The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-12
PROTECTION FOR STAGE CHILDREN
Premature Work-Most of the Stage Children Drop Out
of the Profession-The Majority of Successful Actors
Did Not Start AS Children
by EVERETT w. LORD

in the cast have recently been presented
in Boston and Chicago with older sub
stitutes for the children, or with the
chidrens parts. omitted Among these
plays are Peter Pan. The Awakening of
Helena Richie. A Fool There Was. The
Silver Star. The Patriot On The Eve,
The Volunteer Organfst The Circus Man.
The Battle, The Squaw Man, The Ham
let of Broadway, School Days, and The
Travelling Salesman. Not only were chill
dren's parts taken by people over four
teen years, but in most cases the audi
ences knew nothing of the substitution.
1t has been claimed persistently that
actors of the first rank cannot be pro-
duced unless so employed from their In.
fancy. This claim Is however. far from
the truth. Comparatively few eminent
actors of the present day began their
professional career as children. Who's
who on the stage gives the actual or
approximate age at the time of the first
appearance In 496 cases. Only eighty
eight of this number began their stage
career when under fourteen years of age
and this list includes but few of the
names recognized as those of the bes.
actors of the day In other words, more
than eighty per cent of American actors
of prominence began their life work after
childhood.
The following are some of the prom
inent actors who have attained eminence
without having been employed as chill
dren. Among those who began between
the ages of fifteen and eighteen are:
Viola Allen, Mary Anderson, Margaret
Anglin, Ethel Barrymore. Sarah Bern
hardt. Emma Calve, Maxine Elliott,
Rose Tytinge, Nat Goodwin, Edna Wal
lace Hopper Cissie LOTUS. Rose Mel
Vile. Olga Nethersole. Eleanor Robson.
Annie Russell and e. S. Willard.
The following were over eighteen when
they made their first professional ap-
pearance Blanche Bates. Digby Bell
James Carhart, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Ida
Conquest. John T. Dodson, Robert EIDE
SON William A Faversham. Johnston
Forbes Robertson. William Gillette, Jas
X. Hackett, William DeWolfe Hopper,
Wilton Lackaye. Lily Langtry, Bruce
McRae, Robert r. Mantell, John Mason,
Henry Miller William Norris, Eber
Plymptoo. Mrs. James Brown Potter,
Charles J. Richmond, f. H. Southern
Denman Thompson, Beerbohm Tree, and
Sir Charles Wyndham.
The plea is made that by going on the
stage opportunity is given children to
prepare themselves for an honorable and
lucrative profession. We cannot know
all the children who have been employed
on the stage: there is no who's who of
have good reasons TO believe. however
that a large percentage of the children
| who have been in theatrical employment
have not found II the open door to pref
erment. In the year of 1895 there were
employed on the stage in New York CITY
| 320 children under the age of fifteen. II
| early employment leads to success, We
might reasonably expect fair proportion
Of these children to become actors of rec
ognized standing. OF the entire 800 there
can be found at this time, fifteen years
any capacity.
Education, In the commonly accepted
sense of the term, Is wholly impossible
for child whose attention and interests
are wrapped up In stage life. Even
though they may be under the care of &.
| teacher. stage children with difficulty
obtain the rudiments of a general edu-
cation. and the training for their stage
work does not compensate for this lack.
| During the day child should be at
| school; after seven o'clock In the evening
the place for a child is in bed. and no
rearrangement of hours for sleep can
compensate for robbing nature of the
normal hours for rest
| The number of children actually en-
ployed on the stage may not be SO great
as the number in cotton mills or in de-
partment stores, but It is not insignfi-
| cant, and the results are SO demoralz-
| ing the need Is 80 slight and returns SO
| valueless. that we are justified in de-
mnnding law which shall protect all
children from stage employment.
|