Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-12-04
THE STORY OF AN ACTRESS.
Preparing for the Stage-First
v,TwasY Night. eErEeHCB

series of papers, entitled Going on the
Stage" purporting to be the narrative Of
an actress experiences. The writer de-
clares that very early in life she " decided
to cultivate contempt for Mrs. Grundy,"
and having travelled in Europe, Asia and
Africa, finally found herself without en-
ployment, and determined to try the
stage. Her friends invited her to con-
slider whether or not she was " in a per.
fectly sane state of mind, secuted the
idea of "a lady" adopting the drama as
a profession, and even went so far as to
denounce actresses in general as persons
not entitled to consideration. Her an
swer was, that many women of virtue
have become actresses, that the practice
of the dramatic art was delight to her,
and that she saw no reason why she
should not make use Of a natural gift;
and SO, promising to preserve strict in
cognito, she began. The aid OF a master
was obtained, hard study undertaken, at
titudes were practiced before the glass,
and the process of education for an ap-
pearance before the foot-lights went
ON for several months, varied by such
experiences as the following; en-
There are many KINDS OF talis' ana
judicious, graceful fall has often re-
deemed an actress from disheartening
faint praise. l so managed faints and
such like quiet falls; but there are others
of a much more uncompromising charac-
ter-Romeo's fall, for instance, when,
despairing Of obtaining Juliet, he dashes
himself on the ground IN the monk cell,
taking the measure Of an unmade grave.
My coach suggested that | should prac-
tice this fall, which did accordingly;
and, with some trouble and good many
bruises, succeeded at last in reaching the
floor with the proper expression OF reck-
less desperation. One day, when boast,
ing of my achievement, l got, well
laughed at by some irlendsI VINO nad q
very faint idea OF the diihcuity. 1 chai-
lenged them to try the fall, and offered
to alloy them ? mattress, In c0nsldera'
ton Of their being aMategrs. The offer
was accepted, and two GlK loot seorners
failed ANONYMOUSLY. They fell every
way but the right one-on their knees,on
their elbows, on their sides, but never
had the courage to dash themselves head
foremost, mach as o swimmer does when
taking dive"
The preliminary stages finished, oHF
actress prepared for the public stage,
and played her first part as Rosalind, in
"As You Like IT" The failure of Oil
yer in the performance produced a sin
gular effect, for which Rosalipa vas NOT
70 blame-but the story, of which she
tells as follows;
GOn the first night of our performance,
an event occurred which totally upset
nv gravity; and, indeed, that Of the au-
dance. too The long and rather thank
less mart of Oliver was given, at a day s
sbougIt himrelfan undiscovered Kemble.
He condded TO me in the morning at re-
hearsal that the speech at ths end Of the
fourth Get was too long for him fo GOA
init 10 memory In the time, but, said be,
I'll lust paraphrase it. The scene to
which allude is very well known. Oliver
enters TO Rosalind and Celia, and tells, at
considerable length, the story of the rescue
LV his brother from the deadly sting of the
snake and The fatal assault of the sucked
and hungry iioness.f lie presents Ro-
saIiud' with the bloody napkin sent bg
s0rIando as proof of the true cause Of
his falling 10 keen his appointment with
her Divers sto,y "a about seventy
Tnas in the telling The 6,st feg l;Ess
ha of course knew very we'll. and the
nsory :. also was fairly in his memory. He
s"nSrd;nslv ,o proceeded boldly 10 impro-
x;se Shakspeare, and it was with the
Ifr~t hnf 0F M