Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-09
SLAVE IEMfIAIloNS.
Enect OF Stage Life on the Character and
Condition OF Those Who Adopt IL.

Effect OF Stage Life on the Character ana
Condition OF Those Who Adopt IL.
A correspondent Of the 81 James Carte
writes; You are lounging in the wings OF the
music hall IL 10 hot and close and dark, and
NE familiar odors Of size and distemper are
anything but pleasant There is an early .,call"
ana number of girls are chatting in a some
what depressed fashion. You do not hear a
laugh or even gigsle. As to the sirl. them
selves, they are in no wise remarkably different
nom similar number chosen haphazard from
any lower middle-class ne,ghborhood. Some
few OF them wear nashy garments; others ara
quietly and even poorly dressed. But for a
TOO generous use OF powder and a somewhat
seif-assertive oscillation Of the skirts the a.
sembly might easily be taken for q collection
OIL shop girls ieavened with sprinkling OF bar
On talking with well-known arts. Won can-
not help being struck with the extremely pro-
sale character of most Of the girls antecedents.
The incidents OF Ouidaesque romance are very
Tar removed. indeed. from their commonplace
histories. In almost every case the girls have
taken 20 the boards owing 20 the example OF
some other members OF their families. Several
OF the chief ''iadies Of the ballet" were trained
as children under Nine. katti Lanner; some
few are the daughters Of other ballet dancers,
tiers, supernumeraries and the smaller fry OF
the London stage. With regard 20 the extra
ladies, II is somewhat curious 20 notice what
large proportion Of them get the better part
OF Their incomes IS artists models often being
the daughters OF mechanics small clerks and
tradesmen and quite q considerable number OF
commercial travellers. As 20 the artists. the
acropatic stars, the fascinating duetists" and
charming serio-comics?" In nearly every in
stance
THE SMELL OF THE FOOT LIGHTS
has from their childhood found its way 10 their
homes.
"And what" you are inclined 10 ask. ais the
direct effect OF this stage life on the Character
ana condition OF those who adopt it2" The
answer is that is has very little direct effect
IL Is early home influences that tell upon the
stage girl just as in the case OF BARNARD or
snop girl or post Office clerk. Frequently girls
who go upon the stage in subordinate positions
90 not come from over-well regulated house
hoids. Their parents are often Indifferent folk
who, although they would not deliberately put
their children In the way OF evil, yet at the
same time would be by no means particular 20
remove them from every chance Of temptation.
In all probability they have from infancy had
rather more than average acquaint-
ance with the shifts, the weaknesses,
and possibly the vices, Of a far from WE'LL
ordered home. They have heard a fair. or
rather, unfair, amount Of bad language; thew
have by no means been brought up with a
special aversion to strong liquors; and from
listening to careless talk they have become 20
certain extent imbued with that particular
knowledge OF the world which can az ali
times be readily dispensed with. IL is not.
OF course, meant that the girls who 20 upon
the boards are invariably children Of loose
parents. IL il enough to say that the average
girl upon the stage is far from ignorant OF the
world and Its ways when she first appears
before the footlights, and consequently no
fine sensibilities are likely TO be blunted by
rubbing shoulders
WITH CERTAIN IRREGULAR SoroRIETIEs.
As you are discussing the subject in sober
fashion the name Of q celebrity" (who re-
Gently left the stage and this world at the same
time) is brought forward 10 illustrate the truth
OF what you have been saying and what has
been said TO you In this case a certainly
somewhat ''assertlve career" was entirely
caused by home influence in the first instance
The temptations OF the stage" had very little
indeed 10 do with the matter. 1t is brought TO
your notice that the kind Of temperament which
Is ambitious of personal display land very few
girls who dislike it are found on the stage) caIl
never at any time be reckoned as a particularly
safe one. more than ordinary share Of van-
ity Joined with a nervous excitability is not the
best steering gear i.r avoiding dangerous
she u.s. But the stage training. IN some respects
at least, may be counted on as decidedly advan-
tageous. certain amount of discipline always
has to be maintained; ambition and industry
are absolutely necessary for anything like mod
crate success; and the keenest attention must
always be given to the business directly in
hand
With regard to girls belonging to ''troupes."
there IL no doubt that the incessant fitting
about from town TO town mt : beget a certain
Bohemianism which il would be difficult in
deed, to eradicate, and If there be any good in
nuence at home il is weakened when il has 10
act at a distance. Young women who 20 tour
ing on the continent also, perhaps, may come
to suffer from that peculiar spirit Of freedom
which sometimes affects those who are well
aware that they are altogether beyond ANYTHING
like supervision On thinkin- over this, too.
some stray memories OF the EIdorados and AL
hambras and what not Of Antwerp, Amsterdam
and Hamburg come almost too readily TO your
mind to make you feel overconfdent in the
well being Of divers English artists whose
names you have seen advertised on their TAR
ing bills. But Q tolerably long experience of
the stage in theaters and music halls generally
must bring any one to the conclusion that a
good deal Of sentimental outcry is unjustiied
by the facts. Since the days when Mistress
Eleanor Gwynne and Mistress Knipp quarreled
at the Kings" the town has always been
periodically deluged with the pretended chatter
Of the coulisses