Evening star., 1909-08-29
Handling the Author and Composer

them the "business" of the numbers. Here he i'm
mediately finds more trouble. 1t has been growing
more and evident daily that some of the num-
bers will not go. This hard thing to determine in
advance of production; but frightfully bad song
be spotted without question.
The author and composer told, gently and
apologetically, that such and such number hasn't
a chance of success, and of course they take it
pleasantly. Finally, however they promise to write
a new one. This that the Stage Manager must
look around for an interpolated number; for,
matter how accomplished an author and composer
are it is seldom that they will be able to suit
Der of the company with song, once they have
given him one he does not like. No, write as they
may, the Stage Manager in all probability must look
to outsider for the right song More trouble for
him
AS to the Encouragement of the songs, it is per-
fectly plain that they cannot go they laid
out. The Ponies needed in certain numbers for
which they cannot make changes of costume in the
time allotted by the distribution of scenes.
Again the author and composer argued with.
By this time they are up in the air, as the saying
has it. More trouble for the Stage Manager He
must settle this. Either the pair must be brought
around, or their consent obtained to have some one
else make the necessary changes.
About this time, too, the costumes are being cut
into shape. They being fitted to the girls of the
chorus. ust this period is reached it becomes
absolutely necessary to discharge three four girls
This that unless Others exactly of their size
be obtained, new costumes must be made. The
manager does not like this. He and the Stage Man
ager have an argument. The Stage Manager threat
to quit if he is nterered with, and the manager,
And so it goes. People resign, are discharged, re-
main absent for week, forget to learn things, do
everything wrong in every possible way. And what
goes wrong it is the Stage Managers province
to straghten it out
The Man Who Does 1t All
TOWARD the end of the rehearsa1s it becomes nee
essary for all concerned to work night and day.
The Stage Manager eats in the theater. He talks
corrects scolds blames until he scarcely whis-
per- He dances with the awkward ones, trying to
he stems he
move foot after the other. He acts every part;
he sings every song. He changes the book chops out
whole pages at time, writes in that the author
forgets; in fact, he is and does everything He
must be chorus singer showg1r star soubrette
painter costumer musician, everything from top to
bottom of the entire works.
BY this time argument has place IN his system.
There is time for argument. What he gets must
be the result of demands, hurriedy given, quickly
obeyed. He is a martinez. And then, as the mo-
ment arrives for the consummation of all this work.
the dress rehearsal the tide changes All that he
is bringing order out of chaos They begin to appre
ciate what the Stage Manager has done. They tell
him what great man he is. But he brushes them
all away.
The dress rehearsal is al-night affair. Anyone
who has ever been present on such occasion knows
what it like. And after it is over and the company
has gone home for little sleep, the Stage Manager
is still about, making changes, the inevitable
eleventh-hour changes, to be ready for short
last rehearsal prior to the opening performance.
Then the opening! Let hope it is successful.
If it is, there cries OF Author! Author!" and
the men who wrote the book and music-origin ina1ly-
bow to the audience and receive their cheers. The
Stage Manager Why doesn't he out? He
wouldn't look WELL in his unshaven face with b1eary
eyes and unkempt hair. Besides he is too busy back
the stage trying to get twenty incompetent
shifters to put up whole scene in two minutes when
they have never set eyes on it before.
And when it is all over, he goes home to bed, SO
tired he cannot sleep. He must however, for to-
morrow there is Well let the morrow take
of itself!
So goes the merry life of the who realizes
musical comedies. The picture l have sketched is
not, many will bear witness, whit overdrawn.
In fact, words cannot adequately describe the four