The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-22
LAWRENCE BARRETTS NEW
ROLE,
He is Soon to Become Manager Of
the California Thenter.


[New York letter.
Lawrence Barrett has long been one
of the best paying stars In tine dramatic
profession. / couldn't always quite COM
prehend the fact, but it remains fact,
nevertheless. And that is why l was
surprised out of several months growth,
the other day, when l learned that he
was on the point of abandoning his pres
ent field of usefulness for one that has
thus far been less lucrative to him when
ever he has ventured upon it. Briefly,
Mr.. Barrett proposes to become a man
ager once more.
don't recollect just how many thea
ters this gentleman has ever managed
before, but do know that he was never
success in that line of business. Why
he goes back to it is almost as great a
mystery as the last electoral count or
Miss Heller's second-sight business. 1t
may he that he hopes to renew his popu-
larity as star by simply retiring from
the field for year or two, so as to lend
greater novelty to his performances when
ever he blossoms out again. And I'm not
so sure but the plan is good one. The
most persistent upholder of the stage
will in time tire of the same thing over
and over again. and Barrett has been
playing one set of parts through the
country for good while now.
The theater he is to be manager Of is
the California, situate in San Francisco.
If am not mistaken, it was the same
house that survived his first brief at
tempt in this line. Barrett and McCul-
Tough ran the place, years ago, when
California was an infant prodigy in the
Union. They were managers, actors and
bosses of the situation generally, in those
early days. And some of the funnies,
stories have ever heard are the ones Nc.
Cullough has told me of the way they used
to produce Shakspeare's heaviest plays
in the mining towns around Frisco, from
time to time. Barrett the was first tc
abandon management for starring, and il
is probably the eternal fitness of things
which has ordained that he shall be the
first to return to his original vocation
The California Theater has of late run
into its decadence, partly through oppo
sition, partly through the maundering'
Of Dennis Kearney, and partly.in conse
quence of the general stagnation of bust
ness on the Pacific Slope. 1t is the fines
theater west of Chicago, beyond doubt
if not west of New York. But it's his
tory has been fraught with disaster fol
a long time. Of late the stockholders
have been trying persistently to secure
the services of Barrett as the manager
and the terms he receives for acceding t.
their plea show that they must have
been pretty tolerably anxious to secur'
him. His season opens June /, 1880, and
will last for one year. They give him
in the first place, six months rent free
and, in addition to that, put up 30, 5,00i
as a guarantee that he shall lose nothing
upon the venture.
For the last half of the term he pay
81, 600 month rent, which makes tha
item Of expense for the whole yea
amount to $1,000. Whatever he profit
upon that basis is his own. He certainl,
can't lose any thing, and I shouldn't b
surprised if he cleared a nice little pile
He will play stars and combinations, ant
may, in all probability, act once or twic
himself, when he has open time. That i
one of the advantages of combining tn
functions Of actor and manager. Th
news of Mr.. Barrett's complete chang
will be surprise to the entire profession
| think. Nobody suspected it--at least
not in New York. And it leaks out no,
only through private letter from Call
III