▁despite ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁ple as ▁that ▁she ▁stay ▁out ▁of ▁show ▁business , ▁she ▁set ▁out ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁roles ▁on ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁stage . ▁After ▁rent ing ▁a ▁small ▁a partment ▁on ▁ 4 8 th ▁street ▁in ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁the ater ▁district , ▁she ▁accepted ▁any ▁job ▁she ▁could ▁involving ▁the ▁stage , ▁and ▁at ▁every ▁opportunity , ▁she ▁" made ▁the ▁r ounds " ▁of ▁the ▁casting ▁offices . ▁ ▁Career ▁beg inn ings ▁▁ ▁A ged ▁ 1 6 ▁and ▁then ▁living ▁on ▁her ▁own , ▁Stre is and ▁took ▁various ▁men ial ▁jobs ▁to ▁have ▁some ▁income . ▁During ▁one ▁period , ▁she ▁lack ed ▁a ▁permanent ▁address , ▁and ▁found ▁herself ▁sleep ing ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁friends ▁or ▁anywhere ▁else ▁she ▁could ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁army ▁cot ▁she ▁carried ▁around . ▁When ▁des perate , ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁flat ▁in ▁Brook lyn ▁for ▁a ▁home - co oked ▁me al . ▁However , ▁her ▁mother ▁was ▁hor r ified ▁by ▁her ▁daughter ' s ▁" gy ps y - like ▁l ifest yle ", ▁wrote ▁bi ograph er ▁Kar en ▁Sw enson , ▁and ▁again ▁begg ed ▁her ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁into ▁show ▁business , ▁but ▁Stre is and ▁took ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁ple ad ings ▁as ▁even ▁more ▁reason ▁to ▁keep ▁trying : ▁" My ▁des ires ▁were ▁strength ened ▁by ▁wanting ▁to ▁prove ▁to ▁my ▁mother ▁that ▁I ▁could ▁be