The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-05-05

first things your boy should do early
in his stage life is to cultivate con-
Yersing and telling stories in dialect,
studying character parts, stories and
monologues, and fitting himself to
take the part of any peculiar charac-
ter that may be called for without
notice. He can easily anticipate what
he may be called on to do, as he will
know the plays that are to be put on
by his company in the future. Char.
acter men are paid about $40 week.
From this position your boy goes to
that Of heavy man, the villain of the
play, who, next to leading man, has
the most important place. He plays
opposite to the leading man, and
one cannot rise to the latter without
having been a heavy man. Here his
pay will be about $50 a week.
Finally comes the leading man. who
gets about $50 a week. He is paid
more than the heavy man on account
OF his greater necessary expenses for
clothing. A full outfit of evening
suit. with Prince Albert and tuxedo,
walking suits, sack suits, etc, and all
the haberdashery and shoes that go
with them required by the average
stock leading man, costs about $500.
On account of their still heavier out
lay for clothes leading women are
paid more than leading men.
Certain conditions exist which bring
about a higher scale of salaries than
that here given. In cities in which
there is lively competition between
two or more stock companies, sal
aries will be at least one-third higher.
Where actors have acquired a consid-
cradle reputation or are able, on &C
count of their personality or for other
reasons, to add to the drawing popu-
larity Of their company, they may be
paid at least double the salaries men
toned Stars in stock companies who
have achieved a national reputation,
such as Nat Goodwin, James O'Neil
or James K. Hackett, receive any
where from $1,000 to $4,000 a week.
The salaries of members of what are
known as legitimate companies will
average about so per cent above those
paid to members of stock companies.
Your boy will probably find the
kind of work for which he is specially
qualified before he has been in the
business very long, and then he
should do everything possible to de-
velop this, as the specialist on the
stage, like everywhere else, has dis
tinct and superior ability of his own,
to the advantage Of his finances and
reputation. For instance, one man
has made such a reputation in the
part of waiter that he devotes him
self to that exclusively. and is con-
sidered a necessity by managers
whenever they have a play requiring
a waiter. He is getting 5000 a week
for his wonderful work in this COM
paratively unimportant and inexpen-
sive part. One of the largest restaur-
ateurs in New York was so impressed
by the excellence of his performance
that he told all his walters they
should go to the play and get point
ers.
When determining the best means
for your boy to make his theatrical
start, you should not fail to consider
the dramatic schools, and If you can
afford the expense of SIS to 5000 for
the three months course, and cost of
living II he has to leave home, it
would be we'll to send him to one of
the best. The training is good, and
furthermore managers are watching
the work Of the students. Out of
every class graduated several get po-
sitions Immediately.
Copyright, 1910. by the Associated Lit
erary Press.)