Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-11

Something About the Rank and Ftss
Of the RalIet.


WHERE THE woNEN COME FROM WHO FRoIIo on
THE STAGE But NEVER sfEAK-srAGE- STRUCK
GIRLS WHO NkvER GET ABOVE THE BALLET
TALK With THE MAN IN THE BOX OFFICE.
NO, their names never appear on the pro-
grams, put they are the most interesting charac-
uers IN theatrical life Theyare almost mysteri-
GUS You dont know where they come from,
~here they go to, nor who they are" The cur
tain had risen, no more tickets were being sold.
ana the man In the box-ofiice was taking THx
STAR man into his confidence Ballet girls
were being discussed. "Did YOU ever see
ballet girl of the stage? No. I s-uess Won
haven't seen her Maybe You wouldn't know her
II you did. Yhey hit about the stage like but
terflies; they\smile and frisk about: they carry
the queens train; they are pages and gentlemen
Of the court, always in tights. with shapcly
limbs and graceful, but they don't say ANYTHING.
and, after the curtain goes down. and the blaze
and light of the theater is out, they are gone
No use waiting outside for 'em, YOU won't see
EN-, or you won't know EN-"
Don't they belong to the troupes?" asked
The STAR man.
''N0! Ii isn't all troupes that need 'em, and
those that do pick EN- up at the theaters where
ever they go. We generally have lew regular
ones, who report at the theater every Monday.
and when we want more for such PLAYS as the
BLACK Crook for instance. we advertise Some
times we advertise for forty or fifty. Then they
come In swarms"
"what class of girls are thew"
~ on had just better not try to classify EN-,
ana II you call 'em all girls you'll be slightly
out Of the way some times Just come here
some day when We have advertised and You'll
see sight. Some of 'em are a hundred wears
old (more or less), and look as II they had lived
In the slums from their remote infancy. Some
OF EN- look like deaths heads plastered over
and painted. They come off the street. These
we don't take; We don't take any such ques-
tionable Characters unless We can't do better
though we arnt very particular about age when
we are crowded. When they are fixed up and
on the stage no one knows the difference"
But they are not all old and ugly" he
added. mo, not by q long way. Nor are they
all Bohemians. who lead miserable existence
on the streets at night and hid away in some
dark hole all day. There are some ballet girls
who belong in the higher walks of life. but who
have been brought down by misfortune and
forced to earn living as best they may. One
of the prettiest girls / ever saw on the stage
was ballet girl When they had tableau she
had to take the part of an angel or a nymph OF
some part where seraphic beauty was needed.
Some of the ballet girls are little devils; some
are old and ugly, but there are some modest,
pretty girls who are working TO support q
mother or perhaps little brothers and sisters"
"0nly six dollars a week when they are en-
ployed, and they are not employed more than
half the season."
How do they manage to live2"
"Oh they are never dependent entirely upon
that. They are generally shop girls. girls who
are learning trade. or seamstresses. who have
to add this to their small wages earned In the
day in order to get along. But they have all
sorts OF employment outside. Why. there are
some Treasury clerks-yes young ladies en-
a hn fal-n ~ i'm fh.a
ballet! 1t is hard to tell what Inducements In
fuence 'em all to it, but they are various. Some
of 'em have natural liking for the stage and
as they can't get any higher part they take that.
Some may like the novelty OF wearing tights
and displaying their grace. Some do il to get
dress. You can't tell. ] knew two little girls
who Joined the ballet when they were little bits
OF things to earn money to support their invalid
mother. and they grew old in the service. 1
knew a girl-a very pretty girl-who belonged
to an excellent old family but was forced 10y
necessity to take to the ballet. They have many
temptations, these frisklng, laughing ballet
girls, who look so happy on the stage and this
poor girl fate was very sad-but she is married
now. and hope living happily" and the box
man stopped down and fumbled among the
tickets for long time.
But nobody knows what becomes OF these
girls alter the theater at night" he continued
they are very different when they get off the
stage, and you could never recognize them as
they slip out the stage entrance. Some Of 'em
go home to q garnet. maybe; some OF EN- have
good homes and some-some spend the night
In dives, drinking beer with low companions
But there's no counting on ballet girls They
are decelving. A ninety-niner' will pass for
sixteen on the stage. They are the most inter-
esting thing about the theatef. Especially TO the
young fellows who take front seats and go out
between the acts and smo re cigarettes on the
curbstone when the folks are coming out. Some
times the girls get married, and once In a while.
like Clara Morris, they become famous In the
higher walks Of the stage"