Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-11
MORNING LEADER.
The Fate of Actresses.

Married ladies, who are in the profession
along with their fanniha-,-.-4.a- 4---lIs-
great drudges, having not only TO play the
mother and the mistress ut home, but to
perform their part on the stage as we'll
having to attend the rehearsal and the
broth-pot at the same time l was exceed
ingly sorry for one poor lady, who along
with a son and two daughter, was MEM
Der of the company ut ShIppham. Mater
nal ambition propted her to aid in for
warding her children in the profession,
and she sacrificed her own desires TO their
interest and frequently got well abused
by the manager for her pains. She has
since died, poor woman, and So has one Of
her daughters in question: but her SOD,
observe, Is getting On well, and Is now in
good position in one Of the first class pro-
vinciaI theatres IN England.
Seeing what this poor lady had to en-
dure, have often wondered, when ! have
read fine criticisms In the newspapers cult
ing up Mrs. So and So Tor her bad acting,
how it was possible for that lady to act at
all. She had three Young children to
nurse and attend 10, and the united sala-
ries of herself and husband were exactly
37s week-a little daughter icing thrown
in as sort OF make-weight. She could
have no soul for art, poor woman; what
with lodgings to pay Tor, stage properties
to provide, and money 10 lay away Tor the
next journey, which might, ior aughE she
knew be from Danube TO Dudley, she
could have bat poor time of it. The very
circumstance of the child thr own in 10
make mp the salary was an annoyance,
aha clam eh1rfe nd
would have, occasionally, TO wear satin
shoes.
Why stay in profession where there is
so much misery2 think hear my read
er say, "But what can the SO-and. Sos do
She was born in the profession, SO 10 sPeek,
and he, what could he do but strut on the
stage" True, his ambition is some day to
start tavern; that is, apparently, all his
art does for him-makes him long to
change Shakespeare and the stage for the
bar-the bar OF public house.
l have somewhere read of a great actor
who made up a lugubrious catalogue of the
ills he had fallen heir to, even atter he had
worked his way to the top Of his profession.
and had become a famous London actor;
and one of his grievances 1 remember was,
that there was in the green-room only one
glass, out of which he had TO drink in COM
mon with all the members of the theatre.
Poor felloWl Had he never wandered over
the country with his unprotected toes peep
ing out of pair of stage boots, and with
his property vest aiding to shield him
from the cold, and glad to beg drink OF
beer or milk to keep up the steam as he
Journeys along?
We suppose not, or in the luxurious err
joylnent Of his fifty pounds week, he had
perhaps forgotten those days; but / an
much mistaken if, like most of the mem
bers of the theatre at Shippham, he had
not passed years of his life without having
the privilege of drinking out of glass OF
any kind. Few of the small country the
atres have green room, and Shippham
wss no exception. As l have already
mentioned, we assembled in corner be-
hind the scenes, all huddled together over
email spark of fire; and never saw 9
glass there at all, except when a few of u;
might Join for bottle of ale, and borrow
such a vessel to drink it out Of, which We
all did in common. I very shrewdly sus
pect the great actor in question had many
a time to do the same thing-GlimPses o
Real Life