Show air i ir 65 L alf r k i what whal shea isi all R I 4 de dej I 1 y 14 ACTOR it la Is an occupation which Is open to any boy of average intelligence telli gence who has the imitative faculty and can memorize readily it does not require genaus to become a successful actor but hard work nork and unflinching perseverance are absolutely necessary it Is not an easy ea sy way to become rich but by attending strictly to business a fair living may be made by C W JENNINGS A from time lime im byg memorial countless pages ky have hava been written adyle ing the youth of both sexes to shun the glamour and artificiality of the stage it la Is exceedingly rare to come across an article that would be of value to one who had chosen acting for hl his life work it to la a profession which should never be adopted without a proper understanding of its peculiar difficulties and dangers but it your boy Is convinced that he has the necessary qualifications and la Is prepared to face and overcome a host of preliminary nary discouragements discourage ments the following hints will assist him tn t a proper knowledge of the first stags at vo to he ve taken contrary to the general impression one does not need to be a genius in order to rise to a fair position in histrionic tr ionic circles in fact nowadays producers are seeking types rather than orators and elocutionists for instance some men even though in poor circumstances are endowed naturally natum lly with the outward appearance and bearing of millionaires such persons persona it if possessing fair acting ability can fill millionaire parts more acceptably than those who do not look plutocratic for the same reason a tat fat man la Is more naturally a fat manon the stage than a thin man made up to appear so as are also a thin man a hunchback a bowlegged man a bald headed map man or an unusually email mih man therefore it your boy has any eccentricities of physique or temperament his bis chances may be really better than 1 if he werd anything short 0 of high ability without them Ilo however wever there Is one essential which can be tested before he be makes a serious attempt to get on the stage his ability to memorize to become a successful actor be must be able to memorize with comparative readiness the average ordinary part consists of about five thousand words which must be committed to memory with absolute perfection furthermore in stock work where a new play Is put on once a week geeki an actor must be able to master this number of in that period your boy should test tits hla memory by one or more well known plays and trying to memorize different parts then with some one to read the other parts as they occur let him supply the part he has bus learned from memory this test satisfactory his next step would bo be to go to the tha manager of a theatrical company and ask to be given a trial should the manager have a play with some small part which he thinks suitable to the applicants general appearance the chance of getting employment would be pretty fair the only way to get the coveted start la Is to keep after the managers your boy will receive about 15 16 a week when he begins with a part and if the company should be on the road ho be might be paid 25 on account of having to pay his own hotel expenses all living expenses are always assumed by the actor the manager paying only the railroad fare by all means meana the abe most moat profitable class of work in the beginning would be with a stock company on account of the varied experience and trying out that hat your boy would get in appearing in a now play every week another advantage would be that the regular season la Is only from september I 1 to the end of april leaving four months of enforced idleness while stock companies are often busy the summer the bit actor tone one who has only a line or so BO to speak in a stock corn com pany la is paid about 20 a week having taly these theao few words to utter cipy not seem much but it has baa its ita place and an important one cite in the play it may be ba that all your boy his haa to do Is 13 0 to o enter and eay any ills hla lordship has baa arrived ain flar but this fit a distinct part and it be does tt it well in the exact intonation and mannerism of a butler in short if he be has mastered the part the stage manager will recognize it instantly and he be will lie ie promoted the next advance will bo be to general utility man at about JK e z week the utility man to la an actor who takes small parts and to ablerto gil ail various of this character next ha be becomes ft juvenile or player of i iran arts at 30 to 35 the tha promotion to character man follows follow this is R one of the th most important places in the company and one of the ol 01 first things your boy should do early la in lis hla stage life is to cultivate conversing and telling stories in dialect studying character parts stories and monologues and fitting himself to take the part ot of any peculiar character that may bo be called for without notice ile he can easily anticipate what he may bo be called on to do as ho he will know the plays that aro are to bo be put on by his company in the future character men are paid about 40 a week from this athla position your boy goes to that of 0 heavy roan man the villain of too the play who next to leading man baa the most important place lie ile plays opposite to the leading man and ono one cannot rise to the latter without having been a heavy man here his pay will be about SO 50 a week finally comes the leading man who gets about 60 a week lie ile la Is paid more than the heavy man on account of his greater necessary expenses tor for clothing A full outfit of evening suit with prince albert and tuxedo walking suits sack suits etc and all the haberdashery and that RO go with them required by the average stock leading man costs coats about on account of their still heavier outlay tor for clothes lending leading women are paid more than leading men certain conditions exist which bring about a higher scale of salaries pala than that here given in cities in which there Is lively competition between two or more stock companies salaries I 1 will be at lea least at one third higher where actors have acquired a considerable reputation orare or are able on account C of their personality or for other reasons to add to the tb drawing popularity of their company they may be paid at least double the salaries men cloned stars in stock companies who have achieved a national reputation such as nat goodwin Goodw ln james onell oneil or james K X hackett receive anywhere from 1000 to 30 00 a week the salaries of members of what are ar known as aa legitimate companies will average about 60 50 per cent above those paid to members of stock companies your boy will probably probable find and the th kind of work for which he Is specially before lie he has be enIn the busIn business cis very tong long andt and then lie should do everything possible to develop this as the specialist on the stage like everywhere else has a distinct and superior ability of his hid own to the advantage of his finances and reputation for instance one man has made such a reputation in tho the part of a waiter that he be devotes himself to that exclusively and to Is considered a necessity by managers whenever they have a play requiring a waiter lie he Is getting a week for his wonderful work in this comparatively ively unimportant and inexpensive part one of the largest in new york was so impressed by the excellence of hla his performance perform anca that be h told all his watters waiters they should go to the play and got pointers when determining the best means for your boy to make tits his theatrical start you should not fall to consider the dramatic schools and it if you can afford the expense of 75 to for the three months course and cost ot of living it lie he has to leave home it would be well to send bend him to one of the best the training to la good and furthermore managers are watching the work of the students out of every class gr graduated dusted several get positions immediately copyright 1310 1910 by the associated literary press pl MB |