South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-08-07
BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE LAND OF BEAUTY
2ea Truth About American Stage Girls Told By Man Who Trains Them

approval Nothing is so deadening
20 a performance. The first curtain
rang down on a very discouraged LOT
OF principals and chorus
The Pluck OF Beauty.
Was this a foreboding OF things 20
come? AS the chorus beauties dash
ed 20 their dressins-rooms 70 change
their gay costumes for others. the
stage-door man whispered 20 the d.
rector and placed in his hand vel
low envelope. II was a telegram for
the girl they called the Sunshine
Queen" II was sent AT cncc to her
dressing room wrom whence a mo-
ment later came a gI-lish shrek and
muffled sobbing that told only too
plainly OF bad news. 4 moment
later. word went Ground the stage
like wildiro that the mothe- OF the
Sunshine Queen had died suddenly
IN their little western home while on
the point OF coming east 10 see her
daughter play.
do not believe that in al that
land there was any girl who loved
her mother with a moro touching de-
voton than this chorus beauty who
got the telegram that night Neither
was there any Drawer woman nor one
more loyal 20 her art and fellows
Nothing could keep her off the stage
that night. With a toss OF her beau
tiful head she flung fine tears from
her eyes and smiled bravsly as she
took up her station in the wings
The shows got 70 go on" was all
che said and as the orchestra struck
up the merry air for The entrance of
the chorus, the Sunshine Queen was
seen to brace herself and smile
You may call it Mysteries il YOU
choose, but call It superb nerve and
a powerful will, for il is q matter OF
record that the Sunshine Queen
danced and sang and Laughter that
night as she had never done before.
| The effect on the audience was cleo
trlcal in its swiftness. Even the cold
spots which had so deadened the
( house" came to life and burst into
| spontaneous applause as the 1.-THE
figure OF the little beauty whirled the
/ chorus line merrily across the stage
and back again TO the ro1licking
pom-pom OF the music and the ring
/ ing bursts Of their own infectious
/ laughter.
Enoored again and again. always
( responding with "A face of joy this
! beauty with the will 10 laugh" drove
herself before the audience and car
ried through TO a brilliant finish &
performance which had hidden fair
TO be n failure. And as the curtain
4 70 l.
/ fainting into the wings.
/ No, it is no easy life. the work Of
being a stage beauty. It takes rather
more courage. stamina and persever-
ance. ] would venture, than is usu-
ALLY required in ordinary occupations
/ OF young American girls. 1t takes
especially n real devotion to ones
/ part
Beauties and Hobbies.
The beauty who desires TO remain
a beauty-on the stage or Off of it
win find out that she must include
IL her course OF training many di-
verse rules. II is not merely a mat
ter Of keeping in good physical con-
dition. She must be fit mentally as
well.
II is as important for her to have
a hobby and relax her mind from
her daily work as It is for her TO
skip rope or take setting-up exer-
cises 20 keep her figure in perfect
condition.
What hobbies do chorus girls fire. !
quently turn to-" I am asked
There was a girl on the New York
stage who used to keep a note book
with her and jot down little happen
ings of the rehearSals and the per-
formances. She studied human ma
tu-e as IL reveals itself IN ali sorts OF
circumstances. Sometimes hu-
morcus thing would strike her. or
again Il might be a pathetic Incl
dent. This gir would make a note
Of her impressions, and later write
/ them up in a diary form. Il was
good mental relaxation--the kind OF
/ change she needed from Inc dancing.
laughing and singing of day after
day. II also proved to be good eX-
/ perience, for in later years when this
particular beauty grew too old for
/ tho stage she got job on daily pa
per as a reporter.
CCllette Ryan Of the Follies is a
/ dog fancier in spare time. She has
raised some very valuable Belgian
police dogs in recent years. Another
I girl. Olive Osborne seeks relaxation
( in pastelle painting. She has be-
/ come so proficient with her crayons
and pastelle pad that she can sketch
( off a cOlored caricature in very short
order. One Of them. as 1 recall il,
hangs in a theater in New York.
/ And so il goes; some Of the chorus
/ beauties have rather bizarre hobbies.
and some take their recreation In
very simple form, such as riding on
the Fifth av. buses or driving about
the parks in their own machines
Since the war we have noticed that
sewing and knitting have been on the
. increase. II is an actual fact that
/ this makes II much easier TO re-
lhearse chorus beauties.
Before the war there was a great
/ deal OF nervousness and fdge;ing in
ANY group OF 90 chorus girls, either
trying out for the chorus or rehears-
ing for the show itself. They lacked
|composure and were apt to skyiark.
E CA-Sl tLieS DSS@i4lS Ia>A4ek GHIl+aud5c-
able. But today the directors find
more Of the girls working off their
extra spirits in some useful little
hobby such as sewing. knitting. cro-
cheting or sketching-and rehearsals
run more smoothly Moreover. the
girls who follow some definite me-
thod OF relaxation preserve their
beauty longer than those who do
not