| CHAPTER I. |
| A PRELIMINARY PEEP. |
| PAGES |
| Admission Fees—Cerberus at the Back Door—The Awe-Stricken Stranger behind the Scene—Swarms of Actors and Employees—Description of Stage Settings—The Green-Room and Dressing-Room Explored—A Visit to the Dressing-Tent of the Circus—An Act that Beats anything of the kind in the World—The Female Minstrel Gang and the Break-o'-Day Girls | 19–27 |
| CHAPTER II. |
| A THEATRE OF SHAKESPEARE'S DAY. |
| Rude Carts as Primitive Stages—Followed by Stone Theatres with Pits for Stages—Theatres of the Elizabethan Period—Sunday Theatres in the "Golden Age"—Description of the Globe in Shakespeare's Time—Plays in the Times of Henry VIII.—Sign-boards as Scenes—Anecdote of Charles II.—The "Wits," "Clever" Men and the Vulgar Crowd—Pipes, Tankards, and Gossip | 28–36 |
| CHAPTER III. |
| THE AMERICAN THEATRE. |
| Davy Garrick at Drury Lane, London—English Actors sail for America—Voyage in the Charming Sally in 1752—The First American Theatre—The First Programme—The First New York Theatre, 1753—The First Performance in Philadelphia, April, 1754—The First Show in Boston, August, 1792—The Priest and the Spanish Lady—Elegant Theatres of the Present Period | 37–42 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
| AT THE STAGE-DOOR. |
| Front Door and Back Door Entrances—"Mashers" at the "Stage-Door"—The Cerberus who Stands Guard—Perquisites Paid to Him—Bulkhead and the Ballet Girls—The Tricks of the Scene Painter on the Girls—The Girls' Revenge—Bold and Heartless Lovers—Notes Pushed under the Dressing-Room Door—Alice Oates's Mash—Watching the Manoeuvres of the "Mashers"—Tale of the Pink Symmetrical | 43–54 |
| CHAPTER V. |
| BEFORE THE FOOT-LIGHTS. |
| People who Patronize the Theatre—The Young Blood—Members of the "Profesh"—The Giddy and Gushing Usher—The Bouncer—The Peanut Cruncher—The People who go out "Between Acts"—The Big Hat Nuisance—Anecdote of George and Harry | 55–68 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
| BEHIND THE SCENES. |
| An Amateur Theatre—The Author's Experience as "Imp" in a Spectacular Scene—A Trip to the Moon | 69–85 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
| IN THE DRESSING-ROOM. |
| Goodwin's "Make-up" for Hobbies—Booth and Company Playing "Hamlet" in Street Costume—Dressing-Rooms of Old-Time and Present Theatres—Louis Harrison Spoils a Play at San Francisco—How Actors "Make up" for Various Parts—The Hair-Dresser and the Actress | 86–105 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
| WITHIN THE WINGS. |
| The Stage Prompter and His Duties—Actors who "Stick" and some who "Never Stick"—A Popular Actress and her Useful Husband—The Firemen's Amours—Mary Anderson and Her Chewing-Gum—Emmet's Indiscretions | 106–121 |
| CHAPTER IX. |
| STAGE CHARMS AND OMENS. |
| Burning of the Southern Hotel and Kate Claxton's Presence—Superstitions of John McCullough, Raymond, Joe Jefferson, Sothern, Florence, Booth, Chanfrau, Byron, Thorne, Neilson, Lotta, etc., etc.—Courtaine and Ince | 122–143 |
| CHAPTER X. |
| NOT DOWN IN THE BILL. |
| Actors who Memorize whole Newspapers—Lovely Peggy—Kean Dying as he Played—Sol. Smith's Funny Adventure—A Masher made Serviceable—Charlotte Cushman and the Colored Bell-Boy who brought Down the House—The Call-Boy's Revenge—The Lecturer, Trick Candle and Trap Door—An English Performance of William Tell | 144–161 |
| CHAPTER XI. |
| THE ILLUSIONS OF THE STAGE. |
| Mrs. Bellamy and Mr. St. Leger in Dublin—Rousseau's Description of Paris Opera—Modern Mechanism—Producing Steam, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, etc.—Olive Logan and her Jewels—Snow Storm in "The Two Orphans"—Rain in "Hearts of Oak"—Rivulets in "Danites"—Funny Inventory of "Property" in a London Theatre | 162–182 |
| CHAPTER XII. |
| MORE OF THE MYSTERIES. |
| The Property-Man and his Duties—Sunlight—Moonlight—Twinkling of Stars—Ocean Waves—Fire in "Phoenix" and "Streets of New York"—Full Description of the Famous Raft Scene | 183–194 |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
| THE ARMY OF ATTACHES. |
| Broken Down or "Crushed" Actors as Door-Keepers—The Treasurer of the Theatre—The Usher—Orchestra and Leader—Stage Manager—The Scenic Artist—The Stage Carpenter, Supes and Minor Attaches, and Last but not Least the Call-Boy | 195–205 |
| CHAPTER XIV. |
| STAGE STRUCK. |
| The Young Man from Cahokia—The Box of Gags—Stage Struck Girls of Louisville—The College Graduate from Illinois—"The Warrior Bowed His Crested Head"—The "N.G." Curtain—Marie Dixon's Failure—Mrs. H.M. Lewis, of Charleston, Duped by Schwab & Rummel—Harry Russell Pseudo "Manager"—A Colored Troop's Curious Epistle | 206–226 |
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