New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-17
THE STAGE FOR WOMEN.

IT'S. n1scOMFoRTs ASD IT'S ADVANTAGES.
Many a. arc the faults laid at the doors OF inc
theatrical profession, beraity In us oeaihas WIN
women cannot be Justly charged to H. for cohsiuoi
ably over two hundred years IL was the ono Froes'o
In which women were admitted on the same terms as
mon and there never has been ths necessity 10 raSo
;be CIV of equal pay for equal WORK. ~ may W
cold tbat thore was little generosity called for In a
,,ttipq womon to the stage. their presence soon
became necessity but their fair ana cqui'aDo 'c"'
ment was by no means as compulsory Io-uas "o,io"
upon the stage If anything little better pau t
men for relatively the same class OF worh ihci,
social status has Of late years greatly improved an"
so have the conditions and associations In winch they
find Themselves in their regular work The beei tha'
wears of drnGrcry in the very lowest RANKS was
necessary to the making OF an actor or an aoIe'' ~
been gradually exploded. NO doubt II was iml'
when the standard OF education intelligence ana orce
Inc I'm the profession lowo- than Is to day. Ihon
as rule tho actor had at tho start lttIe moro IMAM
verv ordinary education. He was not accustomed u
the WAYS and manners OF social life that he was oie'h
called on to portray, and the necessary ho"icuso
came II at all. slowly and with long pracuoc. lno
advent on tho stage of people accustomed 10 mo TO
dnemcnt and courtcslcs of society has done mnch 10
improve the intellectual tone and the genera coh"u'
and bearing of the profession. 1t has not becn al
rrr,,xed pood-few changes are-but while there havc
been some scandals damage and unfairncss, the gen
oval result has been beneficial. In frstclass conf
pany there will be met to-day as mnch courtesy oo
sdcraton good birth and Intellectual culture as IN
almost any walk of life
No other profession Offers for the same amoufS vi
ability in women such liberal rewards distinguishes
writer or artist may and undoubtedly aces
mako moro than any actress, but there are very
fow so gifted as TO be able to earn from Sloo
10 $3.50 week. and there are many actresses In stoch
companies and combinations receiving salaries ranging
between those figures. The profits OF stars whieh
sometimes rise to extraordinary proportions may DO
left out of the calculation Even at the start tho young
actress IS better paid than the teacher the typewriter
tho stenoprapher or in fact women engaged In any
other of The avocatloDs recently thrown open 10 thon'
Advancement IS generally rapid and merit epccuiiS
recognized The actress is independent OF o5ecioh-
able "bossism." When once her role or foies are
studied and properly rehearsed, she may go through
season. If she attends properly to her Duties without
even coming I'm contact with the man who pays Tor
her services Her actual hours Of labor are very short,
and as rule she will find In any company one or TWO
congenlal companions.
Against these advantages are, however, many Offsets
the greatest of these being the almost unavoidabie
necessity OF travelling with its many dlscomforts. ana
the severng for the greater part of the year Oh all
homo ties and associations The number of stock com
NAMES is yearly diminishing, and the few positions
in these are tho prizes for which all the members oil
the profession Gro surviving. To go into Iaveliins
cnmInation means long and liguIng journeys at
all hours of the day and night living az dspropoIiVh
atey large expense in sccond-rate hOtes ana INC
necessity of getting through part no matter now
i'll one may feel If Only strong enough to stand up anu
sneak the words Constant packing and unpachlns
OF trunks IS also strain to constitution ana temper,
and while as has been before said, II Is generally
possible to lind or two congenlal companions,
| there are pretty 70 be some OF clsaerccaDe
nature whom f, Is impossible wholly 10 svod- v hat ara
generally termed the temptations OF stage life aro
probably themselves greater Than aSsall young
| and pretty women in any sphere I'm which they arc
earning an income. Tho greater danger undoubtedly
lies in the absence Of protecting and restraining home
! Influences and SURROUNDINGS. such embraces and
dearments a. necesstated In the business of the
stage soon come be regarded business" emily. and
rarely possess meaning stir feeling. young woman
who is discreet without being prndsh can easily main
tain her character and sclf-respcct upon tho stage,
and she will not find that her discretion VIII make
her any the less liked BY the best of her associates or
| by the public.