Transvestia

blocks from mine.

That night we had dinner together.

"What are you doing for a living,

"

I asked.

Her head lowered a little and she said, "I'm on the stage".

"Oh! An actress, how exciting, I almost yelled" .

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•

"Well. She hesitated, "I am taking lessons during the day, and I hope someday to be an But, a girl must eat.

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actress.

"Well what do you do on the stage, I queried.

"If you

must know", she said rather definitely, "I'm a stripper at the Royal Theater. I know it's terrible, but it puts food on the table and pays up my dramatic coach".

"

'Wow a real stripper, eh". I was amazed and could talk of nothing all evening but that. Once Janet knew that I did not look down upon her, she opened up The pay was not bad. the hours were long. but, there was a thrill to it too. It was hard to explain", she said.

We talked for the rest of the night. I asked if I could see her tomorrow night and she said yes. The th- ought of the stage and strippers held a strange but thril- ling fascination for me, yet at that time I could not say why.

The next night I saw all of the shows at the Royal. I went back stage between numbers and was amazed at the activity that went on there.

To me it was a fairyland of people, costumes, and sets. A make believe world where people could be what ever they wanted to be. Then an exciting idea struck me, could I become a part of this world. I had to find

out.

In Janet's dressing room, we talked about what it would take to be a good performer. She liked the job, but was ashamed because of what the public thought of

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