofs. Trees
will be erected when possible; the punch
bowl will overflow and as every actor
or actress can do individual stunts for
the delectation of the assembly lively
fun is sure TO follow.
No, the actor misses the heart of
Christmas. i'm that he is parted from
those most dear to him and is far afeld.
But he makes up for it-and then some.
Here's a very merry Christmas to
every player i'm town. and may his
stocking bulge with presents and his
heart be light with the spirit OF the
greatest day in Christendoml