Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-05-21
PAY OF ACTRESSES.
WOMEN ON THE STAGE RECEIVE
AS A RULE, SMALL SALARIES.
There Are Few Who Arc Rewarded
Literally. but Generally the BuS.
lneSs Is Not Profitable, and Not
Many In This Country Have
Made Fortunes.

building there passed at irregular IN
tervals young women who, after hav-
ing spent some time inside, reappeared
at the door and started down the
flight of steps that lead to the street.
This happened all day. A line OF wo-
men was continually going in and out.
None of them staid very long, and
none of them left the room with ex-
pressions of particular satisfaction.
"I don't think there could be any
better warming" said theatrical man
who had an Office opposite the door
through which the girls disappeared,
"to women who think of going on the
stage than the sight of that string of
women. That is theatrical exchange,
and in and out of that office they go
every day. Some of them-the lucky
ones-disappear after awhile, and they
seem to have found places. But the
majority come and 60 for long time
before anything is found for them.
The best don't come to the exchanges,
you know. Only those who are not
well enough known to have their SER
vices always in demand are compelled
to look for positions through the
agents. The others can 60 to the
managers, or, in some rare cases, have
the managers come to them.
"There never was subject about
which less was really known than that
of the rewards that life on the stage
bring to a woman. l remember to
have seen once an interview with
Lotta Crabtree in The Sun in which
she said that the stage gave women
more than any other profession could.
Lotta is one of the few very rich wo-
men of the stage, and / am afraid that
optimistic opinion was affected more
or less by her own success. If she had
not accumulated $3,OOOOOO or more,
Lotta might not look so favorably
upon the stage as means of liveli-
hood for women.
"The ideas that are prevalent about
salaries, the general idea of the large
amounts paid and the prospects for
saving money that such occupation
affords are all based on very erroneous
There are, of course,
actors that make large sums, and
some that make fortunes. But there
are not many of them. There are
very few people, for instance, who
would believe that the leading lady of
a prominent New York stock company
gets only 500 week-that is, for
about 80 weeks of the year, or maybe
35 at the outside. On the road she
receives 1925 week. A certain
amount is paid by her manager to-
ward her costumes, but when it hap
pens that the plays are not successful
and have to be changed frequently,
the expense of costumes uses up a
large proportion of what she may
make. The most popular leading wo-
man in America receives only $125 a
week when she is in New York and an
extra $25 on the road. Yet as many
of the people at the theaters in which
she acts 60 to see her as go to see the
star with whom she's associated.
But she's to be q star herself after
awhile, and then 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
l spoke of are the best paid in the
country. Among all the women ON
the stage doubt if there are so who
receive as much as that. One leading
lady in New York theater gets only
$65 week. The women who act on
the road with stars get usually SIS or
$50, and in some cases 500. But, as
1 said, there are not many of them in
the last schedule. The prices range
on down to $50, which is about the
salary paid to any woman in
a first-class company.
"When they get to be stars on their
own account, the case is different.
Usually the women stars get certain
sums every week in salary and certain
from the profits. Some of
the best paid get $500 week in salary
and one-quarter of the profits. Then
they begin to make money. One
quarter of the profits may equal, un-
der favorable circumstances, $4,000.
That makes the salary of the actor en-.
gagged on the terms mentioned $500 q
week. But only the lucky ones sue
ceed in ever accomplishing such sue
cess as that. OF course there are 9TH
ars who take all the money and merely |
hire their managers. But they are
still fewer in number.
Another thing that has to be taken
into consideration is the fact that a
has only certain time on the
stage. She must be genius to last
much beyond 40, and she is not likely
% become famous much before 30. So }