Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-26
On rAE ROAp
How a Travelling Theatrical Com.
pany is Managed.
Now York Times.

! panles came into vogue the lie OF an
actor has been much changed from
what it was twenty years ago. Nov
that stock companies EXIST IN only q
few theaters in the country, the ma
jority Of the actors spend their work.
ing season ION the road, and their
idle summer in Union Square, looking
out for what they call snaps" The
result of this new order of things has
been the growth of new departments
In the theatrical business. The dra-
matte agency--a thing of small account
and Of limited operations in former
years-has acquired greater import
ance. The advance agent has had his
duties enlarged and his responsibility
increased, while the business manager
of the company is man burdened
with much more care and labor than
the leisurely gentlemen who formerly
went about the country to count
houses" for star. The whole plan
of getting up a travelling company,
arranging its route, sending it on the
road, and advertising it, is something
OF which all persons outside the
theatrical world must of necessity be
more or less ignorant. The whole
series of operations is, therefore,
herein described.
In the first place, manager in this
city produces play or an opera which
is successful. A New York reputa-
tion is considered a sure "open
sesame" to the favor of what are
called provincial audiences. The
manager, therefore, has vis-
ions Of huge rolls of wealth to be
gathered from the inhabitants of
towns on the New England, southern,
or western circuit" He wants to
send out company and his first step
is to find out where to send it. If he
is ambitious and has great confidence
in his play, he selects the large towns
and cities; if not, the smaller ones. He
sometimes makes out the route him
self, and sometimes engages a capable
man to do that and to go ahead of the
company as an advance agent. The
route is chosen so as to embrace towns
which are near each other, by which
long jumps" and expensive railroad
fares are avoided. Companies fire.
quently do good business, but suc>
coed In wiping out their profits by
playing successfully in Brooklyn, Bal
timore, Albany, Providence, Jersey
City and Harlem, OF by choosing some
other equally disastrous arrangement.
As soon as the manager has decided
what route he wishes to take he tele-
graphs to the proprietors of the thea
tiers OF the different towns, asking
them what dates they can give his
company. This is the most important
matter, for frequently the answers
compel en- entire change of the man.
ayers programme on account of the
impossibility OF getting into the towns
he wants to at certain dates. The next
thing is to write to all these out.of-
town managers to find CD what terms
they wish to play the company-rent
or sharing. 1.-THE city manager rents
the theater he has to attend to
everything himself. If he plays on
sharing terms arrangements may be
made for the proprietor of the theater
to furnish newspaper advertising,
music, ticket seller, doorkeeper, etc.
When sharing terms are agreed upon.
the manager of the company gets any,
where from 90 to Sc per cent of the
gross receipts. The manager of the
company always furnishes the street
bills, or posters, as they are called
and this matter, in these days of elab-
crate wood cuts and photographic
printing, is large item. The printing
OF the average travelling company
usually includes, besides a three-sbeet
bill printed in ordinary type. one or
two varieties of block bills. on which
the namo OF the play is printed in a
highly or ornamental style in glarinR
eelors; from one to a dozen three sheet
wood cuts OF scenes OF characters in
the drama; steamers of as many az
slxty'tour sheets, and generally some
nlne-sheet Stands" picturin9 in a
most alluring manner some startling
climax in the play. Printing isex.
pensive, a three-sheet cut in two
colors costing, in addition to paper
and press work. from SIS upward
The printing is usually all ordered al
one office, in lots of so many bills for
each town, and tho theatrical printer
puts up each lot separately and sends
1t by express in time for the advance
agent to find it at its destination when
he arrives there.
While all this work is going on the
manager is busy engaging his com,
pany. Sometimes he does this him
self, but more frequently he turns ovel
the whole business to a dramatic
agency. On the books of these con,
Germs are the names and addresses O,
the majority Of persons in the dramati,
and musical professions. The agent i,
informed as TO who is in town. and II
very short time can get together !
company TO play anything from "For
hidden Fruit" to "The Two Orphans )
or from "Pinafore" to "IoIanthe''
When the company has been selected
and the question Of salaries arranged
rehearsals begin. AS to salaries, III,
manager pays an actor so much weel
and his boarding expenses, or leaveI
of the latter item and gives the per
former $40 week more, The latte,
system is preferred by managers, 70,
it has been found that when an actol
pays his own board he will spenC
hours in searching for q cheap hotel
but when the manager pays it no hote
on this humble earth is good enough
| About two weeks before the com
pany starts out, away goes the adyano
agent, the pioneer who clears thei
path; busy, alert, lonely man, who |
continually on the rush, and who can
not stop long enough in one place h
make a friend. He reaches a tow
and goes at once to the theater to SCI