The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-12
ACTRESSES WARN ING
I GIRLS.
What Miss Clara morris Says OF the
Hsrdships of the Profession.

(From the Century Mssasine.)
know, she says. OF but three powers
that can open the stage door to girl
who comes straight from private nfs-a
fortune, great influence or supsrlauvs
beauty. With large amount Of money
girl can urquestionabiy tempt mana
ger whose business is not too good to
give her an engagements. II influence ID
used, 10 must indeed be OF . high social
order to be strong enough 10 Affect favor
ably The box once reosipts, end thus win
an opening for the young dsbutants. A
for beauty, 10 must be something very,
very remark Abis that will on It, strength
alone secure girl an engagement. Mere
prsttinsss will not do; nearly all Ameri.
can giris are pretty. IL must be radi-
ant and oompslling beauty, and every
one knows that there are not many such
beauties, stage. struck or other wise.
You will say goodby 10 mothers p OF
ting; you will live in Jour trunk. The
time win come whom that poor hetel
trunk ESQ called to distinguish IL from
the trun that goes 10 the thester when
you are travelling OF en- routel, with Its
dents and scars, will be the only friendly
object to greet you In your desoiate
boarding house. with Its one wizened,
unwilling sas-burner, and Its outlook
upon back yards and cats, or roofs and
sparrows, its sullsn, hard-teatured ned,
Its despairing carpet; for, you ses, you
will not have the money that might take
you to the front Of the houss and four
burners. Rain or shine you will have
to make your lonely, often frightened
way to and from the theater. Al re-
hef ,al, you will have to stand about,
vearily waiting hours while others re.
hearse over and over again their more
important foenss; yet you may not lave
for a walk or a chat, for you do not know
at what moment -FOUR soens may oe
called. You will nos be made much Of.
You will recsive Q "Good morninR" or
'Good evening" from the company.
travelling, you will literally iva In your
hat and cloak. You will breakfast 10
them many and many o time, you will
dine IN them regularly, that you may
rise at onoe and 90 TO the thsater or car.
You will see no one, 60 nowhere.
IL you htt IN obEnoett you wiz nhAopy
endure the fret year, -enduro aud study,
-and all for whatY That, after dressing
In the corner farthest from the looking
glass, in q dismal room You would SCARCE
u use for your hous,maid's brooms and
busters at home. You may stand for few
moments In the background OF some
scene. and watch the leading LAZY max
ing the hit In the foreground. Will these
few well-drsss'd, wsll-!ightsd, music
thrilled nom an Iepay you for the loss
Of home love, home comfort, home star.
6oinf
We ara not the radiant, winged GREAT
ures, We actors, that so many tighty
young stage-strnck girls think We are.
Our wings only unfold in the oalcinm
light; In the daytime we arc merely hard
working, everyday men and women, with
here ana there, one who carsiss the magic
wand Of Imagination, at whose waving
all sordidness disappears, who bears
lightly the trials and fluctuations OF tnis
truly hard life.
But. little stage-str uck girl, you who
think to trisk gayly mp to the head Of the
profession, pause before you try n force
your way into the theater, where acting
is either xeritable high art or o drudg-
cry. There 10 NO middle course between
these extremes. Retter, then, to be
patient at horne. Find occupation there,
II IL 10 nothing more than the weekly
putting In order OF bureau drawers for
some unusually careless member OF the
family. But. having q good home. thank
God and your parents for 10. and stay In