The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-17
AM
Wl(jlj 81 st'g,s
WOES OF THE CHORUS GIRL
Troubles She Has to Go Through at the
Outset OF Her Career.

just week, and | find it quite other
wise. To begin with, have TO endure
a lot of hazing from the other young
women. They seem TO look upon me
very much as new pupil at school is
regarded, and they treat me according
~. 1t is always the same way with
every newcomer, | am informed.
''Instead of trying to help me along,
the other girls in the chorus do their
best to annoy me and lay traps for me.
They tell me all sorts of absurd things,
so as to cause me to make mistakes.
At the last rehearsal one of them asked
me to hold big book for her. To do
so interfered with my making certain
gestures. and i got scolded for II,
which was exactly what my new friend
had counted on. When we got through
she asked me where the book was. L
had put it down and | went to look for
il. 1t was not where | had placed 1t.
and | spent nearly an hour hunting Tor
it with much anxiety. At the end Of
that time the owner told me that she
had it in her dressing room all the
while. II was only a little game
harmless, perhaps, but calculated to
distress a stranger.
The other night one Of the ladies of
the chorus was very friendly with me.
She said that she would like to go home
with me. and / readily assented. As
we went out from the stage entrance
of the theater | saw cab standing at
the curb. Two men in evening dress
jumped out. and my companion intro
duced me to them. it Immediately ap-
peared that they were there by appoint
ment with my friend, who had agreed
to bring along another girl to make
square party. 1t was a trick and
trap. ! find that ii is necessary to be
very careful in such ways, if one means
TO preserve ones reputation. At the
same time it would never do to pose as
a prig or prude The middle course
is rather difficult to steer
Il have discovered that the social
lines of the theater are exceedingly
rigid. They depend not on birth or
beauty. but on the distribution of
parts. If chorus girl gets anything
to say in play, though it be only a
single sentence. she assumes a superior
air, looking down on her companions.
Perhaps she will not speak to them at
all under such circumstances. but will
refer to her dearest friend and chum
of week before with the contemptu-
Gus words: %, she is only an extra.
When have got acquainted | shall
doubtless find some nice girls in the
Oh l,,4 ~, I
come into contact thus far have not
been agreeable 1t would never occur
TO one of them to give me useful hint.
1T was a man who said to me quietly at
rehearsal the other day: Take care
not to put your hand to your face on
the stage, or you will get scolded for it.
81 had not been with the company
two days before ! was in trouble with
the wardrobe mistress. Apparently
she is parsonage with great power.
iShe is also a terror. For some reason
she took a spite against me, and she
does not lose any opportunity to ex-
press it in words. Her opportunities
for annoying are almost unlimited.
For instance. she refuses to put the
necessary hooks and eyes and buttons
on my garments and she will not per-
INIT me to put them on. That makes
my dressing very difficult. I found it
very hard at first to get my tights on
properly. They would gather in wrin-
kles at the ankles; but it is merely
iknack. j have got pretty well used to
appearing in them already. though |
do not like to see my back view in the
glass / rather dreaded an attack OF
stage-fright, but | have escaped it SO
far. The audience looks dark and un-
real to me from the stage.
! paid five dollars for my box of
paint and etceteras for my makeup.
The materials being expensive, other
girls made use of my box, which | left
open. l have learned to put it away.
There is always a scramble for towels /
in the dressing rooms. The men never
bring any, but count on stealing those
which belong to the girls. We are
obliged to be very particular about our
hands, which must look white and
pretty. with nails well manicured If
they get sunburned they must be
painted
in no school are rules more strict |
than on the stage. To laugh as the |
comedians jokes costs a fine of two |
dollars for each offense. If anv person !
does the smallest thing wrong during |
a performance the whole companv |
must go through a rehearsal. Thus an !
error on the part of single individual |
1nates punishment for all Chorus girls |
get eighteen or twenty dollars a week |
while on the road, because their ex- |
penseS are large. but they do not re- !
ceive much more than half that when |
playing for season in city. All I
costs for carrying trunks are defraved |
by the management. We are Obliged !
to pay for our own berths on sleeping |
cars. Consequently we do not indulge |
IN the luxury except on long nipht |
Journeys. 1t is better to sit up for three |
or four hours, and make up for loss |
sleep on reaching the place of destiua-
tion. On our arrival in n town a list |
of boarding houses. with prices and so 1
forth, is handed 10 each one of us. so /
that we may take our choice.
There is certainly great fascina- |
fion about the stage. One very pretty
girl in our chorus married druggist /
IN ST Louis last season. But when the |
company left that city week later
she could not reconcile herself to stay |
ing behind. so she said good bye to her
new husband and started ont arain
Most chorus girls have very little am
bitlon. and do not expect TO rise from /
the ranks But | mean to he prima /
donna some day Washington Star. /