The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20
STAGING AMATEUR OPERAS
EXPERIENCES OF THE NAN " no
NAMES gr mss BUSINESS.

bANei1 ptuleH WuRD Q Loeoe tTtsnn Donna
d susIaenly rakea Im-ssrcoaloaal
Pr~seusaSaaIs numw On S1ascast ATas'
'eurs wAs oejeea % Isr'~g Moved.
To most psopls amateur tbsNtrioals
are a pastine 60 he indulged in ne mos,
two Or three times q year. but 10 New
England man whose present address y
Mount Vernon they are the main business
Of an active and varied existence.
He has for q number % years followed
the occupation Of director % amateur
operate performances giver In different
parts Of Tire country. usually 20 raise
money for local charities.
One week the director finds himself
In chRrgs % a production In some small
'Weateru town. while the next few days
find him In place lie lakewood drilling
. group Of young men end girls Again
the scene shifts and he visits the South on
. prolonged tour. remaining months.
taking in the larger cities and some other
Places where amateur drauatics are the
only form of theatricals in town.
Your profession must have the charm
Of novelty " was suggested
1T surely has. he replied "a fascination
all its own. Otherwise I shouldn't have
stuck 10 IL 30 long, for it is not the
easiest thing q man can do 20 earn .
living. For one thing. wherever I 60
naturally come In contact With the very
best az The community. both in the matter
% beauty and brains
-Of course there are lots Of times when
things look pretty darn. a.. for instance.
when the prima donna on whom you
based your fondsst hops OF success il
taken suddenly III two houTs before
the performance. or the electric light
plant Of the town goes on strike just ~
the curtain Ia about 10 rss upon the
opsrs, obliGing you to interpret Gilbert
and sullivan with few lamps. Or when
ths pig headed member OF the cast Who
refused to rshsa no sufficiently
makes bIunder which threateus IN spoil
the piece. but the genuine satisfaction og
tho voFk more than Offsets these minor
worries.
amateur talent for your psrformAnoesg-
well. usually ] am engaged by some
club % charitable institution with = long
list 81 patrons and pstross=ss=. These
are people prominent socially and finan-
ciAlly. Usually whom Z arrive find the
cast 10 already decidsd upon and in such
cases ! sndcavor 60 do the hest can with
the materials at hand. Nothing 10 more
lscessary than little diplomacy. coupled
sish an unlimited stock % patience.
though whsn the distribution 81 characters
10 90 mistaken that Il would end in certain
failure. say what think. frankly aud do
my best 20 bring about changes.
N1 ~uo Oou"i 70 20. O''a,'e
atones capttAhy nsista upon singlng inc
tragic hero part, ! usually try hun out az
, sinale rehaaruNl when. n he has Anv
,,,.a.U,.,e =, an n. LII r,.k. ,h. a.
...s.-- Ss..,S 10 80. go -. -,
'ON0'y "u"."' N"'. ~" Ws '
10 got into hls proper heid. Ihs female
pArts are an even nOrs dSlicAte proposi-
Hon, especially when complicated a. they
lften are by love Affairs and little neigh
Dorhood rtvalrten.
One Of the few towns to which ! never
.ad . recall lost thrCaGh . rOsnAnoe.
no young fellow who had most say IN
he affair vas sweet upon . certain girl
4 ths place and cass her Tor leading part
,sfcr~ ] lensned up On TIE hoTisoss.
'aW Rt once that she would never make
good IN y. She insisted and her lover
TODD ny her N e. wanting " possible
% save the performance brought girl
rom distance semi-protes-ional
Shoes talent had already gauge; and
,ass her Tor secondAry part. We'll. my
ittle s@ml-protesslcsinl importation com.
peets'y ontsunf anu outlooken the real
srlnA dcnna. Inc opera was saved but
ne pritns donns vac FURIOUS ann her lover
'lso, and although the AFFAIR was iinan.
,eAly 4 success We never hAd recall
rom thAt town 70 tnss Day.
inen yon ocfaslonally hring talent
rom otnsr pis,cee