About Chorus Girls

It is a mistake to think that the chorus girls all come from the middle and lower classes, says a cotnie opera manager in Kate Pield's Washington. Many of thera are of excellent families and are well educated. They become chorus girls for the purpose of acquiring the rudiments of the profession, having-, of course, a talent for music. And from the chorus have come many of the most prominent stars in comic opera. I could inention several who are now sing-ing in principal parts who began their theatrical careers in the chöVus. The girls are thoroug-hly drllled, and if they have a real talent for it soon becomes known and a chance is given them to see what they can show, lhe majority are bright, and I daré say many of them could any dey g-o , creditably through one of the "star" parts if called upon to do so. Many who apply for positíons are very badly stage-strack, but most of them go tapón the stage for the purpose of being self-supporting. It is generally a matter of necessity. You see, a girl loses her money, or her parents or guardián lose it for her, and she finds that she must do to help herself. Almost every well-educated girl has some knowledg-e of music and. naturally, she turns to the stage. There are many such instances that have come within my own observation, including several girls f rom the south of most excellent family. The salary of a chorus girl in New York is from twelve dollars to twenty dollars a week: on the road from eighteen dollars to thirty dollars. And the duties are not very exacting, at least as compared with some other work women do. All of their costumes are furnish-td by the management and they are required only to take care of them. Beginners always object to wearing tights, which of course the chorus must do sooner or later in comic opera. Applicants as a rule ask if they must wear tights. When I teil them "yes" they reply that they could never do that and ask if theymay not take some position where they will not be obliged to put on the objectionable garments. I always teil them frankly that I may be able to give them such positions for a short time, but that, if they remain with us, they will eventually be compelled to appear in tights. Sometimes they go away and give up all idea of becoming chorus girls, but more often they conclude to try it. I believe the American takes the lead as a chorus girl. She looks better, ia more intelligent and understands her business thoroughly. The matrimonial chances of these girls are very good. I have known many of them to marry, and marry well. They generally wed outside the profession and leave the stage, and I fail to see why the chances of happiness for a man who marries a chorus girl should not be as good as those of a man who marries a woman in any other profession, provided he exercises as much discretion in his choice. Many of the girls are domestic and possessed of considerable taste, which they display in the decoration of their rooms when on the road. They take out their photographs and knick-k'nacks, and in a few minutes their rooms look as though they had occupied them for a long time. Sóme of them are careless, but they are all good hearted and kind.