The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-05-20
s1AeE CAREER FOR WOMEN.
Things to Be Considered By Women
Who Would BE Actresses.

Who Would Be Actresses.
"Yes, / am thoroughly in love
with my profession. ! think
woman can obtain a position and
competency quicker in it than IN
any other path of life open to our
sex. OF course the work is hard.
Moreover, one must have either in
clination or ability for the stage
and the theatrical calling. But
provided the girl has the taste, the
perseverance, and a woman's pro-
per self-respect, she can rise faster
and do more credit to herself than
in any other profession | know or"
This is the utterance of a we'll
known actress, who made her de-
but as baby, and played before
she could talk, who has passed her
life on the stage except that part OF
her girlhood which she spent at
school and college.
At sometime in her life almost
every young woman who has
looked across the footlights has
felt the fascination of theatrical
career and has perhaps secretly
longed to become an actress, 1t
looks so independent, so brilliant,
80 exciting.
The idea certainly is alluring to
many even who have no talent, as
we'll as to those who have a great
deal. and it ia most true that this
career is most attractive to any
strongly ambitious woman who
possesses no particular talent but a
strong desire for success.
Can any one attain success on
the stage without special talent in
that direction? 1t certainly does
not require any special talent to
take some of the minor parts, and
there is perhaps no other profession
where a person can earn a good
living with 80 little marked ability
as in the minor dramatic roles.
But she who wishes to attain some
thing beyond these must make up
her mind to serve an apprentice
ship of toll and drudgery; if she
would reach the heights she must
work as desperately on the upward
climb as in anything else. A star
may become famous for a time on
account of beauty or peculiar cir
Icumstances connected with her his
tory, but she cannot shine long ex-
cept after long and arduous toll.
| Julia Marlowe is some times
cited as one whose rise was rapid
and she may be regarded as having
attained q success that at her age
is quite remarkable. But look at
her previous career. Almost from
|her earliest childhood she has
breathed the stage atmosphere and
grew up under its very shadow:
She acted in children's parts and
sometimes took the role of page or
messenger in classic plays. When
she was sixteen she began thor
ough systematic course of study
which lasted four years. Then she
made her appearance before the
public and success has been hers
ever since.
It is an undisputed fact that
beauty of face and figure greatly
aids an actress. Naturally the pub
lie likes to gee pretty woman on
the stage. But this is not all. She
must have patience and persever-
ance, of course, energy, application
and above all, tact and good nature.
And in spite of all she must make
up her mind to endure any amount
Of humiliation and encouragement.
One of the drawbacks in the life
ia the lack of the protective intiu-
ence a settled home throws about
. a woman. Travelling here and there
she has no real home and has no
opportunity to form friendships.
A theatrical company is like COM
munity in itself, and there are OF.
ten discords and jealousies, unkind
words and acts that are outward
expressions of harsh and bitter
feelings and thoughts.
A woman can earn living on the
stage from the first and the salaries
sound large until one thinks that
there are several months every
year when the income ceases and
the outlay goes on, that expendii.
lures are necessarily large, and II
may be seen that from financial
standpoint it is no easier life than
many others. The novice is daz-
zled by the large earnings of certain
, leading actresses, but 1t must be re-
membered that to every one O.
these there are hundreds OF Others
who never make more than com
Portable living.
So the woman who would go on
the stage just because she think,
she can make more money, and
make it more easily than by doing
something else must CONSIDER tnls
). and remember that the pubic hear,
only about the large salaries ano