Show Going on the Stage By Maudle Banks daughter of General Nathaniel Na-thaniel P Banks I suppose it would be difficult for the en thusiastio young woman who sits in front of the footlights and who longs to bo an actress to realize that of all tho experiences experi-ences that await her the surest the strongest the most lasting ishumiliation 1 Humiliation at the start humiliation ate th at-e middle humiliation at the end And moro helpful than lessons in elocution S dancing or fencing would be tbe accumu ation of force to endure it Oh no says the enthusiastic girl in front it all looks so independent so ox citing so brilliant I That is impossible I Yes I once played with a girl prettier that an the averageyoung very sweet and th-at Sue always went for the corners cor-ners whenever you approached she involuntarily in-voluntarily moved aside to let you pass When I got to know her bettor I asked her why Oh said she people have sworn at me so much I have learned last never to stand in any ones way There was nothing very independent or brilliant about that You cant make girls understand under-stand anything she went on everybody told mo this was a hard life but 1 only laughed always feel like gasping when hear that somebody baa gained a start upon the stage It means so much I So many cruel rebuffs such desperate forcing of ones courage such a lot of tears choked back such a lot of pride crushed down such tired feet such hardening of ones better bet-ter nature such barter of ones selfre pent I Well it is done and the worst is paste w past-e think I But ono season is not a lifetime I Oh we may bo very good we may do everything satisfactorily we may show wo aro mado of the right stuffback we must go to the managers door and wait our turn wo must enter with the old humility hu-mility attend his leisure or convenience smile when he smiles and pick up the crumbs he throws us with thanksgiving thanks-giving All this we do to get an engagement When wo have it we do more Vo ransack our brains and we empty our pocket book to get all we may need for it isnt pleasant to borrow bor-row times we cant Vo carry our own bags we take the poorest rooms or light our own tights at the hotels we go to the theatre alone and wo try to keep on the good side ef some man who will walk homo with us If as ia generally the case weave hh we-ave a small salary we go to bed cold and hungry and we are rapped up at four five or six in the morning to start for the next town One day is like another except Sunday and when a few long long Sun days have passed wo are glad to have any body como and talk with us oven the man we thought too vulgar to speak to when we started fresh from home At tee theatre we have to run up two flights to a dressing room and be down In five minutes we hare to help the best scenes go right and be sure the principals got their calls wo have to no matter how we feel or what wo want we have to get tho laugh we have to get tho tears we have to get the gallery hands whicn aro due to the piece We are hoarse and wo must speak with a sweet voice our eyes swim with headache and we must bo sprightly on our toes wo may faint after tho lourth act but we must be in position when the curtain is rung up on the fifth The enthusiastic girl in front expects t o make a great deal of money with her talents I suppose There is a fascinating legend afloat that other people pay for actresses meals and recreations But it i s not so it all comes out of that same thin pocket book which provides the dresses the ornaments the advertising flourishes and the handsome photographs Othe people do not do anything for actresso s without expecting paymuch more costly pay than the last few dollars out of the thin pocket book This is the most expensive expen-sive delusion actresses and wouldbe actresses act-resses have It costs a great many health courage character and life When a woman pays with her wits or her smileso r with anything but money she will find i n the eud that no quicker or more certai way could she have taken to bankrupt herself her-self Another thing K dashing smart unscrupulous un-scrupulous woman will outstrip twent y cleverer handsomer batter women In getting get-ting a position getting a salary getting a success of notoriety It is done every day and no wonder the enthusiastic girl u front thinks It pays Does it1 Ask the dashing unscrupulous woman in ten rears < + rr t I in five In three No need to ask her look at her and answer yourself I said to a woman once an actress Stage life Is pretty hard on a woman 1 Hard she replied it is Impossible I said to a man once a doctor Ella R a mutual friend is going to leave the stage because she says she cant keep respectable re-spectable on it What do you think of it1 I think she is right but it wouldnt do to say so Why wont it do If it Is desperately hard for a woman to keop on her feet why not say so and let the butterflies which after all are butterflies and not earthworms earth-worms find some other brightness less poisonous to feed ou 1 Many I daresay mostpretty weak girls would rather be flood than vicious if circumstances would help them Well lot us tell them circumstances circum-stances are not helpful behind the footlights foot-lights Let the amateurs at virtue who shipwreck themselves and our profession go elsewhere where life Is easier and leave room to tho people who can endure as well as act I know it is a widely accepted theory that one cant do both but theories have their judgment day as well as men and it is time for some kind of a judgment day here Lotus say an honest life on the stage is a giants task and perhaps the giants will come and help us At any rate let us say it loud and frighten the butterflies Ladies Home Journal |