The Portland daily press., 1891-01-30
AN ACTRESS HARD LOT.
She has TO Work Harder than most
People dream OF.
[ChIcag0 Herald. ]


"Seems to me 1t must be lots of fun to
be an actress. Ishould so like to beon
You have such nice times travelling
around, and then you see so much of the
world" 1t was sweet little bit Of in
genuosity with large brown eyes who
made this remark. Her vis-a-vis, whose
name is well known to the theatrical
world, looked at her a moment much as
afond parent listens to the sometimes
startling chatter of child and replied,
half sadly, "You have much to learn,
my dear"
Then, after closing her exquisitefy
curved lips over succuient Blue Point.
she pushed her plate from her and added:
"But don't try TO learn the truth or falls
ity Of your belief by experience. Put
full confidence in me, little one, when I
tell you that this time you are very
wrong. There is very little fun in the
life of an actress-none that she might
not have in some other vocation-and as
for seeing the world, by which you
doubtless mean taking in the sights of
the different cities in which she plays,
well, listen to me moment.
REHEARSING.
ga week ago Sunday night in New
York, after rehearsing for three hours in
the afternoon a play which we had been
producing nightly since the beginning Of
the season, we took the train for Boston.
We got there Monday morning, andafter
breakfast rehearsed at the Globe theatre
till half past 1. Then we lunohed and
took the s o'clock train for Worcester,
where we arrived just in time to get to
the theatre and dress for the play. It
over, we repacked and took train the
next morning at $50 for Albany, where
we arrived at 8 o'clock in the afternoon.
We rehearsed till 8 o'clock, got supper
and rushed back to the theatre to dress.
My cue comes few moments after the
curtain goes up, and that night, owing
to a delay in getting my trunk, was
late in getting dressed and kept the stage
waiting not quite fifteen seconds, for
which L was fined S. We rehearsed two
hours the next morning, and the after
noon was spent listening to the manager
read new play and give his directions
as to how he wanted the different char
acters interpreted.
''That night after the play we took
the 1: 35 a., N. train for Rochester, where
we arrived in time for breakfast. Then
we rehearsed the new play till noon, and
in the afternoon we rehearsed the old
one. The hotel we stopped at was poor
one, and the meals were worse. Ny
dressing room at the theatre was so cold
that / got sore throat. We took the
2:20 a. m. for Buffalo, after almost
order not to mar the even tenor of our
way there was no fire in the car.
1--WE all counted, however, ON being
able to get some rest at our hotel in
Buffalo. But Immediately we had break
fast we were ordered to report at the
theatre for rehearsal We rehearsed till
o'clock, and were told to be back at 8
to rehearse an act of the old play. lay
down for a moment after dinner and did
not awake till supper time. Of course I
missed the rehearsal, and of course I
was fined S..
ON THE ROAD.
''The next day being Saturday the
manager was good enough to leave US to
ourselves ia the morning But, my love,
you may be sure that if any one spent
the time taking in the sights of the city
it was in his dreams, for no one got up
till dinner time, and after dinner we had
all to go to the theatre for the matinee
After the evening performance, which
was cut at every possible point, we
packed as quickly as possible to catch
the Chicago train at 11:30. / had an
upper berth, over some old man who
snored SO | couldn't sleep, and when we
reached Chicago Sunday afternoon at s
o'clock was worn OUT But 1 managed
to snatch an hours sleep at the hotel;
then had to rush to the theatre, for in
Chicago, you know, we play Sunday
nights No, we don't play in many
other cities on Sunday, only in New Or
leans and st. Louis, but in the after
. noon we must always have long re-
hearsal, which is about as hard.
"Well, because the play went little
badly in one or two places Sunday night
(and it was no wonder, considering that
most all of us were nearly dead for want
of Sleep we had to rehearse it twice on
NloANdgs OnCc ia Iuc u1OIluus dl1u OllCc
in the afternoon. Tuesday we rehearsed
the new. piece twice, and on Wednesday
morning we rehearsed it again. In the
afternoon we had a matinee. This morn
ing we had to rehearse, and we had an
other matinee this aftefnoon-and when
we have finished our supper, little one, I
must hurry back to the theatre to play.
"Is this the way always work? Yes.
And too, as expect to have to work SO
long as / remain Aon the stage, and as
most all whom you see before the foot
lights with smiling faces and who, you
, think, must have such lots of fun and
see so much of the world, have to work.
Now, do you like to be an actress?" The
little one.stunned for the moment by the
death of her ideal life, looked mourn
fully into the face of the actress. then
slowly shook her head
xn-. No