New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-21
WORK. DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY t%TWEIvE PAGES

l,ur.c,,.ut I'm MANAGERS necessary outlay Rent,
u,inting and -siar;" are much important and
GIr.ous items eyrcn 49, and these have trebcd IN the
Ia-t thirty years Edwin Booth and Joseph Jefferson
ofttirc. command more money nowadays Tor single
performance than Edmund Ecan Edwin Forrest re-
ccycd FOR SIS Tho yearly rental Of Niblos Garden was
then reported $1,000 Manager John Stetson tells you
hc pays $4,000 for less advantageous hou7e upon
the same thorOuglfae. Let me extend the comparison
Thirty years ago ten lines Of theatrical ADVERTISING IN me
NcW-iork Herud cost $50 year; it now commands
about 81 500 t the tc above referred 20 the weekly
expense OF leading NewYork theatre for advertising
and lob printing could De bcally estimated at $50
The minimum cost of the same advertisement I'D the
pas; ten Years has been about TlJOa week; ami enter
p1i.ing managers like MI DAILY or lIr. Frohman very
frequently cApeud double thai amount. II cost me
nearly 500 a week properly 10 advertise "HUmpy
Dumpty," during its original ran at the Olympic Theatre
In this city seventeen years season Eler ana thc
expense Of advertising The Tempest and Patiie at
the Grand Opera House averaged me $500 week These
inevitable expenses have quite ~ much To DO win the
price OF seats ana Tie salaries OF actor rs any OF Tue
causes mentioned By you upon the authority OF your
managerial mformans. Besides The question q" salary Is
regulated like every other commercial commodity, BY
the laws Of supply and demand and it IL Eod-pTip-
aiy The fault Of the managers tEonsoiNc5 that owing
to the Lack OF proper training schools the supply OF COM
potent actors j. short Of iLc demand ana mat thcr
market value has been oh.lc,l accordingly.
A. between ACTOR aGl manager, i seems clear 10 Inc
beyond reasonable di.pno that while their ambitions
have not ut all time, pulled together the actors alone
has always pulled in the right direction, and that the
continued cNync" OF the ~J.c 81, an art H. dr more 10
the actor than the manager. Gzll I"lnnE N a,SrtI
ing n a rule that bnt Tor The ioy ambition tue rir
in faith the uf,vibr artistic l" uf nctors k" For
rest. Barrett. Mccullough, the peerless JthrI'gn anu
Tho matchcat Booth Nlo-c Tw,uy third street Theatre
was the most magnificent temple dedicated 10y any
actor to the worship OF his abui for these ana other
noble artists. wing and dead whom viii not pause To
the American stage MONlt loug SINCE iN' "''h
shorn of all its traditional glory; would nave prcoIo;
in fact ~ in name mere show house IL mas netu,u
all the patience the and the effort of the great actors
have named to drag the dignity OF the stagc-nh99
drowned honor" 10y its locks-out OF thG sumo nH
filth Of that disastrous managerial triumph Inc "oA
That leading salaries are too high Is true quite rs true
that while at present leading men rs rl9 are over
paid. leading ladies', whose professional ,ooI,T1 aad
necessarily eXrayagant are untrpMG ' t toln can
that theatre I'm the Land stock or star Ian
afford. ~ expenses run, TO pay more than TIOQ
week for any leading salary; YET u,ns bai
view OF the matter long theatrical managers 7hhu
voluntarily their office as Instructors ana rergae
of the stage long will the demand for competent
actors exceed the supply ana the market quolaoh Ioi
leading salaries be put NJ ruinous figure ,,,
Nor will the unnecessary recruitment from abroad help
affairs will-hkc all cpdrmics-run III course The COM
binntOn system Is already mofihund; struggling sen
son or two more aud II will DE remembered among tho
things Of the past chiefly for the promising actors IL me-
ruined ana for the numerous opera houses II mas ouI
When that glad time shall have come II VIII ne coh-iu-
cred beneath the dignity Of any good actor 20 sacll.S
the dignity Of his professional standing 10y pIgdg 'ne
drmand bnt not mt once s Of old People will To the
theatre not to muse but TO be- amused: Inc 4lnaa1
" no can invent impossible situations and Inc scene
painter who please the sense OF sight VIII h'u as
now he the principl factors orr r,,n ,y tTst-thc
Inevitable reaction will set I'm. and public taste educated
the stage the grace and dignity Of poetic drama ana
rescue for hisonic art abilities now obscuIed ncnI"h
sensational trash No combination OF mhNsels VIII mc
needed 10 hriug about this desired reform; or none
needed 10 put practice the Absurd proposal 10 nuu P
theatrical art 10y heating down the ncloI THIHy' II
Mi come; ana Il viii come through that niallbc cor
rcciyc 81 an intellectual abuses public taste. .,
The near approach of this reform j. indicated 10 my
mind by the signal success of e." Francesca da klnnl;
All hail 10 MI Barrctts couras" ana artistic i nun
The actor has once again shown 10 "Haso'n u ud
pathway 10 the public heart ne mas uoh' @ III
noblcr than that; hc has reunited loves SO ION. I
and 50 seeming cstTans,d-pocuc literature ana ul'ui-
attic art. ,.., .,,. ,,.o,,r,oo, c,-
pcnscs too high md that rctrenchm'nt J,
why not BEGIN with reduction IN the advertising OUT
deep and intelligent an Interest IN thc suc'75 ~ III
intellectual stage which has always SHOWN ll7'H w us
Y,k Vl i'm view of the necessities OF the ca-c, consent
Ia ablc little the oppressive cost OF IN ~
y, ,,,tc h",h ,Ids meet spare them also the painful
alternative of either cutting down the salaries OF hhr
yn5ol peter i'm order To maintain the theatrical
grandeur Of metropolitan Paul. Respectfully, ,,,
Aer-lOrE, oct To- lS7J OLiil"S W. AN''''""
Mr.. Taylcurrs closing suggestion is so absurd as
much TO weaken the force of his arguments. There
is no other class that gets onctenth OF the gratul
tous advertising which the papers lavish upon the
dramatic profession. The sayings aud doings OF
every conspicuous actor and actress are chronlcled
with n fidelity and thOroughness given to no one
else. The plans of the managers are described AT
length and in detail New theatres new plays new
scenery new costumes, are all dilatedup on. great
many people think that these matters get far more
notice than they deserve But whether that Is so or
not. while all the newspapers devote so much space
70 the free advertising of theatrical persons ana
things. to suggest that the propretors should feel
their duty to give up any part Of the comparatively
small sums which they now receive for the business
announcements Of the managers IS preposterous to
the verge of lunacy.-Ed.I