Life, 1903-10-29 · page 8 of 20
Life — October 29, 1903 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a theatrical satire from *Life* magazine. The scene depicts what appears to be a stage director or producer (center, in vest) speaking with a military officer (right, holding papers) while an actress waits (left, in ornate costume). The caption mocks theater economics during what appears to be wartime—the director proposes hiring unpaid actors "back there who haven't had their salaries for three weeks" to play bears in a second act scene. The humor targets: 1. **Theatrical desperation**: Productions struggling financially 2. **Labor exploitation**: Using desperate, unpaid performers 3. **Wartime conditions**: Suggests economic hardship affecting the entertainment industry The military figure's presence implies this occurs during wartime when resources were scarce and salaries went unpaid. The satire critiques both the theater's financial mismanagement and willingness to exploit vulnerable performers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ACT, WE WANT SOMEBODY BEUIND TUE SCENES TO GROWL LIKE A BEAR. MAVE YOU ANYONE Wilo CAN Do THAT?” ARE FOUR ACTORS BACK THERE WHO HAVEN'T HAD THEIR SALARIES POR TUREE WEEKS, THEY WOULD BE GREAT AT IT.