The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-13
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IN FOR IN A TION
Blu RE U
FREDERIC ]. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. D. c.
CHORUS GIRL AT HER CHORES

washtub is as incongruous to the aver
age non-theatrical person as the idea
of washwoman clipping with the son
of a millionaire.
Those who view the theatrical pro-
fession only across the sc~stlights and
study it only thru the newSEG peIs,
know very we'll that the ladies of the
GLORIOUS spend their leisure drinking
champagne and inducing wealthy
| brokers to write letters which can
afterwards be produced in court and
| published.
Sinsularly disiIlusioning to such
person would be a visit to the Char
| lotte Cushman club for actresses In
Philadelphia This unique club mas
been doing capacity business for
| twelve years but it seems to have at
tracted little attention outside of the
, theatrical profession. 1t was founded
| by a wealthy Quakeress. who had
enough insight to perceive that
| woman on the stage is still woman,
and therefore appreciates quiet
home and a chance to mend her
stockings and get little laundry done
or even do it herself
| The Charlotte Cushman club is just
such a place and one OF the most
Popular parts of it is the iaunory'
where the Woodworking and poorly
paid chorus girl is allowed to wash
| her own clothes
This club is a home for women of
| the theatrical profession. 1t Is not a
refuge for retir ed or old actresses, but
| a home for those actively engaged on
the stage, whether they are on tour,
rehearsing or waiting for an engage
ment. 1t was founded in the belief
! that the average actress is an indus
| trious, hard working woman who
| wants and appreciates homelike sur
roundings.
he crnUda6 housing ~
dition in Philadelphia has made the
need for this club more keenly felt
| than ever before. 1t is turning pc Jple
| away every week. The club has an
excellent central location, being con-
venient to the theater and shopping
| districts, and at the same time it is
| in a comparatively quiet neighbor-
hood. Any girl playing in Phfla1el-
phia. whether for one week or ten. no
| matter how small OF large her part
may be assured of a comfortable room
| and good meals at a moderate price.
Prices have been raised a little in the
| last year, but even so one may have
a single room and three meals a day
| for $12 a week.
| Actresses are not we'll paid. Their
| salaries sound large, but long unpaid
| rehearsals, short seasons, travelling
| and costumes soon cut down the larg-
| est salaries. 1t is rare thing to find
1 all actress WIN mas DeeD dDle 10 say e
enough in, the winter to provide for
the summer months and the rest
which is so necessary.
Meals at the Charlotte Cushmatl
Club are served at appropriate hours
| -coffee and rolls may be had at 8
olplock by the early birds. a regular
| breakfast is served at IL o'clock, din
ner at and supper about II.
On the first floor there is large
| attractive living room. 1t is furnished
with comfortable chairs and touches,
piano. reading lamp and a writing
desk The walls are not lined with
| actresses pictures, the only photo
graph in the room being a small pic
ture of little white haired woman
with. kind smile-Charlotte Cush-
| man. The girls may use the tea serv-
ice at any TIME for the costSof what
victrola and a small library The bed
rooms are neatly furnished ana many
of them are named after the persons
who gave the furniture. Familiar
names are found on the door plates,
such as Julia Marlowe, Viola Allen,
Annie Russell, Mary Anderson and
Jenny Lind.
One Of the most popular rooms is
the one known as the Sewing room. -
Its popularity is not so much due to
| the fact that chorus girls love to sew,
as it is to the fact that this room is
equipped with facilities for light laun-
dry work. Laundry is always one of
the big problems for theatrical
women, particularly when making a
tour of one or two night stands The
use of the laundry tub used to be
free. Its fame spread from company
to company SO fast that girls would
! save up laundry for weeks and, when
| they arrived at the club, make a bee
line for the sewing room and spend
| their mornings bent over the tub. One
day girl arrived with a whole trunk
fuH of ballet tights and ruffles to be
| laundered. The house secretary de-
cided that this was too much of a
good thing, and from that day on ii
has been a rule that a small fee is
charged for the use of the tub by the
| hour.
The purpose # this club is to be a
home without restrictions. The girls
do not have to be in at any certain
I hours. They may entertain friends in
the parlor as long as they do not
| disturb others.
The club is not entirely self-sup-
porting. At least two-thirds of the
yearly expenses are met by the re-
turns from the house. The balance
| is subscribed by associate members
and contributors. The membership is
limited to those in the profession,
altho any one may contribute. The
| yearly fee for both resident and nom
iNS-'NAit iiiOihpClS IL Oll6 uOlIdT. Every
year a Benefit is given by promi-
nent members of the theatrical pro-
fessicn for the club. 1t is the bslief
of the executive committee that the
club could be made self-supporting il
the building could be enlarged, and
| with this in view n small building
fund has been started
One has only to glance over the
guest book to realize how enthusiastic
/ women of the dramatic profession are
| about this club. The column for re-
marks bears repeated evidence to their
appreciation of quiet home, such as
! the following:
Il am looking forward to a return
| ngagement here"
This is the only place I have ever
found where I could study in peace
There is only one thing to be de-
Sirad-n Cha rlntto C11ch ol..I Ii,