The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-06-09
StageOpen
To Women
With Wills
IL
---CharLOtte Walker

'.After had read some scores OF IN
tervicws with great musicians. great
authors. great actors and great men
IN all other walks Of life. a brilliant
idea suddenly dawned upon me. in my
early girlhOOd days" said Miss Char
lotte Walker one evening last week
after a performance OF TriIby- 1t was
that all genius was in a conspiracy TO
prevent all wOuld-be geniuses from
achieving success. ] found that In every
story OF How I became successful
there were invariably such aphor1sns
as Genius IS an infinite capacity for
work Work. work work. that Is the
only rule OF success or I know nO
other means Of succeeding than by the
sweat Of ones brow ] decided that
all such recipes for greatness wers
really little more than trickery TO mis-
lead the individual who could achievs
something II he or she only knew how
70 start IN my youthful mind I argued
that there must be some quintessence
that enters into a mans or a woman's
work which brings success
1T IS strange how a few years change
ones whole perspective Of life The
more I see and talk with men and
women who have achieved something.
the more / realize that II you want 3
thing long enough and hard enough IL
shall be yours. If It be now. It's not
10 come; If il be not 10 come. IL VIII
be now: II il be not now. yet Il viii
come. The readiness is all With the
longing for something necessarily goes
the determination and the willingness
10 work for that something
Advice to Girls With a Purpose.
IN no profession in life is this truer
than on the stage
You ask me what advice I would give
the young woman who has made up her
mind to go or the stage?
My first precept IS that she should
make up her mind first and be sure
that she really means TO succeed on
the stage Ny advice does not apply,
10 the girl who is merely stage-struck
The stage IS the only real dramatic
school. and every young woman can
get a scholarship in that school II She
is determined about It.
How?
There are hundreds OF ways Any
Washington girl who does not know thes
manager OF one Of your theaters per-
sOnally knows some friend, at least.
who can introduce her 70 one or all
Of them II the girl has any personal
charms al ALL any grace OF movement,
a voice. or any magnetism, she can in
duce that manager 10 place her on his
emergency list Actors and actresses
are as apt TO be taken suddenly i'll as
any other persons, and when they 90
there are vacancies to be filed. II the
girl who really wants to go on the stage
responds 10 ar emergency cali Of this
kind and does her work conscientiously,
however crude il may be. she viii be
remembered the next time a company
playing at that theater is short an ac-
tress
The next time viii come when this
girl. II she has the determination 70
study and make something out OF the
smallest part will be offered a place
in a regular company. When that Tins
comes. the would-be actress viii show
her true worth.
Opportunities Practically Limitless.
The opportunities are almost limit
less after once an actress is a member
Of s. company"
| Up 10 this point Miss Walker had
succeeded in evading every effort
had made TO bring in the personal
experience" side Of her advice. Now,
however. to the direct question. How
can YOU say that the opportunities ara
Iimitless2 she said
My first work on the stage was as a
member Of the chorus In a musical
comedy. with a cast OF fifty people
BY studying night and day 1 became
the understudy for every speaking char
/ acter in the play. Before the season
closed I had had an opportunity TO play
every part in that comedy The next
/ season / secured something a great deal
better. But that story IS a diversion
from your proposition of what I con-
= slider 70 be the best way for womans
who wants 10 be cn actress, 10 get a.
start on the stage.
After all, the chief requisite. to my
mind. is the same old story Of an in
finite capacity for work. and a never
let-up spirit to achieve that which you
desire.
Want what you want when you want
it, ard want IL hard. II viii be yours