The New York herald., 1879-08-28
INTERVIEW WITH MANAGER PALMER.
What He Proposes To Do to Amuse
His Patrons.
NEARLY 500, 600 FOB SIX PLAYS.


of the theatre. and have worked SO marked q meta
inorphosis that its most accustomed Aabitu< will be
unable to recognize familiar In response
to call rom . HRRALD reporter Mr.. Palmer
emerged from the lumber pile covered with saw
dust and shook the shavings from the tails Of his
coat.
"Oh. yes." he said laughingly. "here am. hard at
it, and you readily see considerable effect
Every carpet has been taken up and sent away. new
carpets in their place. from end to end the
audience is freshly painted. the entire decora
ton Of the house is new and Marston has finished
drop curtain that is perfectly charming"
what your plans for the season.
''well. in the main they settled. but some of
the details yet unsrranged."
"Do you have preliminary season.
Eyes; open from the 18th to tho 25th Of Septen-
Der with Mr.. Campbells play. MY Partner In my
judgment. based experience. too. it IL folly to
open the doors Of the Union Square Theatre earlier
than that You see we have Q peculiar audience. q
clientele it were, and find that our patrons
people who rarely back TO town before the mid
die. of September.
''In this new play will your regular company ap-
peSrY'
..Not at ALL Mr.. Louis Aldrich is tho central
figure Of the piece. which is California story of
later day life. The author has avoided the rough
and given . view Of the better grade Of life.
have every reason to believe tho piece win be suo-
cessful.''
when will your regular season openr'
II can't give you definite answer further than to
say it will be either the third fourth week IN Oc
tober. It depends somewhat ON the success Of the
reg ular company in Boston and PhiladelphiA"
.Whom have you engaged for next seasonY'
'.Pretty much the same people that had before.
They are Sara Jewett. Maud Harrison. Ellie Wilton
Miss 4. j. Philips. Ida Vernon. Miss wilkins. Sara
Cowell and Leila Granger. Charles r. Thorne. Jr..
John Parselle. J. H. Stoddard, W. J. Le Moyne. J. B.
Polk. Harry Courtaine. Walden Ramsey, J. w.
Thorpe and W. s. Quigley. These. you see. with the
exception Of Miss Wilton and Mr.. Courtsine. are
standard favorites the Union Square Theatre and
the faces doubt not will become equally popu-
lar. Miss Wilton is great California fsvorte and
Mr.. Courtaine promises to AL place that open
in my company. Mr.. Henry Tissington. who has
been SO long in the Union Square Theatre. remains
with us and will make feature Of the music In the
future in the past"
~Do you expect to do much next season."
81 do. Every Indication suggests phenomenally
successful have travelled very extensively
this summer and the feeling universal that bust
ness is to be exceptionally good. When my company
played in Boston we did tremendous business and
the receipts during their present engagement in
Chicago enormous. having averaged about ST. 900
week Nothing better has been known anywhere,
and the longer they stay the better they do
$50 that feel justified in believing that If the
summer season is 80 good the regular fall and winter
business must necessarily be very much better"
'Is there any truth In the report that you intend
having two companies-one In Chicago and one
.Not at all. How could II nnd that the critical
taste of Chicago is quite - good As that Of New
rate article and 1t would be impossible for me-
get together duplicste company equal to that
playing IN the Union Squsse !ne.sIe II y true
theatre in Chicago. but While might make money
there am confident could not do myself or the
people justice. and therefore have declined the
offer. Besides that hnd the proper management Of
my New York business takes all my time. aud In the
face of most promising season l don't intend 70
..what arc your preparations for tho seasonr'
''In the Arst place. ss told you. have engaged o
pairing place In which to show them. The whole
interior of the theatre is IN process OF ceansing
tainment of the public have provided prolific
supply. have OF tho funniest comedies. trans
Flats II is in Ave acts and has made an enormous
success in the Psais Royale. Its name may suggest
French fat house. and assure you it is excessively
funny. Then have very strong meodrsma called
Queens Evidence few fellows orgsni.ed com-
country. Judge Dittenhoefer obtained al injunc-
tion against them. however. We purchased II and
have had 1t these two years. Then l am TO have
new play by DEnnery and am promissd several new
Americsn pieces.
..with what shall you openr'
Probably with Bronson Howard's bankers
Daughter The enormous hit 1t made here has
been supplemented In Boston and Chicago. and We
have great many requests to play it again. and
am inclined to think shall open with 1t with
tirely new sccnery and appointments" =
'sYou propose revivals thenf"
''Ycs. to extent The Union Square has bad seven
OF wonderful prosperity making each season
the notable successes--.Led Astray,' The Two Or
phans,' "A Celebrated Case The Bankers Daugh-
casts. and with new scenery, costumes and appoint
ments. The old public will welcome the old faces.
aud the nov public will have something worth Soc
ing"
THE rIcKEr sPEcuIAToRs.
what do you think Of the ticket spcculator ques-
..weil, there are two sides to It,"
..But what do you think of rY'
..I can hardly say. The Union square Theatre has
occupied peculiar position toward these specula-
tors having no possible connection or nterest with
But you let them have all your best scats. don't
your
may have thirty, and only four ffve OF them are
on the aisle And there's no such thing xs rcser
vation for them. You or any other paying Gus
any seats you desire. It's great mistake to think
the seats are kept for them. There great many
near. They make up their mind at a late hour to go
to the theatre. They know they can get good seats
obges them ami they pay him for it. Still. there is
another side to it, and am not prepared to say that
1 am convinced in my mind about it. have had
serious thoughts OF abolishing 1t altogether, far
my theatre IL concerned. This l will say that
there is no participation in profits or anything Of
that kind"
GENERAL OUTLOOK.
"It is evident. Mr.. Palmer that the athletic enter
tainments of the approaching season will be on
grand scale. How will that probably affect theat
rical businessy'
ITO that can only reply that the week of the in
ternationsl walking match In Gilmores Garden was
one of the best OF my entire aeason / argue that
any great excitement OF that kind draws people to
the city, and when the city IL full OF strangers
business sympathizes with the general onward aud
upward movement, Thousands will go to a walking
match in the daytime and late ut night who patron
ize the theatre IN the evening. No. never dislike
to have any powerful attraction in the city. Each
helps the other"
You seem to be very hopefalr'