Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-04-28

memorial COuntle6S pages
XA have been written advis-
ing the youth Of both
So sexes to shun the glamour
and artihciality Of the
stage, It IL exceedingly rare to come
across an article that would be of
value to One who had chosen acting
for his life work. II is a profession
which should never be adopted with
out q proper understanding Of its pc
culiar difnculties and dangers. but II
your boy II convinced that he has the
necessary qualifications and is pre-
pared to face and overcome . host Of
preliminary discourasements. the fol-
lowing hints will assist him to o
proper knowledge Of tho frst steps to
be taken.
Contrary to the general impression.
one does not need to be a genius in
order to rise to a fair position in his
trionic circles. In fact, nowadays.
producers are seeking types. rather
than orators and elocutionists. For
instance. some men. even though In
poor circumstances. are endowed
naturally with the outward appear
ance and bearing Of millionaires.
Such persons. II possessing fair act
ing ability. can NIL millionaire parts
more acceptably than those who do
not look plutocratic. For the same
reason q fat man Is moro naturally .
fat man on the stage than q thin
man made up to appear 30. as are
also q thin man. q hunchback. bow
legged man. . bald-headed man. or
an unusually small man
Therefore, II your boy has any &C
eDtricities Of physique or tempera-
m3nt his chances may be really better
than II be were anything short OF
high ability without them.
However. there is one essential
which can be tested before he makes
. serious attempt to get on the stage
his ability to memorize. To be-
como . successful actor he must be
ab,e to memorize with comparative
readiness. The average ordinary part
consists Of about nve thousand words.
which must be committed to memory
with absolute perfection Further
more, in stock work. whore . new
play II put on once q week. an actor
must be able to master this number
Of words in that period. Your boy
should test his memory by one or
more well known plays and trying
to memori1e different parts. Then
with some one to read the other parts
as they occur. let him supply the
part he has learned from memory.
This test satisfactory. his next
step would be to 90 to the manager
of . theatrical company and ask to be
given . trial. Should the manager
have . play with some small part
which he thinks suitable to the appli-
cant's general appearance. the chance
OF getting employment would be pret-
ty fair. The only way to get the
coveted start 10 to keep after the man
ayers.
Your boy will receive about SIS .
week when he begins with . nom
speaking part. and II the company
si hid be ON tho road he might bs
paid ~S25, on account Of having to pay
his sn hotel expenses. All living ex-
penses are always assumed BY the
actor. the manager paying only the
railroad fare.
BY all means the most profitable
class Of work In the beginning would
be with q stock company. on account
of the varied experience and trying
out that your boy would get In ap-
pearing in q new play every week.
Another advantage would be that the
regular season II only from Septem-
Der 1 to the end Of April. leaving four
months Of enforced id1eness. while
stock companies are often busy
through the summer.
The bit actor" lone who has only
a line or so to speak) in q stock COM
pany il paid about $50 week. Hav-
ing only these few words to utter
may not seem much. but 1t has It's
place. and an important one. In the
play. II may be that all your boy
| has to do is to enter and say. His
| Lordship has arrived. sir" but this Is
a distinct part. and II he does 1t well.
in the exact intonation and manner
ism of q butler--in short. II ne mas
mastered the part-the stage manager
will recognize It instantly. and he VIII
be promoted.
The next advance will be to gen.
eral utility man. at about $50 week.
THE utility man 10 an actor who takes
Ismall parts and II able to fill various
vacancies of this character. Next he
becomes q juvenile. or player OF
youthful parts. at $50 to $3s. The
promotion to character man follows.
This In one Of the most important
placssnkn the company and one OF ths