 He joined a repertory troupe that produced plays on a shoestring budget, often drawing on the actors' own meagre resources – Jerome was penniless at the time – to purchase costumes and props.After three years on the road with no evident success, the 21-year-old Jerome decided that he had enough of stage life and sought other occupations.He tried to become a journalist, writing essays, satires, and short stories, but most of these were rejected.