Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-23
WOES OF THE CHORUS GIRL
Troubles She Has to Go Through ~
the Outset of Her Career.

arouoies she hns TO Go Through at
the Outset of Her Career.
The life Of a chorus girl is not all gas
ana CATERS" said a novice in comic opera
10 a writer for The Star. Il have been I'm
the business just a week. and 1 find Il quite
otherwise. To begin with, I have TO en-
cure lot OF hazng from the other young
women They seem to look upon me very
uoch as new pupil at school Is regarded,
ana they treat me accordingly. 1t is al
ways 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 10
cause me to make mistakes At the last re-
hearsal one OF them asked me TO hold a big
book for her. To do 50 interfered with my
making certain gestures. and 1 got sco.aed
for IL. which was exactly what my Icw
friend had counted on. When we got
through she asked me where the book was
/ had put IL down and i went TO look for It.
IL was not where I had placed 1t. and /
spent nearly an hour hunting for IL with
much anxiety. At the end of that time the
owner tod me that she had II In her dress
ing room all the while. lit was only 4 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- ana Il readily assented. As we went
out from the stage entrance of the Iheater
saw a cab standing at the curb. Two
men in evening dress Jumped out. and my
companion introduced me to them. Ii i'm
mediately appeared that they were there by
appointment with my friend. who had
agreed 10 bring along another girl TO make
square party. IL was a trick and trap.
I nnd that IL is necessary TO be very care
ful In such ways II one means to preserve
ones reputation. At the same time IL would
never do TO pose as a prig a prude The
middle course is rather difficult to steer.
have discovered that the social lines OF
the theater are exceedingly rigid. They de-
pend not on birth or beauty, but on the dis
trfbution Of parts III chorus girl gets
anything to say IN a play, though Il be only
a single sentence, she assumes a superior
air. looking down upon her companions
Perhaps she Will not speak TO them at all
under such circumstances. but viii refer TO
her dearest friend and chum of a week be-
fore with the contemptuous words: oh, she
is only an extra When 1 have got ac-
Quainted ! shall doubtless find some nice
girls in the chorus but those with whom i
have come into contact thus far have not
been agreeable. IL would never occur to
one OF them to give me a useful hint IL
was a man who said TO me quietly at re-
hearsal the other day: Take care not 70
put your hand TO your face on the stage. or
you will get scolded for IT.
There are jealousies in the chorus. as
well as among the principal women singers
Girls who have a pull w.sh the manager
put in conspicuous places. though they
may be ugly and big also. Big women, you
know look awkward in the chorus. and for
that reason they are not wanted usually
They only appear well In the costumes OF
pages, taking male parts. OF cOu-se, IL
would be somewhat otherwise N a woman
were very handsome and hnely developed.
well as large. She world be likely 70
hax va fanv "a q
be different. You see. because she would
cease 20 be one OF the mere musical lay
figures of the chorus. At the first dress re-
hea-sal any girl who Is found 10 have bad
legs is bounced right OF. When ! was en-
gagged i did not have TO undergo any ana
tomical inspection. The manager Simply
stood at the rear Of the theater while 4
sang from the stage, TO judge OF my voice.
II had not been with the company TWO
DAYS before 1 was in trouble Win The ward
robe mistress. Apparently she Is person
age with great power. Sne Is also q ter
ror. For some reason she took a spite
against me. and she does not lose any OPP
portunity To express IL in words. Her op-
portunitles fer annoying are almost unhm-
tied. For instance she refuses to put the
necessary hooks ana eyes ana buttons on
my garments. ana sne will not permit me
to put them on. That makes my dressing
very diincuIt 4 found a. Nsry hard al nrst
to get my tights on properly. They would
gather an wrinkles at tne ansNies. odt IL 10
merely a knack. I have got pretty well
used 10 appearing in them already. though
1 do not Ike to see my back view In the
glass. i rather dreaded an attack OF stage
fright. but / have escGpcd IL so far. The
audience looks dark ana unreal 70 me from
the stage.
Il paid Sc for my box of paints and
ct ceteras Tor my makeup. The materials
being expensive, other girls made use OF
my box, which l left open. i have learned
TO put It away. There as always a scramble
for towels IN the dressing rooms. srhs
stage is dusty. and il Is necessary to wash
the legs before putting on neshings. be-
cause the silk tights would not last very
long II that precaution were not taken.
Accordingly. towels are always very much
in demand The men never bring any.
but count on stealing those which beionk
to the girls. We are Obliged to be very
particular about our hands. which must
look white and pretty. with nails well
manicured. Ii they get sunburned they
must be painted
In no school are rules more strict than
on the stage. To laugh at the Comedians
jokes costs a fine OF s. for each offense.
III any person does the smallest thing
wrong during performance the whole
company must 60 through a rehearsal
Thus an error on the part OF a single in
divtdual makes punishment for all Chorus
girls get SIS 81 a week while on the
road. because their expenses are large.
but they do not receive much more than
half that when playing for a season In q
city. All costs for carrying trunks are de-
frayed by the management We are OBJ
liged to pay for our own berths on sleep
ing cars. Consequently We do not indulge
In the luxury except on long night Jour-
neys. 1t is better TO sit up for three or
four hours and make up for lost sleep on
reaching the place of destination. ON our
arrival in a town, a list OF boarding houses,
with prices and so forth. is handed TO each
one OF US, so that We may take our choice.
There is certainly a great fascination
about the stage. One very pretty girl in
our chorus married q druggist In St Louis
last season. But when the company left
that city a week later she could not recon-
Gle herself TO staying behind. 80 she said
goodbye TO her new husband and started
out again. Most chorus girls have very
little ambition. and do not expect 10 rise
from the ranks. But i mean TO be a primo
donna some day.