Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-17

III tllS SAME pIOlcSSlOll
have anent the same subject!
Never was this more strikingly
illustrated than the other day
when the writer chatted for an
hour or so with members of the
company. which will be presented
tonight at the Majestic theater.
William Courtenay, the lead
ing man, was the first one l en-
countcred. We sat just outside
the Majestic stage door, and Mr..
Countenay began the conversa-
ton with the usual remarks.
First it was a eulogy on South
ern California's glorious climate.
Then he spoke of the wonderful
growth of Los Angeles. The
Jeffries disaster came in for few
words. All of which was not to
my purpose, for had gone forth
seeking whom l might devour
and grind into copy for Sundays
issue, so | suddenly called halt
to the bromide conversation.
Merely as feeler suggested
something about life on farm
and the actors hardships. At
once Mr.. Courtenay was all at
tention. Then he gave utterance
to several more or less wise OBJ
servations about the stage and its
people.
81 believe" said Mr.. Courtenay,
"that man has an easier time of
it than a woman on the stage.
The initial efforts looking toward
recognition are the hard ones,
and the ones which try the indi-
vidual sorely. A woman may be
beautiful and thus succeed. But
suppose she is not? Then she
has the hardest sort of row to
hoe. Now a man being of coarser
fiber can stand all those trials.
Again he has his clubs where he
may go and meet managers. He
may even appear in club high
jinks. Always there is a way
open for a man to secure recogni-
ton of some sort. But woman
must rely on the agencies to get
an engagement. Men receive at
least three times the salary for
playing relative roles that women
1 do. Ask manager what he pays
woman for playing thinking
part such as a maid, and then
ask the same manager what he
pays a man for playing a buffers
lole. You will find the man re-
ceives much more salary than the
woman. In the beginning, it is
much easier for men on the stage,
and believe that rule holds un-
til the very top of the ladder is
reached.
Personally, 1 discourage all
women from electing the stage as
a career. If a girl can do any
thing at all well, say, let her do
that in preference to going on the
stage. The players life is hard
one, full of trials, misfortunes and
temptations. Where one man or
woman succeeds a thousand fail.
In the end, the game isn't worth
the candle. Plaudits of the multi
tude count for nothing. They are
sweet music while they last, but
like much music, they do not
make permanent happiness. Be-
lieve me, when I get enough to
provide a small income for my
self, / shall forsake the stage and
get a little farm somewhere.
AS l looked up l saw Virginia
Harmed framed in the stage door.
Evidently she had overheard Mr..
Courtenay's remarks, for she en-
tered into the conversation with,
so that's what you think about
it, is it?"
Eyes, that's what I think about
it," replied Mr.. Courtenay.
swell, let me tell you, you are
all wrong" said Miss Harmed.
"You say girl has the more dif-
ficult time receiving recognition,
but that cannot be so. The stage
is the best of all places for girl.
Women are absolutely essential
to the stage. The stage is the
only place where women are not
scorned. In all other professions
women are handicapped. Women
physicians are never taken into
consultation by men doctors.
Women lawyers are scorned and
jeered at by the men. But on the
stage women are comparatively
few in number. Almighty Man, as
Chantecler says, has taken care
of that. Almighty Man has forced
woman into the background in
all walks of life except on the
stage. Possibly it is because man
delights in seeing woman but de-
tests competing with her. A
clever woman who elects the
stage has infinitely more chance
of getting hearing and an en-
gagement than does a man. If I
had son and daughter would
-