How They Train an Actress

Specialists in the art assure us that an important part of the program for training actresses, before they begin acting, is given over to teaching each one how to conduct daily life: how to serve tea to her guests, how to sit at table, and how to behave on every occasion.

The more natural and attractive an actress's movements are, the more this invites ease with her acting, and in turn admiration and appreciation of her. On these standards depend, to a great degree, an actress's success or failure.

And these pictures will help you, madam, to distinguish between what is proper and what is not proper for you to do; so study their poses attentively, and beware the common mistakes.

(1) A simple, elegant evening dress. How well this straight, calm way of sitting, suggesting ease, suits it! It is a model for such an occasion.

(2) This pose meets with approval in a "sport" setting, but it does not harmonize with an evening dress — note the contrast between the two scenes.

(3) Make use of your mirror to discover the features of beauty in your face and your "profile"; make certain that in your standing and in your movement you are showing your beauty and your charm.

(4) Never hunch your shoulders in this way, or bite your lower lip with a nervous movement!!

(5) This is the ideal way of sitting for an elegant lady serving tea to her guests: the body comfortably erect, the attention centered on the task itself.

(6) Notice the untidiness in the arrangement of the dress and the legs, the stoop in the back... and the elbow of the right arm planted on the table.

(7) When you hand the cup of tea to a guest, rise to your feet gently, and let your weight rest on the forward leg. Like this.

(8) This way of serving tea to guests is considered very close to ill manners; avoid it, madam.