The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-05-15

try Have Made Fortunes.
into "a room in an mp town Office
building there passed at irregular inter
walls young women who. after having
spent some time inside, reappearcd at
the door and started down the flight OF
steps that lead 10 the street. This hap
pened all day. A line of women was
continually going il and ont. None Of
them staid very long, and none Of
them left the rcoln with expressions Of
particular satisfaction.
Il don't think there could be any bet
ter warming" said Il theatrical man
who had an office opposite the door
through which the girls disappeared,
"to women who think Of going Oh the
stage thar the sight Of that string Of
women. That is a theatrical exchange,
and in and out Of that cfI;ce they so ey-
cry day. Some Of them-the lucky mes
disappear after awhile, and they seem
to have found places. But the majority
come and 60 for along time before any
thing is found for them. The best don't
come to the exchanges, yen know. Only
those who are not well enough known
to have their services always iii demand
are compelled to look for positions
through the agents. The others can 30
TO the managers, or, i'll some rare cases,
have the managers come. t. them.
There never was 4 subject about
which less was really known than that
of the rewards that a life on the stage
bring 10 avo1nan. l remember to have
seen c,.ca a. interview With Lolita Crab
tree III The sun in which she said thai
the stage gave wonen more than any
other profession could. Lolita il one Of
the fcy- very rich ONO Of the stage,
and | IA azEaid that optimistic opinion
was @L.eetgd more Or less by her own
sucCcgE. II she had not accumulated
$500, coo or more, Lolita might not look
so f&EGgably upon the stage as a means
of livelihood for women.
"Th2 IDEAS that are prevalent about
salaries, tie general idea Of TIE large
amou2a' paid and the prospects for say
ing lnCGcy that such occupation affords
are az based on very erroneous impress
sions. There a1e, Of course, actors that
make large sums, and some that make
fortunes. But there are not many Of
them. There are very feN people, for
ins..clce. who would believe that the
lending lady of a prominent New York
stock company gets only 500 a week
-tiatlS Is, fer abCut so weeks CT the year,
or maybe 80 at the outside. On the road
she receives 1925 week. A certain
amount is paid BY her manager toward
her costumes, but when it happens that
the plays are not successful and have to
be changed frequently, the expense of
costumes uses up Il large proportion Of
what she .a make. The most popular
leading woman i'll American receives
only <il25 a week when she. is in New
York and an extra $50 on the road. Yet
as many Of the people at the theaters in
which she acts go to see her as go to see
the star, with whom she's associated.
But she's to be a star herself after
awhile, and hen she will make enough
to repay her for all the time She was
building up her popularity, even if she
was not getting rich.
'These women that get the salaries I
spoke Of are the best paid in the coun-
try. Among all the women on the stage
Il doubt if there are 80 who receive as
much as that. One leading lady in a
New York theater gets only 500 a week.
The women who act on the road with
stars get usually So or $50, and in some
cases 500. But, as / said, there are not
smany of them in the last schedule. The
prices range on down to $50, which is
about the smallest salary paid to any
woman III a first class
when they get to be stars Oh their
OWL recount, the case is different. Usu-
ally the women stars get certain sums
eyo-v week in salary and certain
samounts from the profits. Some of the
best paid get $500 "a week in salary and
rOne-quarter of the profits. Then they
begin to make money. One-quarter Of
the profits may equal, under favorable
circumstances, So, 900. That makes the
salary Ct the actor engaged on the terms
mentioned $500 a week. But only the
lucky ones succeed i'll ever accomplish
ing such success as that. Of course there
are Others who take all the money and
merely hire their managers. But they
are still fewer III sumber.
"Another thing that has to he taken
into consideration is tkc fact that a wo- !
man has only a certain time ON the
stage, She must be Il genius to last
much heyand 40, and sine is not likely !
to becanac fanious much hefczc 10. SO
her time il rather short. After Il certain
period t.e decline begins and salaries
besiiita - Gownsus as before the age,
say = -. gaey increased. Think OF the
few n : = even COM! II; Ky eff women
of -. stse. Thcy c0uId 0e counted on