The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-08
PLENTYOF ROOM
ON THE STAGE
VETERAN ACTRESS URGES PAR
ENTS TO LET sTAGE-STRUcK
DAUGHTERS HAVE EIR
CHANCE.

For some reason not explained by
psychologists, says Julia Murdoch in
the Washington Times 1t is almost the
invariable custom for those who have
achieved signal success in any par
ticular profession, to warn others,
seeking a like success. against it.
Whether it is because having arrived
at the top of the ladder, they fear
that their sure footing will be jostled
or that the admiration of the public
will be divided, has never been dis
covered
A refreshing departure from this
almost universal state of affairs is
seen In the case of Adelaide Stanhope
Wheatcroft, who is now playing g.
summer engagement with the Belasco
stock company. With her it is not the
case of there amt going to be no
core She Is willing that everybody
shall have generous bite OF the big,
juicy, red-cheeked apple Of good for
tune that fate has kindly proffered
her: not to keep it all to herself.
So when one meets in the profess
slons That anomaly woman who is
willing to give other women a chance,
1t is hats off to her. And when she
announces that she is not only willing,
but is anxious to give the weaker
members of her profession a lift, along
with the chance, one is almost tempt
ed to rub ones eyes, and, like the
small child in the story, wonder If it is
not all dream.
Mrs. Wheatcroft says there is plenty
OF room on the American stage for
every girl who wishes to adopt the
drama for a profession. THE stage
will never be overcrowded." she says,
for the very excellent reason that the
! idlers will drop out"
In a painfully clean and sanitary
dressing room of the Belasco theatre,
a room that resembled a hall bedroom
/ in regard to its homelike qualities
and while reheasal was In progress
on the darkened and nearly bare stage
Mrs. Wheatcroft told of some of the
essentials to success on the stage
| l had begun the interview by ask
! ing her hypothetical question: Would
J she advise a mother with only one
daughter to place her upon the stage
BY all means" she answered in a
+ Jiffy. "One Of the very best occupa-
tons for a girl is the stage, either
! for the girl who is compelled to make
her own living, or for the girl in COM
Portable circumstances, who has am
! bttion."
asked her to tell me her reasons
| so that I might pass them on to the
hundreds of stage-stru girls who
| eagerly devour the words that fall
from the lips Of those who have been
successful in the drama.
There are any number of rea-
| sons, she answered. In the first
| place, the stage opens endless posi-
( bilities for the girl who is willing tc
work; who will divest herself of every
distracting influence, and mass her en-
/ ergies on the work of making good
In the second place, the girl will have
| the culture of contact that is to be
! derived from good companies, and the
means Of eduaction she will make fol
/ herself will give her larger horizon
than she could possibly have under
/ almost any other conditions. Then
! too, success comes more quickly, anC
the pay is better.
LAS for the temptation that bese
| girls of the stage, ] do not believe
they are more to be feared than those
that come to the average city girl II
any ordinary walk of life"
| How about the disappointment tina
come with hunting an engagement p
was the next question.
We'll, of course, that must come
but the same disappointment comes
to the stenographer, the bookkeeper
the singer. the girl who paints, as well
does it not? Nobody jumps into sue
cess at single bound; at least, thes,
phenomenal cases are rare indeed.
/ "A girl seeking her first engage
ment must not be too sensitive. Sh
must learn sooner or later to get uset
to the knocks that will surely fall T.
her share, so it is better to start GU
ready to meet them.
'She must have a good, but not to-
big, opinion of herself.
She must be earnest, serious, an
persevering.
IF the engagement does not com
the first day. or the second, or tn
third, or even the fourth, she mus
not get discouraged.
And more than all, she should no
meet trouble half way.
This last has been my motto for
good many years." laughed Mr.:
Wheatcroft, ''but the trouble is, 1 d
not practice what l preach always.
1.-The trouble with a great man
failures in the dramatic profession.
continued Mrs. Wheatcroft, lis tia