Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-08-16
GLIMPSES OF THE STAGE
BY ELAINE KENNEL, in the Pow Wow. August, 1912

so much encouragement and disaster that they seem
to have forgotten rather lost their conception Of
what ideals really mean. In this connection should
like to add that it is not advisable for any young
man or woman to start out without either
having another profession which will give him
living, or else good home to to, or money to
fall back on in case of either failure sickness or I'M
expected difficulties.
As to the general equipment of stage people, l
believe there lliterate people the stage
than the public really imagines and what is worse
many of them empty headed, jealous of the sue
of Others and oftentimes with dispositions any
thing but amiable, though, of course, this applies
mainly to the poorer classes of theatrical people,
The stage is one place where person certainly
make use of his education, if he has
In the immense, up-to-date theaters, where opera
is being put on, everything is very systematic and
orderly Strict rules posted on the walls of every
dressing room. The dressing rooms are properly
heated and lighted and also equipped with an eIec-
tric bell which rings in time for the performers to
take the elevator and be lowered near the second or
third wings few minutes before time to go on.
There all sorts of fines imposed on performers
if they trespass any of these rules.
The life behind the scenes is most interesting to
mission to stand near the wings and watch the per-
formers come and go. Some of them are laughing
some singing, some crying, and others pacing the
floor like mad people, worried with stage fright and
still few of the Older ones who calmly sit and wait
for their and wondering why the others have
not learned that after all their excessive fear in
many is the cause of their failure 1t may not
be stage fright it may be the fear of the critics re
,4I,u Al.
when they look in the Iooxng-g glass they see their
own worst enemy.
Stage life here in Paris is so different from
America that American operate aspirant is
almost at here In America the salaries are very
much better and the requirements quite different
from what they are here A young singer in France
finds the road very different from that in America
In the first place, the government and operates
all the leading theaters and conservatories and a
young singer born in France, who has talent can
enter the conservatory and without any expense get
a thoroughly good musical education, while in
America there is no end to expense In France the
public looks forward to the debut of young singer
and everything is done to help them along, although
the salaries here are exceedingly poor In other
words, it requires more genuine talent than pull
to make good in Paris, while in New York, and in
ldcI all over America, 1t requires the right kind of
influence well as good pulp and money also
coupled with certain amount of talent The French
people, as whole, very easy to please if they
see that one has genuine ability, but they have no
patience whatever with poor dicton. They will not
overlook bad French in anyone in the singing bust
ness
AS to the reason for success or failure of the
many aspirants in operate work, | firmly believe
that the great trouble which beses most of them is
fear and lack of confidence Young singers are told
many false tales that they are filled with all sorts
OF fears. There are, however, some cases where a
voice which is not particularly wonderful reaches
the apex of because the hisrionic ability is
really very superior; that is artists sometimes find
that exceptional histrionc ability may cover the lack
of wonderful voice. This is generally conceded l.,
be true of both Mary Garden and Geraldine Farrar
lmpressarios and managers can never see any
reason why singer should not happen to be in good
voice all the time They usually have no patience
and remember they have lived and overcome the
majority OF obstacles that young singer has never
faced For instance, young singers are usually m
accustomed to singing in theaters where smoking is
allowed They are not used to draughts of cold air
and they have heard that first one adverse condition
and then another will eventually affect the voice
inns gradually causes young singers to lose conf
dence IN their voices, and consequently the first
thing they know they see that their voices are not
what they ought to be- and not good as they form
cry were, and gradually, one by one, they fail