The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-11-29
THE STAGE AS A PROFESSION.
Hfrs, Kendall Talks About Advantages ano
Some of Ats Disadvantages.


When recently some one questioned
Mrs. Kendall what she thought OF tho
stage as a career for women, she said:
s'This is of all questions the most diff
6cult to answer and especially difficult
to an actress who is supposed by the
public to have been exceptionally sue
cessful. / love my work with all my
heart, and it would seem ungraclous ID
me to speak disparagingly OF the plank
which has buoyed me up. Still there
not an actor or actress in the world VINO
will not bear me out when say that
only members of the profession can
form any estimate of the difficulties,
tangible and intangible, which surround
those who wish to make their career on
the stage. To some people the dramatic
faculty is natural, and do what they will
they cannot keep it down. Still take an
ordinary young woman who has her Nv
ing to earn and compare what her life
will be if she takes to tuition as an alter
native to the boards.
"a good governess is treated as an
equal, for surely no woman would put
her children with governess she could
not respect and trust. If she is i'll, she Is
taken care of, and if need be may take
holiday. Contrast her lot with that OF
an unknown actress, who is constantly
thrown out of employment for months
at time and must appear at the theater
at the appointed time no matter how Ill
she is. Of course the temporary salary
is higher, and the little gowns she wears
as soubrettes are furnished by the man
agement But if the girl falls i'll she
often loses her place altogether, or her
understudy, if Of smarter appearance
may supplant her in favor.
"Then in England there is little oppor-
tunity for training, for there is no con-
servatoire for study. The would be &C
tress has no alternative but to get into
as good theater as she can and be con-
tent if she can get nothing better to do
than Just to walk on and off as super.
If had my life to begin over again. !
would study in Paris. The conserva-
toire has practically educated the French
people where theatrical matters are con-
cerned. After all, acting is art, and peo-
pie should not try to act before they have
been taught to do so, any more than they
would think of singing in grand opera
before they had studied with a good
master.
GAS for the qualifications essential to
success on the stage, d certain amount OF
dramatic instinct is necessary, good
looks are important, and good health is
everything People seem to think that
an actress is necessarily an individual
with shaky nerves and uncertain health,
when the truth of it is that all of us who
have made our mark in the world have
been remarkably well balanced, healthy
women; no one who is not strong can bear
the terrible strain which is put upon an
actress That time in which the public
sees us act represents but a small portion
of our fatigue. With the rehearsals,
learning new parts, the costumers, etc.,
we literally have no peace, and even
when we are successful holidays come
few and far between"
In speaking of marriage, Mrs. Kendall
says: "All my experience in life teaches
me that two of trade always agree in
the married state. would have a tailor
marry dressmaker, a painter marry
sculptress. and so on. People are never
80 happy as when talking shop, and !
think it is disastrous thing when an
actress marries man who takes no in
terest in her success, or when an actor
has to go home to woman who prefers
not to hear the theater mentioned. On
the whole, the most united married cou-
pies | have known belong to my own
profession. | am sure that an actress
can be quite as good wife and house
mother as any other woman, rather bet
ter perhaps, than her more domestic sis
tiers, for she always has to have her wits
about her, and that helps her in daily
life"