Theatrical Gossip

Southland Times, Issue 10996, 27 July 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

Theatrical Gossip

MUNICIPAL THEATRE BOOKINGS. July 25, 20, 27—Edwin Geach Dramatic Co. Aug. 7— I.A.D.C. (pencilled). August 10 and 12—Jessie McLachlan Co. A,ig. 15—High Schools' Gymnastic Display. Sept. 10. 14, L",, 17.—Pollard's Juvenile Opera Co. October 11- and 12—Musgro-ve's Grand Opera Co. October 21, 22, 23, 2-I—Allan Hamilton's "Home, Sweet Homo’’ Company. Nov. IG, 17, IS.—Salva'-ion Army Diorama, December 10 and 11—I.A.D.C.

airs Langtry. having heard from Mr able to stage” her new American play David Belasco that he will not bu iu -New York until Christmas, has decided to undertake a short season in Loudon, commencing in September, always providing she can laid a play to her liking. To that end she is now spending most of her time reading manuscripts. Thus the rumour that the "Jersey Lily" intended to retire from the stage is obviously incorrect. What is claimed to bo the biggest building moving over undertaken is about to be begun in the case of the Montauk Theatre, Brooklyn, which is to bo moved 300 ft from its present site to u new one, besides being turned round in the process. The lirst operation will be that, of raising the building from its iouudution to a height of ous or more feet, when the moving will begin. This will be accomplished by means oi about .17,00 jacks and screws 2ft in length, which' will be '.vofiled by hand, seven revolutions of all the screws beiiHg re. |iti res 1 t,, raise llu* building lot. The theatre, after being raised to the n.-cessary height, is to be placed upon a steel structure directly under ihe ground floor. 'After the building has been raised and rests upon the steel framework it will be moved upon steel rollers, which wU!_ in_ turn revolve on tracks constructed of railroad iron.

Air .1. C. Williamson’s new .Musical Comedy Company has begun upon the preparation of ite touring repertoire, which will come into operation when the Melbourne season closes, about the middle oi next month. Headed bv “ The Blue Moon ” and "i.M\ Cady Madcap” (rehearsals upon which piece have already commenced) the list will include "The Three Little Maids ” and " Kilty Oivy.” neither of which have so far been done outside Melbourne and Sydney. Tor New Zealand this repertoire will he made still further^ attractive bv the addition of “ The Little Miciius ” and “ The Gird from Kay’s," both of which Mr J. C. Williamson reserved for this company to do there. A fire occurred at Wirth Bros.’ Circus a ntl Menagerie a few] days ago at Rockhampton (Q.). burning a new canvas lent wonth £IOO, which was uninsured. The lire happened about 7 o’clock in the morning, and, lucky for the Mirth Bros., the local fire hri-ade was soon on the scene and saved tiic adjoining tents and cages of wild animals, although giving the wild animals the washing of their lives. The elephants caused great excitement, as they became exceedingly frightened, and it was extremely dangerous for the keepers to go near them to undo their log-chains so that they could be removed to a place of safety. Toby, the largest of the herd, threw' her keeper several cards away, fracituring some of his ribs and rutting him severely about the Iv ad, necessitating his removal (o the hospital. Baby Jumbo, when released, cleared, running oven every- ■: hi ■ in his way, and trampled upon a guanaco or llama, breaking two of its legs, causing it to be shot afterwards. Mr John Fuller, junr., of John Fuller and Sons, theatre proprietors and managers in New Zealand, is on a lour round the world tsnys the F.rn). his object being to gather information as to ithe way in which theatres arc conducted—the arrangements as to the stage anil auditorium. mechanical contrivances and general business principles—in the different countries. Mr Fuller has hist spent six weeks exploring the Continent, and is now in Bondon. where he intends to remain about a. month. He will visit the provincial

towns before proceeding' to America, -and thence home via • Japan end China.

\N ACTUKSS ON STACK MORALITY. NO SICCIOSS WITH CHASTITV. " For six long years .1. foolishly imagined that a woman might earn I an honest living in a calling known as the ' dramatic profession, LiitHe by lit lie. however, has it hem borne in upon me that even to make sulllcient no live upon is an utter impossibility, that is, if one slid wishes to retain one's self-respect." So "An Actress" allirms in the Grand Magazine lor June. the writer, who describes herself as " a country squire’s daughter, goes on to say :—" To achieve any manner of real success in an art which still means so much no some of us is onlt tor the iiidnitesinial minority, including the women who have money and can afford to mu a theatre lor themselves, or thosd who marry man-, agoi's or actor-amanagers. Ihe vast majority of the others who succeed have to” pav a heavy price for their laurels, promotion, more often than not, being at the co.st of all a true woman holds most dear. "it lies with the public to per-' form the operation of amputating the diseased limb which is crippling dramatic art in Great Britain by insisting that the boards of our thea.-, tres shall be trodden by actresses,' not by women whoso real profession | is illegal by Act of Parliament, wo-, men who parade the stage but for j the advancement of their own unavowab.e ends, and for the sordid gain of unscrupulous managers. . . In case no one can believe that things are so bad as 1 shall presently show, 1 am ready to stake my reputation that any six actresses, whait. one might term - straight women ’ tucked at random from London anti the provinces, would relate practically the same tale as my own “ Through the instrumentality of the actor who had given me my Just start, and, indeed, whose own company it was, i . . . joined a Shakespearean company for a tour of six months, at the salary of LI per week. .1 rejoined for another tour, with a rise of 5s pen .wee!-, aml (hat stun I somehow managed to put bv for rainy days, which were noli long in coming, ’the end of the tour \ lauded me in London, and uecessital- \ ed my making acquaintance with vho| ilrma lic agents. 1 very soon became; accustomed to bo addressed as ' my ■ dear.' to have my cheeks palled and; my hands squeezed more than is no- j cessary for an ordinary ‘ how-do-you-, do ' shake. 1 had been carefully coached in this ordeal by an old actress. who was never tired of assuring me that, to use her own word;, if 'i wanted an agent to get. me a ‘ job,' I'd just have to ' play up jolly well and fool ’em no end, the result of tilts Leaching was that one of these men put his arm round me and kissed me with the remark, ‘Come, little girl, you’re awfully slow, yon know, before .1. knew what had happened. As i did not waul to proceed any quicker, 1 had to renounce visiting that particular oilier. ‘ Once bitten, twice shy.' I told myself, so 1 proceeded cautiously with the rest of the agents, and was persuaded that J, was being qgUe charmingly diplomatic, steering an even course between the Beylin ot 100 much reserve and the Charybdns of unseemly familiarity. It was therefore doubly a blow to my pride when 1 was quite politely asked, to, go down to Brighton lor a and then I’ll be able to hx yon up a nice engagement when we come back. ’

"Ju desperation I at length be thought mo that I had a voice of sons, and 1 determined to try Lo get something to do in musical comedy 7. I obtained several appointments to sec some of the biggest managers this peculiar branch of the proles'' sion. • Vos, that’s all right.’ said one of the leading men. after hearing mi, sing ; ‘ now, what about the men V Mow many stalls can you fill ?’ " My face betraying my ignorance or astonishment, he explained with, out any unnccfissarv circumlocution ■ Now, my dear, it’s no good our humbugging each other. 1 depend upon my chorus to help to fill m> theatre- You must, know that, 1 1 t> useless your coming to me unless you" can make yourself agreeable. “ The plain words look innocent enough as I write them down, but the tone in which they were spolien gave them a hateful significance that brought a hot flush of shame to my, brow, and, murmuring something about ‘ thinking it over,' I departed hurriedly. Another equally wellknown manager in musical comedy business, after hearing me sing, said —but no, I dare not write it ; ’ a great wave of indiglnation comes ovcfme ns 1 recall the incident in all its hidenusness ! . . . This interview'

took place in a well-known agent’s office, the agent himself being present. ■V When lhe offer of a part in a panq tomimo came I reluctantly accepted, and signed n\v contract, the agent faking Iff per cent, of all I earned. . . . After a week I was astonished to receive a fortnight’s ‘ notice.’ 1 confided my trouble to one of the most decent of the chorus girls, and asked her if she could tell me the reason. ' Why, of course I can.’ she answered ; “ you’re top straight for “ Panto.” Watch the rest of the girls. You’d soon catch on if you took the trouble. I only wish I’d got your figure, my dear, that’s all.’

“ Ami I did watch, and saw ihe ' nods ami becks and wreathed smiles ’ to mysterious beings in the circle and stalls. I found that tin?

slipper invitations were accepted, likewise the e-cort homo,- wiiih ivsiilts satisl'aolory to all concerned, lor the .same men rame night allot' nit;it(. (o the theatre. I found thni I was the only our who iaile.il to ‘play up ’ in this-game. ami recag-uis-ed the i.-tcj. I hat my place could he belter Idled hy someone else who would.”