The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-02
NOT ALL PLAY.
Clara Morris Word of Warning to
WouId-be Actresses.

"A Word Of Warning to Young Act
resses" is uttered in the May Century
by Clara Morris, one of the most cue
cessful actresses America has produced
and author of Little sim Crow" THE
Silent Singer" etc.
1 known, she says. Of but three pow
ers 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 unQUes-
tiOnably tempt a manager whose bust
ness is not too good to give her an
engagement If influence is used il
must indeed be of a high social order
to be strong enough to affect favOrably
/ the box office receipts, and thus win
an opening for the young debutante.
As for beauty, it must be something
very, very remarkable that viii on it's
strength alone secure a girl an engage
ment. Mere prettiness viii not do
nearly all American girls are pretty. It
must be a radiant and compelling
beauty, and every one knows that
there are not many such beauties,
stage struck or otherwise
You will say good by to mothers pet
ting; you VIII live in your trunk The
time viii come when that poor hotel
trunk $50 called to distinguish il from
The trunk that goes to the theatre,
when you are travelling or en- route).
with its dents and sears, will be the
only friendly object to greet you in
your desOlate boarding house, with its
one wizened. unwilling gas-burner.
and its outlook upon back yards and
cats, or roofs and sparrOWe, its sullen,
/ hard-featuTed bed, its despairing car
pet; for, you see, you viii not have the
money that might take up to the front
Of the house and four burners. Rain
or shine, you VIII have to make your
/ lonely, often frightened, way to and
/ from the theatre. At rehearsals you
Will have TO stand about, YEARLY wait
ing hours while others rehearse over
and over again their more important
scenes; yet you may not leave for a
walk or chat, for you do not know
at what moment your scene may be
called. You will not be made much Of
You viii receive a GOOD morning" or
Good evening" from the company,
probably nothing more. If you are
travelling, you VIII literally i've in your
hat and cloak. You viii breakfast in
them MANY and many a time, YOU viii
dine in them regularly, that you may
rise at once and go. to the theatre or
car. You will see no one, go nowhere.
y
endure the first yeaT-endure and
study-and all for what2 That. after
dressing in the corner faFthest from the
lOOking-glass, in a dismal room you
would scarcely Use for your house
maids br0Oms and busters at home,
you may stand for a few moments in
the background OF some scene. and
watch the leading LADY making the hit
in the foreground. Will these few well
dressed, well lighted, music thrilled
moments repay YOU for the loss Of
home love, comfort. home staTdom?
We are not the radiant. winged Crea-
lures, we actors. that 50 many hightv
young stage struck girls think we are
Our wines only unfold in the calcium
light; in the daytime we are merely
hard working, every day men and
women, with. here and there. one who
carries the magic wand of imagination.
at whose waving all sordidness disap-
pears, and who bears lightly the trials
and tTibulati0ns Of this truly hard life
But, little stage struck girl, you who
think to frisk gaily Up TO the head Of
the profession, pause before you try 20
force you way into the theatre. WI ere
acting is either a veTitabie high art or
a drudgery. There is NJ middle course
between these extremes. Better. then
TO be patient at home. Find occuDa-
ton there, if it is nothing more than
the weekly putting in order Of bureau
member Of the family. But having q
good home, thank God and your par
ents for il, and stay in it.