Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-05
.equir
Of Stage
Career

suffering from overnourisned germs
OF queer ideas about the stage, hark
ye to this bit of philosophie chatter
from the electrified pen OF Jane
Dixon, one of New York's eleveres.
writer's:
TOO many girls and women. hav-
ing failed elsewhere, bring their IN
efaciencies to the stage door. think
ing to drown their sorrows or their
disappointments in the rouge pot.
They look upon the stage as = sort
of gilded carriage in which they
may ride 70 the surface pleasures
OF existence. The theater to then,
spells license. a free and open coun-
try where they may behave as
they never dared behave in the more
commonplace lanes OF conventional
Society.
Not long ago l had the good for
tune to chat with the generalissirno
Of modern stagecraft. David Belasco,
on this very subject OF the stage as
a career for women.
we are desperately in need OF
young men and women who can
carve out for themselves q career
OF brilliancy on the stage" says Mr..
Belasco. Every day deplore the
lack OF material for the making Of
really great artists. The young wo-
man OF today who can prove her
mettle, who can show any marked
ability at portraying the great TRACE.
dies or even the little comedies OF
life, is destined to rise comet-wise
to take her place among the stars.
do you mean there is falling
off in applicants for stage honors?"
l asked, wondering il the lure of the,
spotlight had indeed lost its luster.
Mercy, no" came the explosive
response. Il have hundreds Of them
every day from every manner of
home, every walk Of the world. They
come to me with their great hungry
eyes staring out as If life itself hung
on my decision. A little chat. short
sounding Of their depths. and in
stinctly ! feel whether or not they
are worth the time and effort that
must be given to Training. One in
a hundred, thousand, is so quail
ihed. And I always hesitate to turn
an unknown away for fear she may
be that one.
my advice to the young lady
seeking a stage career is to turn
aside for the moment and ask her
self a few practical questions indis-
pensable to even limited success.
For example:
Am ! industriouss Am l willing
to put aside pleasure, temporarily
at least, in the pursuit Of stage
learning? Will / BE tireiess, work
ing day and night If need be to
achieve my purposef
Have / fostitudes Can I stand
firm duder keen disappointments I
am bound to encounter? Can / en-
dure the unpleasantries of today for
the progress | am sure to make to-
morrow
Have I an honest desire to do
right without being q prude? Can
! command the respect of others?
Do ! respect myself! AMI capable
of taking a broad and liberal view
of the peculiar and unconventional
conditions which will surround me?
"Have ] sufficient reason for be-
lieving ! possess those talents which
fit me for stage cndeavor? What
have I done OF what can ! do to
add to the sum total of theatrical
excellence? What can I contribute to
the true and worthy portraiture OF
human experience?
"1f she can answer all of these
questions, answer them honestly and
to her own liking, she might venture
a stage career with reasonable as
surance of reaching the far goal she
has set for herself.
Nevertheless, am Of the opinion
if girls Or young. xomen realized
the extent of the demands to be
placed upon them mentally, morally
and physically, the number of stage
recruits would be cut in. half, even
to fourth part Of its present to-
tal."
Class distinction is checked at the
stage door. Factory, shop, turbulent
tenement has been a more fertile re-
cruiting ground for the stage than
the society drawing room. The
strugglcr, for the most part, is an
early graduate from the rich school
Of experience, and experience is the
mirror wherein we reflect the great
truths of life.
Any girl who expects to mount to
stardom on the wings OF beautiful