There will come a time somewhere along in your progress to fame when you will need a business manager or an agent versed in all matters of a theatrical nature, favorably known to all the large producing managers, and able to advance your fortunes materially by protecting and looking after your interests. He is entitled to receive ten percent of your earnings from whatever source, and the services he can render you are well worth it.
Nearly every successful actor and actress has a manager. Stage celebrities have not the time, let alone the experience and ability, to promote their own business interests, watch for opportunities to secure the choice engagements, and attend to the very necessary publicity and negotiations for contracts for the future. The reputable agent or artist's manager is always on the ground and in touch with the best managements and things theatrical daily. But no such representative worth while will bother with you until you have made good.
The best artist managers or agents know in advance what is being planned for the coming theatrical season. They are in close contact with the very high-ups in the theatrical world, men whose contracts you hope to sign on the dotted line soon. A good agent may save you several years' time in advancing to a stellar position. He knows the value of publicity, which often is half the battle in getting yourself before the public. You must have publicity, whether or not you secure a representative to attend to it for you. Interesting newsy stories about you, with effective art studies of yourself in costume accompanying them, are gladly accepted by many newspapers and magazines. The rotogravure sections of Sunday papers contain many pictures of theatrical folks. A beautiful picture will usually carry a story, and you are wise to get a few good ones rather than many cheap prints. Every first-class theatre has its own press agent, and every production of any size its own press representative. Both are glad to coöperate with you if you have real ability, and help you with the preparation of your stories and photographs and getting them into the daily newspaper. There are also many publicity concerns who make it a business to keep your name and picture in the public eye at a moderate charge. But you must be able to make good first. Neither publicity nor anything else will avail to establish a permanent name for you unless you are prepared to deliver the goods. Duds and dumb ones never make a big noise in the world. There is no star name awaiting the inferior person in this profession. All the front-page publicity in christendom won't do the trick if you haven't back of you real talent and something the public is clamoring for. And you cannot hope to fool the wary producer by any false representation or exaggerated claims.
You are not wasting your time while on the way to the bigger things. Seven years may seem a long time to wait, but you are not starving on the way, and you are really not "waiting" at all. You start with a reasonable salary that advances from year to year and engagement to engagement, as you deserve it. You must build all the way on solid rock, then the structure that you finally rear, because of its firm foundation will endure forever.
Build up a public interest in yourself if you expect any producing manager to pay you what you are worth. Perhaps he will never pay you what you think you are worth, but if you bring money into the house he knows he must pay you well in his own interest. And believe me, he knows whether you are an asset or a liability to his show. You have simply got to prove to the box office that you are producing—not stage money—but the real stuff.
There is such a thing in stage lingo as an "overnight hit." Someone suddenly "stops the show" in a town; that is, gets an unusual number of recalls. But wait a while before you decide that you are ready to star on the strength of that. Your next audience or the audience in the next town may not be so enthusiastic over your act. An "overnight hit" is seldom continued beyond the single performance. It is pleasant while it lasts, but it doesn't last long. You must perform consistently and "make a hit" at every performance, with every audience.
Be patient, you who would star and see your name go up in the bright lights on the Great White Way. Do not get discouraged. You will meet with obstacles on the route to fame undoubtedly, as others have done, and, like the others who have finally arrived, you must overcome them one at a time as they appear, by sheer force of willpower, determination, pluck or whatever you desire to call it. If you are a weakling and lack strength of character do not ever take up a stage career, for you will get many a bump; so be prepared to stand it. For only those who are determined to succeed will ever reach the top, where there is plenty of room always.
