The Washington times., 1913-09-29
Rita stanwood, Of "The Ghost
Breaker" Says That's the
Way She Did.
RASH goes another illusion.

II
~ public Is that stage success
comes by means of studying
elocution. posing dramatically before a
mirror, butchering the, keys OF the
piano. or sreciting such favorites as
Aux Italiens" and "Lasca"-"Curfew''
has been thrown into the discard. thank
goodness.
F, But Rita Stanwood. the star of "The
Ghost Breaker whom Washington will
see next week. became a success on the
stage by using the typewriter. the kind
| that thousands of girls use every day.
So there's a chance for all of the girls
who tickle the typewriter keys, eithe.
for pleasure or profit This is, of
course. providing that they have that
very necessary adjunct to isuccess-the
capacity for hard work. Girls do not
realize that the stage is like everything
else. To succeed It takes work, work.
work. The girl with pretty face and
a pretty voice may have little the
better Of the one who has homely face
and who cannot sing, but let her look
out II the homeiy one can work.
The ladder of success has been
climbed in many ways, but Miss Stan
wood used the typewriter for hers. To
be correct, the typewriter thrust her
behind the footlights.
Took Business Course :,er. =
In Salem, Mass. tare 3i--sIo1'- =.
In Salem, Mass. about twenty-five
years ago. little Miss Baby stanwood
first saw the light in a community
where the traditions Of the past meet
and mingle with the progress Of the
present. Like other girls, she went to
school though she had no idea Of ever
going on the stage. After she had fin
ished common school she took up a
business course. and still there was no
indication of any future brilliant his
trionic career She wanted to be a
stenographer. The idea of being one
appealed to her. ,...- -. =. I'D.
When she found a surplus in her
finances she sometimes bought ticket
to the theater, but the thought. or
rather the ambition. Of some dag be-
coming an actress never occurred to
her.
II wasn't like some girls" Miss STAN
wood declares. Il wasn't wild to be
behind the footlights. Neither did I
envy the actresses. The work didn't
appeal to me. Then in the summer or
1896 l visited friend, the wife OF
MANAGER of a musical stock company,
playing In a park near Fftchburg. Mass.
They dared me to sing In the chorus
just fer fun. l consented-just for run.
And II was fun, too. Lots OF IT,
You see, l had never had any musi-
cal training. Still, l managed to get
along beautifully; so they all said. That
experience gave me a taste Tor the
stage.
Il had never had any actors in my
family. You know, most actors have
that I didn't know. but my family
might object But they didn't Oh. no;
they encouraged me. And was happy
oh, SO happy.
'Bnt I had my hard times, at nrst.
However l was not discouraged, as 80
many girls are. l just kept right at
three years l was playing leads. | had
my fifst experience Sith the legitimate
in the original company of Excuse
Me- and i liked the work and atmos-
phere 90 much better than that OF mu-
steal comedy. So l planned to break
away from that line OF work at the
first opportunity.
Then when l saw The Ghost Break
err while pla ting in Chicago. l fell
in love with the part OF the Princess
Maria Theresa. When IL was OHereQ
me | Jumped at the chance. And SO.
you see, here 7 am.
Public All Wrong
About Many Things.
The public is all wrong about many
things. and chief among them is the
general idea of the stage. Nothing is
so misunderstood by people as is the
hot
born an actor and then give all his
life to study and practicing.
II would advise girls to learn some
other business. say stenography. That
is lust as good as anything else. In
many ways it is better than most busi-
nesses. because 1t gives an excellent
training 1t teaches patience, applica-
ton. concentration. Those are the three
things needed to become a success on
the stage. Let a girl become a stenog-
rapher and II she has any musical tai
ent or dramatic ability, it will soon
manifest itself
The trouble with most girls Is that
they don't want to work. They want
to take it easy all the time and play.
They can't do that and succeed Busi-
ness and pleasure will not mix all the
time. The way to do is to let the pleas
ure go for the time being and attend
to business. II is the only way But
most girls will not do that.