The morning call., 1893-05-19
SHALL SHE GO ON THE STAGE? ?

a recent symposium Of leading actresses
who met at Chicago TO discuss women's
place on the stage afforded gifted women an
opportunity of saying bright things. Clara
Morris observed:
Whenever hear the expression ''emotona
actress" ii always suggests to me an hysterical
woman and a strong smell of ether. 1t has
such weak, wbimpering, sobbing sound.
Why, every drama deals with human emotion.
For long time the idea existed that the ''emo-
tlonaP' play was of necessity fearful play.
suppose the synopsis of such play might read
something like this: Act IA tiny. fearful
tricke. Act ia widening, weeping woe.
Act III-The fioOd-tears in torrents. Act "
Everything washed away Still. after a time.
it came to be understood that there were other
human emotions besides grief, and. later still.
il became understood that the deadliest grief,
the bitterest anguish might be quite fearless
dry. indeed.
Nine. Modjeska remarked:
If the influence of our sex upon the theater Is
beneficial, can we say The same of the influence
OF the theater upon woman herself? In other
words. does the life of the actress tend TO de-
velop her better qualities. or does it do the con-
trary? l should not like to give decisive
reply to the question. / may say, however, that
1t seems TO me- while the life we lead exposes
US 10 a great many temptations. stimulates too
much our vanity and takes US sometimes too
far from our everyday duties. it must certainly
develop In US sense of independence and
therefore of responsibility. II brings It's Into
contact with the highest creations of master
minds and is bound 10 open boh our hearts and
intellects TO the generous impulses which they
teach TO humanity. As for morals, 1 can only
say that there are as many good women On the
stage as in other walks of life.
These observations will bear study.
There is no doubt that on the stage, as in
the courts, the 'emotionaP' business has
been overdone. A woman is untrue to
her husband. In the play she refnes
away her guilt SO th oroughly, and throws
such an emotional glamour over her sin,
that the audience loses sight of its enor-
nifty in its sympathy for the sinner. This
is all pernicious. Forgiveness is well, but
it must not be carried to such degree
that no distinction is left between right
and wrong. We may be sorry for Mar
guerite, but we cannot take her to our
bosom without tacitly encouraging our
daughters to follow her example.
Nine. Modjeska does not feel sure
whether the influence of the theater is
beneficial to the actress or otherwise.
To superficial observer it does not appear
that it is necessarily one thing or the
other. A life of excitement involves draw
backs, but it presents compensating ad-
vantages by stimulating intellectual activ-
ity. Acting begets nervous strain which
may be dangerous If prolonged, but it gives
a spur to attributes which might never
have been quickened to life without it. A
musician is likely to remain a musician all
the days of his life and to be nothing
more, but an actress may go on enlarging
her knowledge of life and human nature to
her death and be constantly extending
her intellectual sphere. Fanny Kemble
was fit to be a leader OF men.
When the question is put by GIRL as 1t
often is here as elsewhere, Shall | 60 on
the stage? it must not be answered too
hastily. If the girl is weak and vain there
should be no hesitation in responding in
the negative. She will be unable to resist
the temptations which the stage presents,
and for the eclat which she seeks she will
pay price which no girl can afford. But
if she is a sensible, well-principIed and
hard-headed girl merely see king liveli-
hood so as not to be compelled to marry
for q home a conscientious adviser will
hesitate before replying. The theater is
large consumer of female labor, and the
labor need not be other than honorable
and praisew orthy.
The work of an actress exacts frame
of iron, untiriug ind ustry and capacity
to endure exhausting toll. We hear talk
of an eight-h0ur day. The day of the
average actress covers fourteen hours. with
brief intervals for meals and half an hours
rest. From the hour she swallows a hasty
breakfast to hurry to rehearsal to the hour
when she washes the paint off her face to
return to her chamber she has hardly
time to think and but little time to sit
down. The work, too. is not like that of
the typewriter or the milliner, which leaves
behind 1t sense Of quiet satisfaction when
it is done. Each day brings with it its crop
of annoyances, Sights, injustices and dis
appointments. which must be borne in
patience. On the other hand, it is better
compensated than most forms of women's
work A girl who can take an ordinary part
and play it so as not to provoke ridicule
can earn twice as much money as her sister
who devotes herself to less intellectual
calling. If she Is discreet, and fairly intel
ligent, she need never fear being out of
work-whether she has good looks or no.