Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-31
The Stage as cohparsa With Other
Occupations for Women.
IT has DISTINCTIVE ADVANTAGES
An Amusing Experience as an
Amateur Lady's Maid.
BUT AMPLE PREPARATION
Copyright. 1901, by s. Mcclure Coz

w nat advantage has the stage over
other occupations for women"
In looking over these letters from the
gentle unknown" find that question No.
) is asked by Mrs. Someone more often
than by the more impulsive and less
thoughtful girl writer-and it is put with
frequency and earnestness
Of course there is nothing authoritative
in these answers of mine-no. hing abso-
lutte. Ihey are simply the opinions of one
woman, founded upon personal experience
and observation. We must of course, to
begin with, eliminate the glamour of the
stage-that strange, false luster, as pow
erful as it is intangible, and consider act
ing as a practical occupat ton, like any
other And then 1 find that in trying to
answer the question asked, l am compelled
after all to turn to memory.
had been on the stage two years, when
one day L met a schoelmate Her father
had died and she too was working, but
she was bitterly envious of my occupation
L earnestly explained the demands stage
wardrobe made upon the extra pay l drew
that in actual fact she had more money
for herself than [ had. Again, | explained
that rehearsals, study ana preparation of
costumes required time almost equal to her
working hours, with the night work beside
but she would not be convinced
"Oh, don't you see,'' she cried; Il
at service-that means I'm a dependent
| labor for another. You serye-yes but
you labor for yourself" and 10, She had
placed her stubby little finger upon the
sore spot In the working womans very
heart when she had OWNED that in the
independence of an actress lay her great
advantage over other workers.
OF course this independence is not alb
Solute-Dut then how many men there are
already silver haired at desk or bench or
counter, VINO are still under the authority
I ilrn n
treSS independence is comparative, but
measured by the bondage of other work
ing women, it is very great. We both have
duties TO perform for which we receive a
given WaSe-yet there is a difference. The
working girl is expected to be subseryient-
she is too often regarded as a menial-she
is ordered. An actress-even of small char
acters-ls considered a necessary part of
the whole. She asSists-she attends-she
obHges. Truly a difference. Again: Wo-
men shrink with passionate repugnance
from receiving orders from another woman
witness the rarity of the American do
mestlc. A pity? Yes but what else can
you expect. The Americans are a dominant
race Free education has made all classes
100 nearly equal for one woman to bend
her neck willingly and accept the yoke of
serVltude offered by another woman
No Home Comforts.
And even this is spared to the actress
since her directions are more often received
from stage manager or manager than from
woman star. True, her life is hard; she
has no home comforts-butq then she has TO
heaVy duties to perform--no homework,
sweeping, dish washing or
and when her work is
done she is her own mistress. She goes
and comes at her own Wll-she has tine
for Self-improvement, but best of all she
has something to look forward to- There
is great advantage over girls of other
have such a small chance
of advancement.
Some impeIuous young reader who speaks
first and thinks afterward may cry out
that l am not doing justice to the profess
sion of acting-even that l discredit it, in
thus comparing it with humble and some
what mechanical avocations; So before 1
go further, little enthusiasts let me re-
mind you of the wording of this present
question. 1t does not ask what advantage
has acting over other professions, over
other arts, but What advantage has it
over other occupations for women?"
very sweeping inquiry, You see; hence
this necessary comparison with shop, fac
tory and office work. AS to the other pro-
fessions. taking, for instance, law or med-
cine, preparations for practice must be
very costly. A girl puts her family to a
great strain to pay her college expenses, or
if some family friend advances funds
when she finally passes all the dreaded ex-
aminations and has the legal right to
hang out her shngle,' she starts in the
race OIL lle handicapped with crushing
debts.
The theater is, l think. the only place
where a salary is paid to students during
all the time they are learning their profess
SiOn-Surely great, a wonderful adyan-
tage over other professions, to be self-sus-
tanning from the first.
In Serving Art.
Then the arts-but, ah! life is short and
art-dear Lord! Art is long, almost unto
eternity! And she who serves it needs
help-much help. and then must wait long
and YEARLY, for the worlds response and
even if they come are ant
to be somewhat uncertain, unless they can
be cut on a marble tomb-then they are
quite positive and hearty. But in the art
of acting the response and recognition come
swift lightning-sweet nectar while
you are young enough to enjoy and to make
still greater efforts to improve and adj
vance. So, 1t seems to me- the great adj
vantage of acting over work is ones in
opportunity to improve
oneself. Its advantage over the profession
is that it is self-sustaining from the st art.
Its advantage over the arts is it's swift re-
ward for earnest endeaVor
1t must be very hard, to endure the con-
tempt so often bestowed upon the woman
who simply serves. l had little taste of
it once myself, and though it was given
me by accident, and apologies and laughter
followed-I remember quite well that even
tnat tiny taste was ulStiHCllS unpleasant,
yes and bitter. / was abroad with some
very intimate friends. and Mrs. p. ian in
valid owing to a mishap, was for some
days without a maid. We arrived in Paris
hours behind time-late at night, and went
straight to our reserved rooms seeing no
one. but some sleepy servants. Early next
morning, going to my friends apartments.
1 came upon this piteousf sight: Mrs p.
who had head of curly hair, was not only
without maid, but was also without the
use of her right arm.it tThe fame of Char
cot had brought her to Paris) Unless she
breakfasted alone, whichB she hated. her
hair must be arranged Behold then the
emergency for which her husband, Colonel
P, had boldly. not 10 say reckessly, Of
fered his services i cam see them now
She, with clinched teeth of physical suffer-
ing and uplifted eye, of the forgiving mar
tyr, sat in combing Jacket before him, and
he with the maids white apron girt tight
about him just beneath his arm pits.
had on his soldierly, face an expression of
desperate resolve that suggested the lead
ing of forlorn hope. Arrow of hairpins
protruding sharply from between his tight
~ closed lips, a tortoise shell back comb
dangling from one side of his full beard
where he had placed it for safety-made
this amateur hair dresser disturbing sight
for both gods and men. With legs well
braced and far apart, his arms high lifted
like outspread wings. he welded the comb
after the manner of a man raking fay.
For one moment all my sympathy was for
H. chr u,ha