Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-28
ACTORS AND ACTRESSES
NOT EXACTLY HAPPY
George W. Munroe Says Success Fails
to Make Stars of Stage Feel Well
Satisfied.
EARNING BIG MONEY BUT
ARE GENERALLY KICKERs
Sigh for Roles to Which They Are Not
Adapted, and There Is Always
Something TO Bother.
BY BEAU RIALTo.
written for the United Press)


New York, June 2S.-The stage, as
a business of life, is not all beer and
skittles. That sounds trite, almost as
if it were the preamble to a disserta-
tion on why the young should not go
in for stage career, but it really is lead
ing up to a new idea. The vast major
ity of those actors and actresses who
are apparently successful are not happy.
If you do not believe that ask the
round and roly-poly, buxOm George w.
Munroe ] say, ask the round and roly-
poly George W. Monroe. This has moth
ing to do with hardships and privations
and temptations of the stage. The beer
and skittles remark was made anent
those historians who have achieved sue
cess, who are so-called stars and have
limOusines and things.
The stage is the mistress, not the
slave of its devotees. It enfOrces its de-
mands on the individual and, contrary
to popular belief, the individual has
nothing to do with it.
Take George W. Munroe, for example.
He always has work at high salary,
and he is fat, comfortable and well-fed,
and knows everybody on both sides of
Broadway, but he is not happy man.
Munroe once did an Irish woman over
in Philadelphia, and ne did her well,
That sealed his fate He has been al.
lowed to play nothing but Irish women
since. He has an ambition, but it will
never be realized. George W. Munroe,
who is now making one Of his greatest
hits as the suffragette boss in Lew
Fields Gan Aboard would like just
once before he dies to play a man on
the stage, but he never will Why? Be
cause he does an Irish woman so well
that the managers would not consider
him for any other kind of work, Mum
roe knows he could portray a perfectly
good man. He is certain that he could
make a big hit in such part as the
corrupt boss in "The Man Of the
Hour" and he ever dreams Of Shakes
pcarean role being fairly sure he would
make a good Falstaff. But he'll never
get the chance, unless he buys a theatre
and stars himself under his own man.
agement.
Let George Do It.
Despite his peculiar ability to play
eycruciatingly funny Irish women,
Munfoe's fate was an accident. He
was doing his first real stage work as
n man, and the leading feminine role
was being done by the wife of the man.
ager. She though the part a bit too
rough for her, so she asked for the in.
genue's part. That left no available
woman for the rough part, so they made
Il bit rougher, and lot Ge orge do it,
"Tf I could have seen ahead, as well
as | now see behind,' Munroe said
the other day, ora have thrown down
that part and run as far as I could
But It happened in Philadelphia. That 5
what put the sign on me, "
Munroe is not alone in his troubles
When one gets behind the scenes and
learns the real state Of affairs, one
can find very few successful actors and
actresses who are satisfied They are
earning big money and winning great
applause nightly, but they are discon
tented. Most Of them do not like tn,
line Of parts to which they seem doomed
and others would gladly leave the pro
fession altogether If they could do any
thing else The doll.faced mgcnu,
would give just anything to do charac
ters, and the character men and womei
who, once they make success, ar
bound TO do character work the rest o
their natural lives, sigh for the iugcm
and Juvenile roles The leading womcr
want to be soubrettcs, and the othc
about.
Julian Eltyngc, who scored such a sue
cess as the "Wusomc Widow" " is tire
to death Of pctticoats and stays, an
would give almost anything 70 do
man 3 part He is sure he could to,
Rut neither the managers nor the pull
lie viii let him try, And so ON dow
the long list almost any actor you coul
lay your finger on would assure yo
that he is not fitted for the line q
work given him, aud could do somcthin
else much bettcr, only the manager
won Z give him a chance.