A collection of theatrical memoirs and essays that contrasts the glamour of acting with its practical hardships, recounting personal anecdotes and profiles of actors, managers, and playwrights; includes interviews with prominent dramatists, discussions of stagecraft such as costume design and production costs, reflections on audiences and critics, and historical notes on women on the stage. Scenes from rehearsals, first nights, and backstage life illustrate the profession’s social and financial realities, relationships, and temptations, while numerous illustrations and costume drawings accompany portraits and sketches of well-known theatrical figures.