New-York tribune., 1908-08-09
a BROADWAY "TRY-0UT" STAGE.

On Wednesday and Saturday nights amateurs
compete fer prizes and engagements at one theatre
OF Broadway. This is :tTy-out' theatre for a big
firm ana al the rifraff of Broadway blows in
thee 10 aDpraise the value of the competitors. The
same style of audience frequents the Family Thea
tre n Harlem Friday night, for this is another
-tr,-uur-' house, and more mixed assem-
tlag disrenses criticisr-and projectilesat Canar-
sic and Drea-uland their amateur nights
a considerable group OF professional amateurs
sfresf- OF such occasions. and with them pro-
fessionals seeking employment, who have the first
chance TO demonstrate their qualifications. Mingled
with Tie rest are young boys from the street-many
Of them newsboys-and Of a distinctly streetboy
Iyre
Twenty girls is a fair average OF the number ap-
pe;.sirfy in an evening. Some belong to the Coney
Island stamp OF vaudeville regulars, and do not
excite the pity Of that portion of the audience 10
whom the treatment accorded young amateurs by
the rest appears cruel in the extreme. There are
usually five six little girls, ranging from thir-
teen 20 fifteen years Of age, and sometimes
even Younger These belong the industrious,
-self-respecting army of errand. cash and sewing
girls. They show evident enjoyment of the eX-
Clement of appearing the stage They fancy
that monotonous drudg-ry and few dollars week
are about 10 be exchanged for life of variety and
excitement and such pay only show girls in good
theatres receive They are intoxicated with the
glitter OF the stage and exhibit preparedness for
il Which could only have been attained through
training.
Possibilities for free stage training exist in the
social clubs promoted by religious organizations to
afford innocent amusement and recreation to a
class OF workers whose evenings could not be so
Wholesonely spent elsewhere.
The Young Mems Christian Association the Set
tlements and public and school gymnasums fur
nish every facilit! 1or practising athletics, it
is wonderful what good athletes appear among the
boys who compete in the "try-out'' theatres on
amateur nights The Educational Alliance is
doing a great work for the East Side dweers. es-
peclaIly among the Hebrews. Nothing is further
from the intention of this organization than ia-
culcate love Of stage life in the young who take
part in plays given by the Educational Alliance
theatre, yet the applause won before a small and
friendly audience inspires many child with de-
sire 10 win fame upon the broad stage of public
life and some have successfully entered upon such
q
HOW DO THEY EVADE THE LAW
Just how boys and girls under sixteen years OF
age manage TO appear amateur nights" ir
-'try-out" theatres and how they secure engage
ments is a problem which seemed willing
TO explain 10 Tribune investigator.
A child under sixteen years Of age must have
the Mayors consent to appear in amateur perform
ances. and may act acrobat dancer oil
singer under this age.
The law holds that stage work, drafts. asso
Citations and hours unfit child for any useful CO
reer in after life. The Gerry society has derncn .
strated that stage children achieve al,
prominence IN the theatrical world in life
and that if they live 10 reach maturity, their live
are blighJed and brief
In England France and Germany the age lrni
at which girls and boys may appear upon the stag
IS less than ours, and New York philanthropist