The New York herald., 1873-12-07
OUR THEATRES.
VINO manage and Act In Them-Thefr
A"0rsnces-Our Plays and Who Write
phem-The Prospects OF the Winter


Vhem-The Prospects of the Winter
Season.
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
Theatrical managers think their winter season
Is fully opened only after the irosts have housed
residents in winter quarters and melted country
cousins to yearn after the fashions, enticements
giamonrs and amusements OF the metropolis. Man.
ayers know that three nths OF their patrons come
from among the sojourDers. Tbe runs OF plays soon
exhaust the mere metropolitan two-fiths Twenty
or thirty years ago "runs' were not possible. be-
cause OF the fact just mentioned. Then New YORK
was not, as now, a city OF hotels shops and immi-
grafton dep0ts. With the advent OF Thanksgiving
Day and the Borean blasts the full winter season to
the theatres has opened. II will be a long one.
substantially the autumna one has ended This
was briel ana not remuneratiye.
The opening winter season dnds two more the
atres than last year-tnose OF
DALY's AND BoUCICAULTs.
SupeT1cIally considered, the competition seems
too lively for the times. However, theatres run IN
special grooves, and do not interfere with one
another 50 much as appears at first mention. II is
not necessary to particularze. Chances at the
announcement advertisements VIII enable any
one to verify the assertion and make his own
classification. Theatrical management, in the
main, resembles stocSjobbing. 1t is dependent
upon the good will which the theatre obtains, as
stocks are upon the tightness ease Of the money
market. The resemblance applies also to the
amount OF Pecunlary FISK taken. Gain and loss
to manager or stock operator come in like sudden
proportion. Both make money rapidly when for
tune favors. Both suffer large and sudden losses
when Ill luck ovcrtakes. Margins have to be sud-
denly met, and q week OF continuous nightly losses
shows large debit in a managers profit and loss
account. In each instance Of Wall streeter ana
barIrL IN, dad nftnina fInp
guided by such calculation only as becomes pos
sble whenever 1t must be based upon many con-
tingencies and unforeseen events
THE RISKS MANAGERS.
Severely cold or wet weather, sleghing attrac-
tions the party and Lenten seasons, with riyalres
from neighbOrs, are the events feared by man.
ayers. They are not SO afraid OF panics, however,
because the data OF 1887, lS45, 1857 &c. proved
that worried people required and sought that
amusement OF the theatre which, beyond all
Others takes the auditor Tor q time outside Of the
realistic world, in which he perhaps gallops with
care a sad horseman beside him."
Every manager is careful to select an appropriate
site for his theatre, an adaptive stock company,
and plays which will not only III the members like
well cut coats, but viii also cater to whatever
popular taste he contemplates under the peculiar
resources OF the establishmentn-as Mr.. Vincent
Crummles phrased it when he suggested the real
pump and two washing tubs for Smike's and
Nicholas Nickiebys appearances. Managers like
the good Crummes have always something cor.
responding to the Crummles pony Ito fall back
upon" when standing novelty fails. The man
ager makes often large profits upon small in
yestment; like the stockjoober, again. He may
hire his theatre, borrow few thousands for stock
ing the stage, &c, &C., engage q COM
pany, pay an author. and do all that upon
Snlf t1nr rtman Af hic nipfd I'm
future. A full house will usually give an average
gain OF 200 or 800 per cent on the receipts the
nights moiety OF expenses. Again, half mouse
will bring him little excess in the net. A thin
audience will leave him debit when he .'makes up
the house, process which he or his treasurer
usually performs before ''the lights have ned and
the stage garlands arc dead and all but him de-
parted.r
THE MANAGER ON HIS THRONE
manager Is like petty king OF an old German
principality. He is surrounded with jealous and
envious neghbors. His subjects are unruly, queru-
lous and luli OF petty Importance. He must keep
up show OF resources even when the eXchequer
is low. In short he lives ever in the midst OF
bottled earthquake, and his best capital is that
slant show Of mystery which constitutes the popu-
lar charm attached to every playhouse The ''shop
intricacies oil theatre are great, and because the
outside world knows SO little about wings, flies,
setS, grooves, traps, leltS ceuUreS, prop
critics. wardrobes rehearsals, &c, that the secrets
OF behind the scenes remain delightful to the
Imagination oil the pitte and OF the god OF the
gallery.
rhe manager with theatre on his hand. begins
his preparations for season much In advance OF
IL, II ne opens in September he will have all his
engagements siened by April or May. He is in
constant communication with the dramatic
agencies VINO act as the brokers between managers
ana playwrishts. actors and what are called by
stage iolK 'thc ballet" and by outsiders the
'sSlpcs" All employees who tread the stage and
are not in the bills belong to the ballet. Should
actor fail break their contract then an
agency Will urgently submit candidates with crc-
dentials.
THE IDEAL MANAGER AND HIS ASSISTANTS.
The perfect manager should be one OF executive
talent, diplomatic tact, great patience, quick de-
clson, hrmness in resolve. autocratc his profess
siOnal purposes, and willing to receive and slit sug
gestions, although he may not them. His execn
tive talent is needed to govern his subordnates;
his diplomacy for critics. authors and the public.
his patience Tor his perplexities; his decision
hrmness and autocracy TO operate on events,
Is needful, because his own brain may weary OF fer
tility In invention and adaptation. They have
MANY such managers IN Paris; two or three in
London; but TO discuss whether such an Admira-
bic Crichton lives in New York might provoke IN
yidicIs discussion The manager delegates ana
distributes his powers and duties among members
OF cabinet Ills stage manager Is his premier
and secretary OF the interior; ana his business
man becomes at once secretary OF state Of war
ana postmaster general. The head stage carpen-
ter and machnist, the chief scene painter and the
property man are under secretaries III The home
department OF no n.eGn influence. An unpedanUic
leader of the orchestra becomes his delight
member of council II he can select unirnpas.
stoned box onlcers, with patient and polite ushers,
who one and all, are blessed with the bump OF in-
dividualty then the manager can long wear the
cap OF Fortunatus.
MANAGERS TROUBLES.
The imps in tho life OF "A manager are, hrst impc-
cnnlous prOpretOrs OF those newspapers, winch 90
quote from Horace Greeley an InscrutabIe prou
dence for some undiscovered purpose permits 10
live; second, ilignty authors third, Bohemians,
VINO write cheap pulls Tor cheapened editors. Tue
"'WeaklyW newspapers demand advertisements
with the plnck OF hlghwaymen. 1t is your patron
age ami pun, or your silence and an assault PIC
torialiy or otherwise. The author wants his
"play''-oiten mere collection OF narration, dla-
logue, or nsecutive sketches without climax
busness-produced, or else he Will stab the COM
pany with communication addressed to some
al the varied circles IN the newspaper zodiac
TIE MONEYED MANAGER.
When the manager has command of capital he
is enablen u prOdnCe sleCtncle md the siane