The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-15
AN
Miss Clara Morris Cautions Young Girls who
Wish to Go Upon the Stage.

"a Word of Warning to Young Ac-
tresses' IS uttered in the May Century
by Clara Morris, one Of the most sue
cessful actresses America has produced.
and author of Little Jim Crow" The
Silent Singer" etc.
know, she says, Of but three powers
that can open the stage door to a girl
who comes straight from private life-a
fortune, great influence. or superlative
beauty. With a large amount of money
a girl can unquestionably tempt a mana
ger whose business is not too good to
give her an engagement. II Influence is
used it must indeed be of a high social
order to be strong enough to affect ia
yOrably the bCX-Offce receipts. and thus
Win an opening for the young debutante.
As for beauty. it must be something very,
very remarkable that will on its strength
alone secure a girl an engagement. Mere
prettinesS Will not do: nearly all Ameri.-
can girls are pretty. 1t must be a ra-
diant and compelling beauty; and every
che knows that there are not many SUCH
beauties. stage-struck or otherwise.
You VIII say good-by to mothers pet
ting, YOU will live in your trunk. The
time Will come when that poor hotel
trunk (so-called TO distinguish it from
the trunk that goes to the theatre, when
you are travelling or On route. with its
dents and scars. viii be the only friendly
object to greet you in your deSOlate
boarding house, with its one WiZened,
unwilling gas-burner, and it's outlook upon
back yards and cats, or roofs and spar
rows. its sullen. Manufactured bed, it's
despairing carpet: for. you see. you will
not have the money that might take you
to the front Of the house and four burn
ers. Rain or shine. you will have to
make your lonely. often frightened, way
to and from the theatre. At the rehear3als
you will have to stand about, YEARLY
| waiting hours while others rehearse over
and over again their more important
scenes; yet you may not leave for 4
walk or chat, for you do not know at
what moment your scene may be called.
You will not be made much of. You will
receive a Good morning or Good
evening from the company, probably
nothing more. If you are travelling. you
Will literally live in your hat and cloak.
You will breakfast in them many and
I many a time, you Will dine in them regu-
larly. that you may rise at once and go to
the theatre or car. You Will see no one.
so nowhere.
If YOU are In earnest. you Will simply
endure the first year.-endure and study
and all fer what? That. after dressing
in the corner farthest from the looking
glass. in Q dismal room you would scarce
ly use for your housemaid's brooms and
busters at home. you may stand for a
few moments in the background of some
scene, and watch the leading lady maxi
ing a hit in the foreground. VIII these
few well-dressed. well-lighted. music
thrilled moments repay you for the loss OF
home love, home comfort, home STAR
dom?
We are not the radiant. winged crea-
lures, we actors, that SO many flighty
young stagestruck girls think we are.
Our wings only unfold in the calcium
light; in the daytime we are merely
Woodworking. everyday men and women,
With. here and there. one who carries the
ing all sordipess disappears, and VITO
bears lightly the trials and tribulations
!, OF this truly hard life.
But. little stage-struck girl. you who
think to irish gaily up to the head of the
profession, pause before YOU try to force
your way into the theatre, where acting
is either d veritable high art or a drudg-
cry. Th"ro is no middle course between
these extremes. Better, then, to be pa
tient at home. Find occupation there, if
il is nothing more than the weekly put
ting in order of bureau-drawerS for some
, unusually careless member of the family.
But having q good home, thank God and
your parents for it, and stay in 1t.