The Greeley tribune., 1906-11-29

1uvtuk JtIc IuOIo luupOI Ihut parts
have the care of their own ward
robes. There are several families in
this company, and, by the way, the
stage carpenter, and his wife, the
wardrobe woman, Mr.. and Mrs. w.
f. Dewey, are brother-in-law and
sister of Mrs. j. e. Keefe Of this
city, and the youngster made up to
represent mis-shapen dwarf with a
big head, is their son, a sprlghtly
youth OF six, who draws his regular
stipend of five paper dollars weekly
and puts them end to end Ito make
long pay roll"
AS the actor folks get their be-
longings in shape they congregate in
little groups about the stage and re-
mind one very much OF a lot Of sales
people during lull in business, ex-
cept that the girls are mostly clad in
wraps or wrappers, ready to slip
them of In second when about to
complete their dress for the first act.
The talk seemed to center very close
about the supper table, what each
had for supper and how much it cost,
for these who will soon impersonate
immortals are very mortal after all,
and each girl out OF her 500 weekly
wage must paw her own board bills.
The men ard leading ladies get
more, and spend more.
The laundryman was much in evil
dence. hurrying hither and thither
with clean laundry and bills for
same. And the stage hands are set
ting the scenery for the first act.
The caller announces Ten minutes
to eight and the little social
groups break up and hurry to put
the finishing touches to their dress.
At eight O'Clock Fifteen minutes"
is called. and the people begin to
come from their dressing rooms, very
much transformed into fairies,
gnomes, devils and imps, hard to
recognize as the same bunch of every
day people we saw few minutes
before.
At S:l5 Orchestra is called, the
music starts up, tue play folks take
their places In. twinkle the curtain
rises and the play Is on. 80
Back Of the scenes is not good
place to see the play itself. Every
peep hole and chink In the scenery is
pretty we'll occupied by the stage
hands watching the play and people
waiting their turn to appear. But
1t is an interesting place to spend
one evening, just the same. During
each scene the local stage employees
are instructed SO plainly as to their
duties as to seldom make mistake,
hence the lightning changes that
frequently astonish an audience re-
solve themselves. buck of the scenes,
into everybody knowing his duty and
1t promptly. The man
who jumps head foremost through a
piece of scenery doesn't alight on his
head, nor do any supernatural stunts
to keep from getting killed. He
knows that just back of those flying
doors stand four stalwart men ready
to catch him as he goes through,
and in the bed scene, to chuck him
back in twinkle.
One learns that it is work, and
hard work, too, this thing of anus
ing the public. The girls after a
specially taking dance with several
encores, come off the stage COM
pletely tagged out, while the funny
man after doing one of his stunts,
puffs like steam engine.
Nobody back of the scenes is sorry
when the curtain is rung down on
the last act, for it means the begin
ming of the end of their days work.
In the spare time not needed for
dressing between acts the people
have heen gathering and packing
their belongings, the scenery and
property as fast as 1t has served it's
use Is put into the hall and loaded
on the trucks, and an hour after the
last light is out in the auditorium
everything is packed and loaded and
the people are abed; but it is nearly
one O'Clock in the morning.
Thursday night was weekly pay
day with the company, and as the
last curtain dropped each member
rushed to the office, signed the pay
roll and received the weekly en-
velnpe.
AS an example Of the strictly
business way in which the affairs OF
the company are kept, Mr.. Yale re-
quires weekly report sent him,
showing for each night the exact
time of curtain rise, time between
acts, delays In curtain rise and every
tot -