Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-18
Misfeilal.fgns.


Actresses and Marriage.
"a few weeks ago." said an old mana
ger to a New York World reporter. "a
New Yorker who fell desperately in love
with Scalchi was amazed to find, when
he had made her acquaintance, that she
was the mother of three bouncing boys
and that her name was LOllv. Others
have been equally surprised to find that
the chambermaid Efie Germon. SO long
the delight of Wallack audiences, has had
three or four husbands.
ut is not generally known that act
resses. after they are married, retain their
maiden names and prefix on the stage at
the request of their husbands, who have
q squeamishness about the matter. An
actress. as q rule. prefers when she is
married to be known as Mrs, but the
husband objects for some reason. 1t is
not hard to see what that reason is. He
objects to having 1t supposed that his ife
supports him, although he does not always
object to being supported by her."
"But do you think that the exciting life
of an actress is compatible with the duties
OF mother?
Hundreds of actresset have made it
compatible. There are hosts of we'll
known actresses, Mrs. Chanfrau, for ex-
ample. and Mrs. Mckee Rankin, who
have married actors, but who keep on
acting and have nevertheless brought up
splendid families. and have their own
family circle and domestic alter. They
lead two lives-a public and private
one-but they do not interfere with each
other. OF course great many profess
sional marriages are purely commercial
and extra domestic They may be called
business partnerships. l suppose the re-
suits are here as everywhere elsa
mere matter of character. If an actress
is an Arab and must live continually in
the feverish atmosphere of excitement and
praise. it is vain to expect that she will
take up the prosaic duties of life and do
mes;icity. Miss Clara Morris (Mrs. Har-
riott) once said to me that a woman who
had tasted the fascination OF public ap-
plause was generally ruined for anything
else.
II think that depends on the character
of the woman entirely. Nine. ModJeska.
who is said to have married count, is
quoted on the other hand as saying that
no woman can be great actress who has
not had either lover or husband. There
is a great deal more truth in this than
people suspect. 1t simply means that
woman cannot express love in her acting
who is absolutely ignorant of its emo
tons"
"But you do not mean to say that those
women are the best actresses who are
oftenest married"
"No, of course not Qaughing) some OF
them marry very much as they make con-
tracts-without the slightest comprehen-
sion of the responsibility. But some al
| lowance must be made for the situation.
A young woman who has good looks and
sets out in the dramatic profession is prob
ably the best prosecuted woman in the
world. There is a class of men who re-
gard all actresses as the legitimate target
of their annoyances. and the consequence
| is that the actress soon feels the necessity
of protector. If she cannot secure what
is known as stage mother. who acts the
duenna in private life and warns the men
away from the dressing-room and stage
door, she gets husband as matter of
convenience. Often he is nothing more
than her agent, and she is willing to sup
port him if he will look after her business
and save her from other admirers. This
fact has brought into existence in our day
| the unique class Of men called actresses
husbands.
They must not be confused with the
men who have actresses for wives. The
difference is that the actress husband is
prouder of having an actress than of hav-
| ing wife. The other fellow is satisfied
with having wife and doesn't care about
the actress. This type of stage husband
is best seen among the Italian artists who
come here during an opera season. HIS is
generally a deferential, slightly henpeck-
ed, hat in hand nonentity, who was nom-
inal martial authority among men because
the songstress has labeled him her hus.
band. His duties are to walk up and
down the foyer during performance
flattering the newspaper men, cut the
notices from the papers, air the Scotch
terrier and carry his wife's overshoes and
wrap.
The stage husband of the English
drama has more enterprise. He always
has an ambition to take his on the road
and manage her himself. But as he never
was able to manage her on fiat, he gen.
orally fails on the road. Then she comes
back and gets another manager. sometimes
another husband. He is the standing
nuisance of the box office. The stage
manager excrates him at rehearsal. The
business manager hates him with bitter
hatred. The press reporter flies bowling
at his presence. The ushers put theiI
tongues in their cheeks when they see him
applauding. They all know that he has
but one claim to recognition. and thai
claim is conferred on him by his wife"