Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-11-12

" l1C0lyy aS pOSSlOlo, pEUUtsD4y tsaA1nEs yONI
name with q promise to send for You
should there be an opening. But you
are never sent for, and it is best to know
this at the outset, before you waste
your substance in board bills while yon
wait. K A. III
Don t imagine that letters of intro.
duction to the big managers arc going
to do you any good. They may insure
you an audience, bnt that is ALL If the
theatrical car happens to be III bad
humor, you may not get evon civil
treatment when he feels himself in o
measure forced to see you. There have.
been such instances. s
One young woman, who came here
with letters from Ellen Terry and other
celebrities, had few days ago pawne1
nearly everything mt the clothes she
had on.
Don't place any reliance on the al.
vertisements Of actors who will train
You for the stage and guarantee you an
engagement. K VIII
Don't 60 to the manager who adver-
tises for IAN attractive young womal.
with few hundred dollars, stage ex-
perience not necessary. In short
time he will have your money and You
will have the experience, but it will
not be pleasant one. Y:
Now as to some OF the things you
would better do.
Dress as well and becomingly as you
can Speak up quickly and put your
story in rs few words as possible. Show
that you mean business and are willing
|, to work and to begin at the bottom
rung of the ladder
If you are plain Of face don't say You
want to do leading emotional, Juveniles
or ingenucs. Insist OIL characters and
''old women. = You may yet achieve as
great a triumph over physical defects
as Clara Morris or Charlotte Cushman,
but manager won't believe it though
an angel from heaven came down to
tell him. Begin with lilly slowboy5
and yon may yet do MedeaL II .ss. .s
II you are determined TO try u. get
into New York company and this 10
the hardest posi- bic thing to domake
] friends with some actress who IS a mem.
Der Of q first class company and get her
to interest the stage manager to take
you on as an extra. :" II you attend tc
business, try to please and are careful
about your dress and make up, the man.
ager will notice you and probably keep
track Of you You will attract his at.
tention more with one rehearsal on his
stage than you would with six visits to
his Office armed with letters Of intro
duction. You may do nothing but lex.
tras'' whole season, or you may be
Entrusted with a small part, but ear
nestness and perseverance win. One Of
our most prominent players started this
way.
Should you BIO able to afford the ex-
pense Of a course at one Of the reputable
dramatic schools in New York, it is adj
visable to do sc. But the glittering bats
Of engagements held ont to pupils must
be taken with some reservation. In the
case OF these schools certain metropoli-
tan managers agree to take, say, six
pupils annually. These six will Of
course be the cream tbf the class in abil-
ity and beauty. The others may get
small positions in travelling companies,
or they may get nothing
It is the fashion Of the profession to
oxclaim against the schools, but there
is no reason why the dramatic art
should not be taught in as systematic q
manner as any other, and there will
always be an army Of new recruits press
ing into the ranks, trained or unframed.
Ii you have had some training at
home, you will find the reputable agent
OF use. Il .ss
But here, again, put money in thy
purse, The agent is ms ice to the anna
teur unless thawed by the genial dollar.
You cannot blame him, because he has
70 labor about five times as hard to get
8 manager to take raw material as that
which has we'll known brand.
i He will exact $5 before he will even
put you down on his books After that
he will want promise Of your first
weeks salary before he will speak Of
! you TO manager. 4 you get an engage
ment for these two payments, you may
condder the terms reasonable j.
5s Amateurs have paid u high a. 81, 500
1or IN engagement Not long ago one
/ paid this sum to : New York agent.
She was given part in the support Of
: star. and she ran over to Paris and
purchased wardrobe that cost 81, 800
more \. 5235
On her return the star clained Ill
knowledge Of the engagement, and tho
agent aid the star had gone back On
her word The delnded amateur, alter
3consid erable trouble, made the agent re-
turn $500 and was out just q. 500 on
tho tanaaction. mn
Mt1aywill get you there. hut whether
syou en- keep the place ID another thing.
Ono young woman, who paid N agent
$500. for . position with prominent
5sear. va promptly discharged at the end
AZ two weeks Then abe broke down
and wept and told the actor what abe
hid pcid for her en5agenaallt. Ro was
4mFan ns,A vnvvad EhA anenlk ahnnA All