The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-19
ONE MORE THEATRE CLOSED.
VERY HARD SEASON WINDING UP IN
PECCyTfRY DISASTER.
The Grand Duke Coiiap.es Under the stres.
OF sis Dollars OF Unpaid Hent-The ESpe-
dtent Of Popular Prices Tried In Vain.

The GRAND Duke CoIiapses Under the Stress
OF six Dollar. Of Unpaid Hent-The ENpe.
dIent Of Popular Prices Tried In Vain.
The Grand Duke Theatre was all dark last
evening. Tho square hole ut tho inner edge Of
the Baxter street sidewalk down which visitors
had climbed or fallen ma their luck varied. was
impenotrable to the eye. A lamp had on pro-
vious evenings lckcrcd at the bottom of this
we'll. dimly lighting the entrance To cellar and
the sign Grand DUKE III EaTlE.' \ boy was
softly humming Whoa Emma In an adjacent
doorway and dancing fow neat steps to tho
chorus. in n manner indicating that he was
having n quiet rehearsal by himself. Might lie
not be an artist connected with tho closed estab-
ilshmcnt? reporter for THE SuS asked him.
and he did not reply until after he had COM
pletcd tho plantivc line:
o. Emma whoa Emma
Thcn he said Yes" while skipping thrco
stops 10 the left three 10 the right and slapping
the floor twice with each foot. And lie con-
Emma, You IN, me in such dilemma
Thon he stopped. stuck his hands into his
pockets and looked across the street in that far
off manner peculiar to showmen when accos,cd
by n mortal from the outer world. His fncC was
marked by tobacco juice. coal black. and what
seemed TO DO splash OF mud. His yeare ,iid
o,l nYmp1r mGfs 2h bn s pHt MS c
why tn Grand Duke Theatre was not open, and
Cause it's closed"
:. Why %u' 1t closed
".Why dia it turs,'"
Further questioning elected the Information
that the an ii.nr.. stead y decreased during the
spring until The rcrcuts did mot meet the cN-
pcnses, and that the management was at la~t
smash there was financial cmldrra-"iu'ht Tn,
performers were MT paid the occasional lalt
tsl fhtIIp IA
WIS not paid promptly, hni ON several tch-
tngs there was no uil Tor the lainls. Ihrfe
WAS period OF that common state between The
life and death of a theatre known a. common
wealth management; that is 10 say. there wa
no head tn the concern, and everybody took
what he could get. Tint fastened the cans-
uophc. The ,lu,n.!iate cause OF Mhith Wu-
parted these facts as one 10th TO Violate profcs-
"Nobody wasn't tohlnmc." he sail " it.. boon
The Il ont Ip "f The worJ ,hcaire, "Wc used to I'll
along hunk enough. The place was Jest lammnd
somctimts wild ilvc-ccutcrs an ten -ecnicrs, We
put the price down to three cents but that didn't
make no difference"
Tho boy intlmated too. that the quality - the
performances had been allowed To deter.or,
from commenting. His own part hrd boon
two turns-a song an dance. an q straight
Jig lie didn't know where any OF the rest oi
the company might be- found. because most Of
them sold newspapers or blnckcd boots when
not busy in the theatre, and their places of hu--
ness wore uncertain. He unl ersi0ol that there
town.
Tho keeper Of a lager beer saloon nearest the
aaoandoned cellar said: ~ glad they re gone
The Grand Duke Theatre was discovered by
and the publication Of the discovery gave THAT
queercst OF theatres largo audiences for Iona,
Tine, aiterward. damp. upholstered collar
nstacc, but on leve with the rest Of the floor.
Iherc was curtain aud scenery. Wonteflully
painted on ihi ., WtHyruihdrt aelIs and ten
I'll Ice l.
terwnrd tho ,nur bottom Of ono s,tfre Wns
broken out, and. ms slttin. was no longer at
tended with comfort It commanded no higher
rate than the rest of the house. Tho show Wa
made up Of singing. dancing. and fares. The
show performances Of Tho larger variety tho
ntres, were initiated Tho performers wor"
tome public favoriie a. a model and the repro:
dutivn WIS often 80 faithful that faults and
cAcellcn'es Werc alike recognizable. There wis
sometimes a con'crmH i9r an orchcStra' an !
something's nothing The features of the house
boys. hut frequently parties Of generous adult
sght-scers stepped ill., and on such occasions
the receipts often showed dollars for dimes.
once a matinee Performance was given iYr Ne
accommodation 81 the profession. and the
cellar was crowded with fayoritcs from the va
was fied viii money Is result ci that en-
lertainment three Of the boys were soon given
nneagomouls in tho more prctenlou- thcutre,.
TWAS not long before n calamity was threat
tned Every theatre in the city l. hy law re-
auircd 10 givc $500 a yenr o. The Society ior
The Reformation of Juvenile Delnqucnt- and
NE so'leiys agent demand ID that sum from
The Grand Duk" Theatre. Presumably under
dread oi ridlcule, the agent did not take harsh
measur IS, and ~" theatre was kept opgn
one OF tn" boys told me. police oflcer
ini; in the concern for some time. one actor
san trere wasn't lair diyyyI,that he hahn
had rake TOR two w"rks H. cNuI4a!nci !.
600. that the theatre WINS heing ruined by 4, al
heais- stnsrs, he called them. The door
let them in for nothing. The thing that broke
chem up finally. though. was INABILITY to pay