The day book. [volume], September 09, 1912, Image 31

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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BILLIE BURKE ON' THE
First Word For the girl who
has talent, the stage offers a
splendid opportunity.
A number of young persons,
both men and women, have writ
ten me asking for advice about
going on the stage. While I can
not answer these letters except in
a general way through the papers,
I would like to say that for the
young woman who has talent, the
stage today offers great possibili
ties; but here's the rub. One
must be sure one has talent.
The path to stardom is strewn
with blighted ambition and brok
en hearts. A girl sees" her favor
ite actress on the stage wearing
beautiful clothes, having a nice
part, and gaining vociferous ap
plause, and it is very natural that
she' should think that she would
like to have such an easy place
in life. She cannot know of the
discouragements, the hard work,
and the many disappointments"
that this actress has gone through
before she reached, her place. x
Every year thousands of girls
go On the stage in the different'
companies in England and in
America, and out of the thou
sands probably one will reach the
jtop. If you have health, energy
and the right kind of stamina to
withstand not only the tempta
tions that come to every woman
who goes out in the world to,
work, but the discouragements
that come perhaps thicker and J
faster to the would-be actress
than, to the girl in any other em
ployment, then I for one would
not discourage you. If, however,
STAGE AS A VOCATION
you think only of the adulation,
the lights, the flowers, and the
notoriety which may come to you,
you had better stay away.
A famous actress, when asked
what success in her profession
nieant, said: "Hard work, and
many tears." It is the one pro
fession where the thing that you
succeed in counts little.
An actor friend of mine saidto
me recently and he is a man well
up in his profession "I some
times think I will hire Out in a
butcher shop. After learning
once to cut beef well, I would
probably be able to cut it well
ever after. But having acted one
part successfully, I must begin a
totally different manner on the
next part which I secure and
there is always the dreadful feel
ing on first night that the dear
public will turn down its
thumbs."
"However, the stage is the
only place where a woman can get
the same amount of money for
the same kind of work in the field
of business or art today. Indeed)
a leading woman in a high-class
company today gets more money
than the Jeading man of that
company. ,
I always feel, though, when
any one comes to me and asks
how they shall go on the stage
that they will not succeed, be
cause the temperamerft which
asks advice in this matter is not
the temperament that is inde
pendent enough to work out its
own success.
Sincerity is perhafigjhe greak