The times., 1901-04-28
THE PASSING SHOW

Mrs. Garter has been giving advice IN
young women who want to be actresses
According to her experience. no young
woman working without a definite purpose
and good reason viii ever achieve sue
cess on the stage
She goes into detail as follows:
The average girl with stage aspira-
tions wishes to become an actress because
it seems to be an easy way to make a lot
Of money. An additional reason is that
20 her mind actresses appear to have so
many opportunities for wearing an end
less array Of stunning gowns in public:
she takes il for granted that If only she
had the chance to wear such robes she
would carry them in a way that would
captivate all onIookers-excepting of
course, few jealous-minded professional
rivals. As for the routine Of an actress
Work, this stdSe-struck girl imagines that
she can readily master it. Why you will
hear her say, anyone with any brains
at all can memorizc the words Of q long
drama and speak them aloud in ma
tural tone after a week or two Of prac-
dce.' Poor girl That IS less than
jhousaHdth part Of the work a woman
must do before she can hope for the hand
ClapplnE from the dark side Of the foot
lights
According TO Mrs Carter the rewards
Tor stage triumphs are quite alluring. I'm
this connection she saws:
There Is indeed much money. much
pubhc applause, and therefore much So
clal pleasure for every actress who
achieves a big triumph. And these are
very gratifying. just as the successful au-
thor must feel to receive large checks
from the publisher of his writings
But acting would be a narrow Hfe-work
il these were the highest rt.yarCg iusT
as writing would be IL a great authors
big royalties We're the best returns for
the labor on his books. Such things are
incidental in both professions. An actress
need not wait until her name is Dastcd
over al the ash-barrels of New York be
iofe she begins 10 taste the rewards of
histrlomc success. once a girl has taken
up the profession truly as an art. appre-
ciatinS the work for its own sake She has
only 10 apply her energies TO whatever
little work is given her, and she will
lind herself in fun, If quiet enjoyment of
her rewards. 1t is worth while 20 know
that she has done a small thing well The
smaller the part. the smaller the reward
OF course, but she viii soon realize thai
what is harder to earn is the better on
Joyed and the edge viii be taken off early
disappontments if she understands thai
these are but the roads TO the highest
success"
The girl who is to become a great nc
Tess must be born to the stage believes
the Tttian-haired actress. That this state
ment may not be misconstrued, she has
tens to explain:
1t is true that no cir! who does not
birth can ever hope for the richest re
wards. On the other hand, il does NOT
follow that because a girl does possess
certain natural traits she IS SIr.. of e,,r
cess if she only half tries To her nat
ural gifts must be added an infinite
amount of very hard work 1t would be
easier 10 md royal road to Euclid than
a velvet road to true triumph on the
stage. OF course, a girl with eXtraordi-
nary beauty and no brains may without
any very hard work achieve more or
less big success in vaudeville Here. how
ever, We are speaking exclusively of peo-
pie In what we call legitimate drama
The natural gifts required for sue
cesstul actress are first and foremost a
general nobleness of charactcr-a char
acter that finds more Joy in an event II
the JOY is shared by at feast one other
soul. 1t is as impossible for a selfish
natured girl to become a great actress as
IL is said to be hard for rich man to go
TO heaven. The first underlying princi-
pie Of the drama, whether the general