Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-05
SUCCESS ON THE STAGE.
\ Managers Advice to Young Men and
Women-A jealous Platform.

| \ Managers Advice to Young Men and
| Women-A Jealous Platform.
happened into the office of Manager A. NJ
| Palmer few days ago when this subject was
touched upon. Mr.. Palmer is president OF
| the Actors fund and is n man of liberal edu
| cation. He is known all over this country
and in Europe He has one of the best
| libraries of dramatic literature in this coun.
| try. He has helped hundreds Of young men
and women to get on the stage. He talked
freely and frankly on the subject l asked
| him:
"What chance does the dramatic profession
| offer to young men and womenF
1.-THE same chance that the studio affords
| that the pen affords-given equal industry,
| patience, TASTE talent and fitness for the call
ing, success is as possible and as probable on
the stage as in any other artistic profession
he replied
"If you were asked by a young man or wo
man with desire to go on the stage for an
opinion, would you advise them to do so, OF
to seek a professional or commercial lifeP e
GAS rule l repeat, should say, avoid
the stage. What is called talent on the stage
means simply peculiar temperament, which
for lack of better adjective, we generally
call the 'mimetic temperament. 1t is very
doubtful that either Cesar, Napoleon or
Washington would have made as good an
actor as many a man, whose intellect com
pared to theirs would be as drop of water
to the Atlantic ocean. Without this pecu.
harity of temperament marked success is
almost unattainable oven by the most intel.
lectually refined man or woman, however
enthusiastically equipped. This temperament
is rare-far more rare than are such higher
qualities of the mind. Where it is evident
such temperament exists in a man,
should not deter him from going on the
stagen
GLOW about n womanf'
THAT is different, and, let me add, far
moro delicate question to answer. Granted
that lady possesses and evinces the posses
sion Of the needed temperament and other
qualities of great actress. l should still
hesitate to take the responsibility of advising
her to adopt the life of the stage"
"Whyf"
because of the great sacrifices woman
is forced to make who steps from the solid,
quiet happiness of private life to the glitter
of public one. The sanctities of home, the
pride of womanly reserve, are high prices to
pay either for the qualification of vanity or
the accumulation of money. Do not mistake
me. moral woman can remain SO on the
stage Just as well as off of it, | refer not to
that at all, but to the exchange of the home
for the theatre, the substitution of the ex-
cltementS or professional rlValrles ana Jeal-
ousies for the quiet enjoyment of the priva-
cies of family life. The stage is jealous
platform. 1t is Aut Cesar, aut nulus with
it, 1t denies to the wife and mother the
evening of rest. 1t deprives her husband or
father Of her companionship at those very
hours when it would be sweetest, and in spite
of what she may do, substitutes a feverish
qualification alternated with disappointment
bitter as aloes for the quiet happiness that is
fullest and most satisfying to the female
heart. New York Letter.