Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1884-05-15
Stage Struck.
PECk's Sun GIVES 4 GIRL soMF COOP ADVICE

A Young lady at Fergus Falls, Mimi,
writes The Sun. as follows II am Young
lady twenty years Of age, with q very good
" 10 become a good actress, and without
being vain, think have some of the re-
quiremeEts. Now what | want to know, is
Your opinion Of the life Of an actress, and
what you would do if YOU were in nv ace
| have a number Of friends who say for ME
10 90 on the stage by all means. | also
have gentleman friend the one that loans
me The Sun, and he always told me to ban
ish the thought forever and during our
conversation the other evening. he told me
to write TO YOU for advice then told MIN
i would and abide BY your decision"
Young lady. i; all depends. lfy YOU have
go, the idea firmly settled in your mind.
that YOU could do as we'll on the stage as
many Of the stars that are making great
reputation. all the advice that you can re-
ceve will do YOU no good. With those
ideas YOU will get on the stage some way.
If you do not believe in your great ability.
but have been put TO this scheme by the
ADVICE Of friends, who are giving YOU tatfy.
maybe advice from an old man may do YOU
good. There, sit around so the light strikes
your face. and let Us look at YOU Yes, YOU
are pretty good looking. Now recite some
thing from Romeo aud Juliet. All, that's $
pretty fair, only Romeo wouldn't know
whether YOU were in love with him or the
scene shifter. But IN ten or fifteen wears
YOU would improve. Now listen. Out of
fit, ladies' on the stage. you will find five
that are making reputation and money. and
h.. Il
but three Of them are unhappy and wish
they were dead. one has been married three
times. and the other wants 10 get married,
but she j. getting too old. OF the other
forty-tive. twenty are getting fair salaries,
but they spend all their none, and owe for
their board last summer at the sea side, ten
get good salaries. only the companies are
paying 10 poor business. and the salaries
are not paid. they barn-storm from town 10
town for halt the Year, jumping from hotel
20 the theatre. carry IN. their own grip sack,
and from the theatre at midnight TO catch a
train. ride ali n.sht and are expected to ap-
pear happy on the stage the next day You
look quite pretty now, but how do you sup
pose YOU would look fcr five or ten wears
on the stage, painted and powdered, and
dragged all over The country on all kinds OF
rains IL might take ,ou ten wears TO get
where YOU could command a salar, suf-
fcient TO clothe YOU decently. If YOU were
second Mary Anderson or Margare,
Mather, YOU might catch on in three or
four years, but YOU would have to be pos
sessed of a constitution stronger than halt
the men to live through the work YOU
would have to perform And YOU would
be constantly subjected to sneers while YOU
are learning stage business, from persons
who did not like YOU or like TO see you sue
ceed, 50 your greatest rest would be in sit
| ting down after hard days work and hav-
ing a good cry, and the picture Of your Fer
gus Fails home would haunt you with its
comforts. until you would be wild. Then
there would be suspicion that YOU were
not as good as you ought to be. If you
were light and pleasant to your
friends, people would wink at each other
and look wise, and say, "She's a daisy,
which would mean enough to break youI
pure heart. II you were cold and reserved
and made few friends, and only occasionally
allowed your happy nature to show itself
mean people would say, "She is sly" and
you would be wounded sadly. At Fergus
Falls, you are all right, and can entertain
friends with your talents, and be happy, and
be respected, but il you should 90 upon the
stage you would have to begin as the cham.
bermsid in the play, dust furniture and fall
in love with the butler or coachman. I,
would take you so long to work up to q
position on the stage where you could be in
love with a dude, in the play, that YOU
would be apt to overdo the matter. Al
home you can retire to your room it you
are sick. and be taken care Of, and il YOU
60 anywhere you have an escort, gentle
man who respects you. On the stage, il
you are sick you have to 70 to the theatre
and play, and if you are TOO sick to play
somebody takes your place, the manager
feels as though you ought to have waited
till the season was over. the company goes
of and leaves you at strange hotel al
Pentwster, Mich, and you want to die. No
girl, you don't have TO 60 on the stage
There are thousands Of girls compelled Il