The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-06-11
THEATRTCAI EyTERPHTsE
The Modern Wholesale system OF CoutroII-
ting Combinations.

| period to great extent on the combination"
system. Barn storming" was, in years not
very long gone by, the normal condition OF the
actor. and some OF the most brilliant stars who
charmed with their imporsonatons even the
elder members OF the present generation have
very Keen remombranccs OF that merry empty
happy-go-lucky time. Ludlow, in his Rem
| inscenccs." tells delightful. breezy story of
what 1t was and the dramatic confessions OF
| Z. A. Logan, Sol Smith. and few more Of the
patriarchs have left TO us n very clear idea OF the
| straits through which they ran. the shoals on
which they grounded, and the rocks on which
they split. As time went by they inculcatcd u
| taste for the drama. and q solid manifestation
| OF 1t was made in the proud possession by
| almost every city of n theatre. Then came the
| good days OF dramatic art in America. Men and
women who fancied that they possessed talent
for the stage learned. by patient. slow pro-
cesscs. how difficult was the way that led to
renown. Men who aspircd to the highest roles
were content to begin as banner carriers. or. as
In the case Of q subsequently eminent TRACE
dian even the hind legs of an elephant, and to
deem it great promotion when they were per-
mttcd to say. My lord tho carriage waits !"
while women who looked forward to being
great tragcdienncs were taught conscientious
and faithful service in the ballet.
During the war the modern combination
system sprang up again. Perhaps the first
organization to be properly cassed under this
head went out In 1863. under the management
of ]. w. Walack and L. L. Davenport. with
Emily Messenger and Frank Mordaunt in the
cast. In 1865 tho Warren combination was
| abroad. with the venerable William Warren,
| Bostons favorite comedian. and Josie Orion as
| Its principal features. Then in n short time
theatrical combinations aud troupes sprang
into visible existence all over the country.
They grew SO that after time there were left
hardly any old-fashoned theatrical companies.
Almost all were swallowed up In tho combina-
lions. and managers were no longer managers.
but became simply jantors. whose simple
business was tho letting OF their theatres to
travelling troupes either on percentage of
receipts or at n stipulated sum each night.
So completely did this new system gain control
| that last year, while there were only three the
aires in New York and two in Boston which
Kept regular companies pa lies in AZ the land thsrc
5 weh ING ara9 m S
time. at the beginning Of the season. OF course
q very great number OF these meetaphorically:
did so-bcfore the season was half over. 1t was
not possible for so many to live. even though
the country. and the weakest went to the wall.
The ambitious actors and actresses who should
Tage 5ENf and for IN lns aGy
stage OF their artistic, career, but were
SsiSmnSd to f9rcs hG sSSS ON the
| who would put companies on tho road and
rash specuntors who rushed into theatrical
| ventures. all came to grief, and by process OF
| natural selection. The close OF the season saw
the survival only Of the iittcst. The number Of
| such failures has grown greater year by year
and from their recurrence have sprung two
noteworthy changes in the system Of manage
or control of theatres; tho second. the central
zation OF theatrical enterprise in the hands OF
failure OF a company necessarily inflicted a
loss not only on its financial hackers and it,
sS S%Oer ;boat 9S5 on bsa p550nre'06s Of
Perhaps those dates might be filed by
combinations. Indeed in some cases com.
panics that We're late in forming. and. conse-
only u few and scattered dates. Relied mainly
on nilng in their time by taking the places Of
for instance, John NJ. Burke managed TO make
fnnll time for tho fret season of Sam'l OF
scarcely any dates ahead. But such arrange
mSnts were pncertai9 Of accomplishments ire
was always annoying: Hence il was that grad
unlly the interests OF ownership came to be
Der OF theatres was proved to be strong enough
TO make the best terms and refuse dates to any
| with the least possible chance Of loss
whereas had the several theatres been, under
been practically at the mercy of the various .ius
| companies. j. H. Haverly at one time con-
Messrs BrooEs Dekson own a or manage no
Ss St the ,Bs tbs cities OF
| spoken Of that OF theatrical enterprise. there
were other and stronger reasons. In the first
place. tho manager with several combinations
makers. who are said to have the art of betting
on sso race 50 As to stand to win IN any event.
woman who put all her eggs in one basket"
He might lose for time. even during whole
| others would bp likely tn hiring him
at the end, at least. That was the way in which
J. NJ Hjli was enabled 10 pacid!y, stand the
| loss OF 100000 in forcing Den Thompsons
Joshua Whitcomb into public appreciation.
II has run well since and made great deal of
very lucky for its survival that other plays Of
more immediate success we're under Mr.; Hills
has been tho increasing cost Of theatrical
speeulatlon year after year, demanding greater
and travelling combinations Large capital
Was necessary to keep pace with these advances
and insure the permnnenscy of professional en-
Brooks 4 Dickson had s5O,OOO invested in
preparations for the season before tho doors
were opened on one Of their companies. and
this year their preliminary outlay will bo ut
least one-hnlf greater, since. they will have II
pcneivr ones than they had then, And the in
ye,tmnnt IN starting company, it must be- r.
intlnorreu' II uhly conmrhcCmcht, especially
II alNeiS" weather or Il lack of popular apVre-
Brooks Il dickson have more irons in the fire
the Madison square Theatre ADVANCEMENT.
which has II greater number, though at far less
aggregate cost. Four Hazel kirke" com
nqqnier. four proicss9r' companies and four
ESin"falda COMPANIES are to be on the roai
under tho Madison square Theatre control
bur lhry are specially organized with Il, yiew to
the r'SnectiVr route assigned them so that only
one or two of"Gch set win be- seriously cNpcn-
siv" aud those will 20 to the large cities, while
the others Will visit towns. even those having
aH small population as lso1 Brooks * Dick
son have mad" arrangements for run
NM! seven rolnpInlcS through the Sru-
son an eighth for n considerable part
81 it, aud nrc contemplating the addition ofone |
more 10 The list. Their attractions, rs far as
determined are: The Windhum comedy COM |
pany, which Is coming from England in time |
t. opmn ~ tn" Union Square Theatre an Oct. |
~ IL VII! employ seventeen persons. and liz |
weekly expense Will he about 81 900. The |
B1uri'n4lt COMPANY fourteen parsons eN-
p"nSr about sljOl PER- week witch will pre- |
sent new play by B9ucioaut entitled B6yne |
Mater" and the old round Of Irish dramas. |
The Aimd" French comedy company OF |
eighteen persons. The running EXPENSES OF |
TINS company VIII p" Ilto moro than $2.O0O |
per week. Tho World" six persons cNponsn !
$4,000 per week. Taken from Life" |