The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-03-07
They Want to go on the Stage.

tates so many minds was WRITTEN 10 tne
New York ,S,m by correspondent
from Southern city
"There are two young ladies here who
are exceedingly anxious to go on the stage,
and have requested me 10 write you and
see If you couldn't give them all the neces-
sary information in regard to the matter.
Is there any place in New York where per-
sons are taught for the stage Who are
the parties and what terms do they charger
How long would they have to study be-
fore they are allowed to appear in public ?
have done all in my power to try and
dissuade them from their intention, but
without avail. have seen one of the ladies
on the stage several times, tnat is, in pri-
vate theatricals, and | must admit that she
has great deal of talent In that line. Be
sides that she is very highly educated, and
l think il she had chance would make a
success"
To which the San replies editorily
as follows
There are in New York several men,
bers of the theatrical profession who
devote their spare time to preparing
pupils for the stage, and some of them
are artists of high standing, who must
be altogether competent for the duty.
We do not know what their prices for
tuition, but they are probably reason
| able. As to the time required to get
| the adequate training, that must de-
pend on the aptitude of the pupil. A
whole lifetime of study would not make
an actor of one man, while another
might master in few months all that
his professional teacher had to offer
him in the way of technical instruc-
ton.
But even after the pupil has passed
from the hands of his theatrical pre-
ceptor, it is likely that it will be i'm
possible for him to get chance to
actually appear on the stage in any
part of which satisfies his ambition and
gratiies his vanity. He will come in
competion with many experienced ar
fists who are standing around Union
square waiting for an engagement, and
whose illusions as to their abilities and
opportunities have been pretty thorough
ly dispelled by harsh experience. The
novice, if he gets on the stage at all,
must expect nothing more than a very
minor and humble part he must be
prepared to encounter sharp criticism
III the green room, and to do without
the praise of his professional associates.
What seems histrionic genius to bis
partial friends who applaud his anna
teur performances, will be very coldly
| judged in the green room.
In fine, he will have to make his way
against obstacles which will subdue his
spirit and hurt his self-love most keen
ly, and his progress upward will be slow,
! if he gets up at all. He will have to
work hard and submit to indifference,
and what seems to him injustice. Be-
sides, he will get poor pay at the be-
ginning, and will be lucky if he can
secure au engagement which will give
him even that steadily. Instead of
making grand success in the great
city, he may be obliged to travel with
strolling companions, and have to wait
for years before obtaining an opportu-
nifty to appear in a leading theatre, at
least in any except a small part, where
he has no chance to gain the particular
attention of the audience.
A woman cannot hope to fare any
better. Her strange trials may be even
harder to bear, and more destructive of
her peace and happiness. Scarcely
any girl thinks of acting in other than
the leading parts in which she has seen
the most famous and most experienced
artists. She wants to jump up to the
} top at once, and all her theatrical
dreams are based on the assumption
that she will do it-that she will be the
, heroine of the play, and that she will
: live in an atmosphere of Intoxicating
applause and adulation. Instead of
that, if she gets on the stage at all, she
is likely to be at first only one of
the supernumeraries who stand about
e to watch the triumph of the heroine
e and assist in making up the stage pic
, ture of which another is the central fig.
D ure.
r These are facts which the two South
t ern girls must look squarely in the face
if they think of going on the stage.
) They must understand that they pro
d pose to enter very difficult profession
y and one in which there are ten, nay, 9
! hundred, chances of their failing to one
0 of their succeeding, If woman rises
Il high in the theatre, she gets better pay
than she can earn elsewhere but il
Il she remains in the lower or middle
d ranks of the theatrical profession sh,
IS will only make moderate wages fol-
1t very hard word