The Make-up of the Theatrical Company:
An Over-All View
THE PATENT THEATRES
The general categories wliicli made up a professional licensed company
)'١ this period have already been touched upon in tliis Introduction, of major
importance were the owner managers, all but four of whom also acted
(Harris, Rutherford, Dagge, and Leake). Tliey were capable men wlto knew
the stage from long and most intimate experience. Their judgment in
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plays was often questioned by tlie press, but their administration,
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general, was just. By und large they pleased their actors and tlieir public.
Their theatres became tlie most brilliant places of entertainment in Europe.
the managers experienced personnel problems, liowever, especially in
dealing with stage temperaments— actor, actress, dancer, singer, servant,
and author. Kitty olive's letter to Garrick upon his retirement presents in
a nutshell the general difficulties of managerial life, and praises Garricks
equanimity in mastering tltem:
the lieight oftlie public admiration for you, when you were never mentioned with
.
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but the Garrick, the charming man, tire fine follow . . . when
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؛ع::ي ل
everything you
and everything yog scribble
...I... was
witness that they did not know, nor could they be sensible, of half your
I have seen you with your magical hamgaerin ygur
en
Cat your ideas into tile heads of creatures who had none oftlreir own-1 have seen
with lamb-like patience endeavouring to make tlrem comprelrend you, and I have
by
٠ you when that could not be done— I have seen your lamb turned into a lion:
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great labour and pains the public was entertained, they thouglit they all
ted very fine— they did not see you pull the wires.49
li Actors. As nearly every play presents its leading role, its second
I : of support, its tilird level of functionaries, and its fourth level of speech-'
٢٥: populace, so eac
of
companies maintained actor personnel upon a
r ’evel structure, from its leading performers down througli its supporting
;;r to fts S"pers. But skillful performance and pvidence of popular favor
bring advances to those in lower levels rapidly. Actors at the peak of
49 Sec Private
Correspondence of David Garrick, w, nl
lxxxi