New-York tribune., 1907-10-13
REHEARSALS.
As TO SALARIES.


IS that of aoupayrnent for rehearsas. The SUBJECT
has caused much contention, but. aside from the
exceptional cases of IA few fortunate performers
widely popular and therefore able TO make thel
own terms with managers, there has peeh no
practical relief It is not meant that actors desire
payment for rehearsals while they are employed
in regular engagements. The present writer mas
had wide and intimate acquaintance with ACTORS
and he has heard them hold forth on many SUD-
;ects; bit re has never heard from any actor d
pea for salaries for rehearsaIs OF reasonable lehsIH
during regular engagements.
As a rule the actor Will. without dissatisfaction
or complaint at the beginning of a season. deVole
10 rsileacsals from three 20 SIX weeks, without
extra. comp pensatiou, wEea he is reasonably as
sureG of a f-lrly long Season thereafter-a season
OF not lss; thsE tweaty weeks. II Is 10 non-pag-
ment for long, tedious rehearsals when ne mas
been eJgaCed.--ss. in tl:is improved ana a-to-
...;.ar blessed ;,G.ny present, he generally Is
FOR the run os She piece" that the actor o3jects-
The reason is simple and decisive Under th'at
arrangeIneaI AZ may be Obliged TO rehecrse'
net infrequently morning, afternoon. and evening.
for between two and four weeks appear perhaps,
only three or four times, and draw only half OF
one weeks salary Tor all his WORK That is not a
pleasant prospect anybody: least of al is it
pleasant 20 persons whose salaries range only
from Si5 To $50 week
In some places the actor, result of that in
Justice is mpeiIed toward "tIddes unions" as
means of protecting himself 1t is only essential
10 the perfection OF the present magnificent busi-
its glorious multiplicity of advantages, that the
actor should be affiliated with the day laborer and
Ihis be made liable to be called Out on syTnpa-
thetic strike" because some grip resents having
been discharged for squirting tobacco juice upon
the stage. tT'he is, Of course. only imagt-
mary; no grip is ever discharged for that ofence)
The subject OF fair payment for rehearsals was
discussed recently at Trades Union Congress in
London and Mr.. Cecil Raleigh, theatrical mana
ger. delivered himself Of the following sapient re-
marks:
The actor. unlike the workman. does
mot como TO the theatre prepared to do his work
He does not, to speak, bring with him his pick
AXE and his screwdriver. Unless he rehearses
che cannot act You cannot engage actor to-
day and get him to walk on the stage tomorrow
land play the part Rehearsals are as necessary
ito him as 20 the manager
And be it remembered, necessary for the
benefit OF the manager for that Of the actor.
Logic does not seem TO be Mr. Raleighs strong
point; No one, presumably, would undertake to
dock carpenter for the time consumed, during
his iabors, in shifting sharpening his TOOLS nor
a painter, while mixing the Lead and oil for coating
house: a smith, for blowing the bellows to
heat his pieces OF iron steel. Yet all such work
is as much preparation the actors rehearsal is.
Give an actor a safe engagement, OF from TWEEN
tv 10 thir4y-fve weeks and he viii appear the
Ftage every night; he will rehearse every day ana
all day boiling a little food opportunity serves;
he will often act when he Is more Mt to be In a
without complaint: he may grumbe a little; he
always does; for the actor is, by nature, person
who likes murmur He will, however, 90 ms
duty. But 10 compel him to participate, without
payment in long rehearssls for engagements or
altogether dubious length, is an obvious ln)usuce
He ought not TO be thus injured. and there seems
10 be a probability that he will not much longer
endure that injury. The actors reasonaD4e claim
IS: Half salary for rehearsals, except for a sea-
sons engagement; and extra payment, at the one
FeaHar Toerfn
sails held when the whole day, as sometimes nap
pens. has been devoted to rehearsal.
That claim should be allowed. Managers are
compelled 20 pay their scene-shifers. electricians
musicians ETC. for rehearsas, and it is not just to
keen actors waiting hours. while lights,
windstorns and other mechanical effects are re-
hearRed. A press agent notice lately reached this
Office, describing a dress rehearsal OF a forth
coming play, that called TO begin at p.
an0 at which the actors waited, while preliminary
details arranged, till after a. m,-that is for
more than seven hours. If the not
paid Tor that time they i'll treated. Moreover,
how can an actor, after seven hours wait, be fit
rehearse?
Most plays are rehearsed too much. Actors
should be required TO attend scene
hearsals until the in perfect working
order Far too much time is spent in rehearsing,-
lime that might better be spent in study. Emer-
gency, Of course. occurs everywhere. when the re-
hearsals must be protracted, tedious and exacting
though they De:-and as rule at such rehearsals
there is never any complaint from the actor Henry
Irving and Augustin Daily, for example sometimes
held rehearsals from early morning until after
lmonight-though il Irving's rule, except in
cases Of necessity, that four hours should be the
limit Of rehearsal. Actors VIII recall numerous
other instances,-in companies of Richard Mansfield
Z II. SOtheTn, David Belasco, Henry Miller Miss
Viola Allen, Mrs Fiske and other stars. But such
protracted rehearsals are not needfaI as
a custom and when requisite they are needful for
only few Of the performers concerned. The actor
for example, who appears Macbeth may need six
weeks of actual rehearsal; but the actor who an
pears as Macbeth is, usually, the head of the
company; he is 70 receive a large salary; he is
20 have great opportunity of professional achieve
ment, and consequently, of making valuable
reputation. He afford the sacrifice ~ time
md labor. The case IS different with the auxllar
members of the company. The actor. for in
stance. 10 whom is inrrusted the drunken porter
in Macbeth" if he has been properly trained u
he knows his business act the drunken
porter after six reAearsals as well as he cotld
aiter sixty IL not. he is not competent and should
be oisinissed II is the same with several or rnos.
OF me other parts. 1t is distinctly wrong thsre
lore 10 exact from three to six weeks rehearsal
from the supporting company without recornpense
1or the dement, OF the few principal actors when
the run Of the piece may be ended after tFras
performances. Theatrical managers have things +,
iheir own hands in this country These rAmarks
are not intended to please them but are moan,
In the interest OF fair play for the actor II ac
iofs'-alTays generous in their response 10 tbe
calls Of charty,-received more Just treatment
there would be less need for Actors Homes ard
'oi 'Oeie'Ies w w.