| Show n ani I r DAY SCHOOLS ON TIlE THE STAGE J o School Children r Act in London o and Many Mans Good Pay PayS S n n n i 11 I n n i n n n n n 11 ww w w w w t Special Correspondence ONDON Feb privileged LONDON being permitted to room moth through L the tito mysterious places back of Qt tho the stage of ot famous old Drury rury lane Une theater or of any ono one of ot n a dozen other London at present nl would bo be Jo likely hikly to 10 pa n ii I memo scona that would h him hInt mightily In tho last ono one would think of ot looking for it II t he would find a II children childrens school In full blast maps on the tho walls vails black blackboard board hero and nM there thoro a teacher on the tha Ih and auth Joe children moro mora than that ordinarily bright bricht nd their th lr heads over their desks cloaks mat just as Ill If It tho the paraphernalia of ot nil all around them and till tho children themselves were not a I part of ot the tho show I The Tha anomaly 10 la duo ClUe to 0 tuG tho fact that hat thata i a r I parliament has hils taken a In the tile theatrical theatrical management At tho the beginning of oC this Ihl yer 2720 2730 children under H a Vera wera employed In Inthe the thu English theater chiefly In Itt haute panto pantomime mime Jut Hut parliament J decided that such employment was 1111 a bad thing for fat forthe the children unless ther education could bo be 0 guaranteed null refused to errant the tho necessary licenses unless rite tho theatrical managers undertook ulI to 0 wo see that thuir youthful actors antI and nl actresses got ot some schooling In other branches branched of education than All AU these theao children who are aro under 11 II said the tho paternal government must spend hours a 1 day In school At J theater tho the worlds world of ot pantomime over children are arc outplayed employed loed for tor the tho present run of ot Humpty and ISO COniC come within tho the school attendance axe IIse and nM spend their three Ihre hours houra tour oer eer V mornIng In tho schoolroom which Is fitted titled up at 11 the th back of Qt the enormous stage whereon no so o many annn great graat actors have played In past PIt generations This room Is provided 1 with all the tho acres peces accessories morles to make It tacit loot as IlS much like an ordinary day schoolroom as an possible and the tite system pt education Is similar to that of ot an tin ordinary school The rhe children ate atc divided Into grades ac no according cording to their educational attain attainments monte ments antl they their leMons set get them Ulem by a n certificated ted maam Their hours are arc from tram 9 II a n m In to 12 MIl anti four tour days a 11 week arc are devoted to rending history writing and nM arithmetic The Tho remaining days are arc devoted to sp special subjects B such aa ne geography map drawing and English literature The Tho rudiments of ot music and physical drill are not taught to el stage ago children by tho the school board boa reI authorities as OB they receive recelo instruction while rehearsing their parts In iii there thero departments of ot education Very tow few of ot the children at nt Drury Lane LImo have havo speaking parts Most of ot thorn thom take the part of ot toys toy birds and Insects ts In tho the ballote work for tor which whirl they receive for tor an afternoon and evening performance dally daily dall ft II sum surn rang ranging mn ranging ing from 20 to 5 a week weck At the tue Vaudeville many of ot the th chil children children dren dim have hao more Important parts to ploy play and are aro accomplished miniature actors and actresses They rhe are all well dressed and look clean happy strong and well fed Ced Roth Both boys bos and girls are aro remarkable for their good rood looks for tor only pretty children have hao any nn chance chanco of ot being be ng engaged on the stage Tho The hint tim attainments li iiii and l general knowledge j vi age of t these little stage folk are aro quito equal to In children of ot tho the same annie ago ngo who attend school nil all day da and who aro arc not other othor otherwise otherwise wise employed It Is n a strange ex ox experience to hear children of 12 and 13 talking with n a grave professional air of ot their engagements the tho newspaper notices they the have havo received the celebrities they the have met The girls In iti particular are precocious as B a rule al 01 although although though well behaved and ond seem Ilko young women of 22 with wiLl the bodIes of little children The Tho stage however has no effect one ono schoolmistress nor sor sorrowfully In changing tho the nature natura of or tho the boys Jo They were ns as troublesome noisy and mischievous she tho raid eald as the ordinary variety arlet of small boy ho bo Tho The keen kent observer how however however ever oyer can cat detect a difference In the boys deportment when they the aro itro at nt play pIn Instead of ot having games like 0 tag ball bali and tops amongst them themselves themselves selves they dance very cry gracefully and assume poses and bow to each cacti other III In a II most courtly One Ono little girl II named Rosie Campbell aged aged 13 told the tho writ writer er or she sho had beet been on tho the stage singe for tor five fie years during which period she had acted with Mm Patrick Campbell Camphell Forbes FarbeR Robertson on Seymour Hicks HIck I and She Sho was vau once at nt a n command performance of ot Scrooge nt at and was wa Introduced to t Queen Qu en Alexandra who shook hands with her find gave her a basket IJ of fruit Another little girl named Winnie Hall flail who tins has played leading lending childrens parts part such Buch no as the tho Dormouse In Alice A II co In iii Wonderland astonished mo me by observing that she sho hail had met the tho late lato Queen Victoria live five years year ago Nearly all nil the children at the Vaude Vaudeville yule ville theater have been continuously employed at salaries fabrics ranging trot train to UG 16 15 weekly for tor the tho last tour four years earll and moat niost of tho girls wear little lockets containing small email pieces ot of cake which formed part of ot tho the cako cake Queen Alexandra gave them personal personally ly Iy when they played In Quality Street nt at Windsor Castle by toyal orBI command The boys boy however possess no such mementoes and und on being ques questioned questioned one ono sturdy lath lad III named Albert who earns weekly al nl although although though thou he lie Is I not yet 13 said That cake caito was Willi too good to stick In a locket lockete Wo We e ate oto all nil ours quiet quid I J can cnn tell you OU Curiously enough the tho boys bos when whan they grow up Ut seldom stick to 10 tho the stare sta but go Into business The Tue girls however rarely quit the footlights arid and often otten become famous actresses Ellen Terry Jerr Terriss many oth other other er celebrities ce of tho the I stage started their career aa an fairies In van pan pantomime tommie when three or four tour years old MARSHALL LORD LOnD |
