ACTORS' SALARIES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1591, 13 May 1887, Page 4

ACTORS' SALARIES.

The question of actors' salaries, which has been raised bv the Conover case (says a wrirer in Life), is deserving of attention. Prima donnas, or, if you prefer it, prime donne, have ruined grand opera by the exorbitance of their terms, speculators being no longer able to run an efficient company at a profit; and it seems as if leading actors and actresses were bent upon doing as much for the drama. Miss Amy Roselle' who, although a useful actress, is nevertheless like the fly in amber of type, " neither rich nor rare," was in receipt of £3O a week at the Olympic. Ten years ago, when talent was no scarcer than it is now, such salaries were unheard of. The political economist will po doubt tell us that an article is worth exactly what it will fetch; but the theatrical market, for reasons I have shown elsewhere, is not entirely ruled by political economy, but is subject to a great extent to the vanity and caprice of individual speculators. Under these circumstances, a scale of fancy salaries ior actors and actresses has come into operation, and it is to this that I would now call attention. The theatrical market is, in fact, in a highly artificial and unwholesome condition; and unleps the parties concerned are inclined to listen to the dictates of reason, they will assuredly ere loDg have cause to repent their wilfulness. Actors should remember that it is a bad policy to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. If actors are overpaid, what is to be said of music-hall singers ? One of these gentry draws uo less than £IOO a week, together with a share of what profits there may be remaining after his and other similar claims are paid. The " artiste " 1 am alludiDg to began his engagement on a written agreement stipulating for £7O a week, but has since had his salary raised to £IOO. Hearing of this from a theatrical manager with whom I conversed the other day, I expressed my surprise at the agreement which was already so favourable to the actor peing allowed by the management to be rescinded in favour of a still more oppressive one. " You don't know these music-hall people," he replied; " what they (sign is immaterial. If afte? the bargain is

made they'don't like it, they wouldn't scruple to refuse to go on some evening at the last moment unless the management complied with their demands." The public has a direct interest in this question. It is the exorbitant claims of the profession that keep the prices of seats higher in London than in any other European capital. Tou can get a stall at the Francais for 9 francs (or say 7s 6d), while at the Lyceum it will cost you 10s, and at some other West-End theatres 10s 6d, all other parts of the house being in proportion. If some manager would have the courage to revert to seven-and-sixpenny stalls, and insist upon paying his company accordirg'y, his fortune would be made.

Madame Sarah Bernhardt, who is a genius, and who, therefore, sails far above the prosaic laws of supply and demand, has, I learn, made a prodigious haul in South America, where she has been on tour with a French company. She played in three pieces only, " Theodora," " Feadora," and "La Dame aux Camelias," and netted, in the principal cities of the South American continent, £72,000, of which something like £20,000 falls to her individual share. This is pretty well for a nine months' tour. Sarah is now on her way back to France with her loaded coffers, and means, it is said, to write an account of her tour. If she tells everything the book will be piquant rreading.