THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2064, 16 August 1875, Page 3

THEATRICAL GOSSIP.

The Parisian correspondent of the Globe sends the following piece of amusing theatrical gossip :—" The Cafe de Suede, the resort of Bohemia and Alsatia, is crowded with actors and actresses from the provinces whose winter campaign is over, and who have come up to Paris in hopes of obtaining an engagement. They sit at the cafe all day long running out every now and then to visit the theatrical agent and convince themselves that their interests are not being neglected. At the cafe they hobnob with some of the small fry who haunt the newspaper offices with pnragraphs, to obtain which they have often to draw on their fertile imagination; the calumet of peace is smoked, the cup of friendship is quaffed, and the actor presses more bocks on his new-made acquaintance, in hopes of seeing his name in print in some -Paris journal. He is a true Bohemian of the se«f9~, and. buskin, but generous to a fault. Hjs salary is small, but he knows how to economise enough to bring him to Paris for a month, and to pay his contribution to the Dramatic Society, so that by aiding the aged and infirm members of the professsion he may one day in his turn reap certain benefits from institutioriihe has helped to support. The 'conversation which goes' on - between them is highly amusing.^ The 1 heavy father,' an old hand, is spinning long yarns to two youthful walking gentlemen, who hare requested the honour of his company to dinner. The tenor is humming a morpeau from Masaniello, beating time with his stick on the tin table in front of him, and scrutinising the passers-by as if he sought to discover the features of M. llalanzier in some of the promenaders; on the and thejeuhe premier' languidly nibbles at his ice, and dreams of the triumphs in store for him. All talk 'shop ' to a great extent; like a party of Gascons they are enumerating the successes they have obtained on the provincial boards, -and they narrate with the usual. florid details the applause which has been bestowed on their extraordinary talent To listen to thenj is both refreshing and amusing, for jalorisic de metier does not exist. They will listen to the recital of each other's trumphs, and none will care to remind the p man who blows his own trumpet with such loud blasts of the certain night ,on which he was hissed most unmercifully, -and when the bouquets which crowned his success were composed of the. baked apple, adhesive and unsavoury, theT'gods' in the gallery had purchased at a neighbouring stall to fling at the unlucky debutant who had failed to secure their suffrages, for in provincial towns the engagement made, between actor and managers has to be ratified by the public, nnd if the unfortunate comediafri fails to please the critical audience he has to seek for some other field where his talent may be appreciated. With few exceptions the salaries in the provinces are small; the women are paid next to nothing, and are expected to provide the greater portion of their costumes, while the men iiriarge towns, such as Bordeaux *■ and Marseilles, receive from £24i to £28

a month, in smaller towns the salary

seldom exceeds £16 to £20, while the *, sums paid to the minor actors, who have : .also to "supply theirown wardrobes, varies from £4 to £8 a month. To get an engagement in Paris, even in the suburbs, after years of hard work in the provinces, is the height of the ambition of the 'poor players '; it is the marshal's baton of his profession, and to him is the thin end of the wedge which will force open the gate that has barred the road to fortune. At this season of the year the Paris theatres are filled with " actors and actresses looking out for engagements, or who have come up from the provinces to study the by-play and acting of some public favourite in a popular play which is destined to go the round of the'provincial stage. The weather is warm, the theatres are deserted by the general playgoer, and the managers are very liberal with their tickets to the profession, whose small savings would be tdo heavily taxed were they compelled to pay the high prices of admission asked at the doors of the Paris theatres. In the evening the cafes near the principal ..theatres are visited by the actors and actresses who have beento see the piece. Some of the men have, perhaps, discovered a former acquaintance under his stage garb, and after the performance the .two old friends; meet together, the link of fraternity which binds" the players is strengthenedj and sacrifices, are made to ■Bacchus, while anecdote on anecdote is . told, and theatrical campaigns are related, just as if two old soldiers had met after a. long absence, aud were again fighting their battles over.