For young newlyweds George and Lizzie May to choose acting as their professions in the late 19th century was a true leap of faith. There were probably many arguments on the subject in the Ulmer household but as we saw during the war, George had a mind of his own and the drive and determination to do as he saw fit. The life of an actor was always in flux and required incredible physical and emotional strength. There was certainly no stability in the life they chose but being together must have been all the support they needed.

The varied performance schedule must have been exhausting. Most actors rehearsed 2-3 plays per day on top of their actual performances. A season could consist of anywhere from 40 to over 100 different plays. Stock actors such as Lizzie May and George would be expected to learn over 100 parts, many times having to memorize a new role in a matter of hours. The life of a “celebrated” actor was no less rigorous. One famous actress of the day Charlotte Cushman, had over 200 roles in her repertoire making her a sought after commodity. Big names brought in big crowds to the local stock theatre companies.

Luckily,compensation for this grueling life was actually fairly good by late 19th century standards. According to an essay on 19th century American theatre from the University of Washington:

Beginning actors’ salaries ranged from $3 to $6 per week; utility players’ salaries from $7 to $15 per week; “walking” ladies and gentlemen, $15 to $30; and lead actors were paid anywhere from $35 to $100 per week. Traveling stars could command $150 to $500 per 7- to 10-day engagement, plus one or more benefits. Except for the lowest ranks of actors, these salaries were good for this period, especially for women, even though they were paid less than men in comparable roles.

From young Civil War drummer boy to stage actor, George was following his dreams and bringing Lizzie May along for the ride.

Would Lizzie May decide to go back home to the quiet corner of Maine or follow her George through the uncertain world of the theatre?

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