New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-01
THE WORK OF A MANAGFp
HOW THEATRICAL COMPANIES ARE uov,,
GREAT LABOR Ann EXPENSE fSvoLvED-iSrrs,.,
fNg CHAT wffH =, ". upffteP

busy manager ~ the uniDn Square Theatre Ia ,,.
Yoi look sifptsed," he continued, d" but fpsi, NJ.
most Annoying aud wtafli0ne ~ my lsb1fs IA m i..,s
out of ionlas tbe booking n lime ~ daias q, sl.."s
The eng N etjfs shd addresses tha otssis
printing md The seiss 40 ~ -csueft aBi p,sps,s.
HDw iHsi ift me svf JBn i1st ~ The afH ana "A a.
bof Involved IN bO1hlug datai, NJ SHOOK md ,tat.
| Ave companies travelling throughout tina sesses A..
win storm iieaien' tWD win tha IA ~ ofISsaa.,
and 0Ie WIN lnbia beHitop Whieh sas paysi a, s.
los Ihe Bue and the uraY' Sumo NJ the opan,s..
play ~ sslV dd,feh iowas ani SON In over ahnsl,s,
n W. take sevenlyny ~ the average, sheh IA ,l1..
under ina oVef the truth NY oJmplnls, viii m...
| ihf hu dred ahl seysniy.nve stinds nstfs a A..
ran b. boohe IN any one gf ines, aces letter IA. },
be- written 10 tho manager OF tna thslre there sst,s
! him what npen line he mas Hhls feBy no nee ds,.
when roh any r1n be IN hs naiRbofbY01. ID 4,
~ has ~ be wfiish Offering 10 pay ~ eaflau s,n,
an1 n he accepts then thfd ultaf inolps aesBs.,
contract NUT be ~ varied, flns. yol sls n s,s,,
thing aosa 90 smoothly possible these eliafl aud -.
contracts hnst 10 scat 0il bt mo fof eyey ase bsya
~, nut unfortunately. u ID only very ssiea That A
| hloH n0eHfs
Possibly another manager mar have seeaf N. a..
~ telegraph while negotiating by ieiisf ~ A,
eolHtymaa olra 10 thu efnsl ~ Whsi ali oise sssm.
straight he wants n Strike out clause Ia ihs eoa
tract Vey often t happens that e.ghl OF leu lsl,su
| pass before a contract Is nnaiy settled,
| PfCuuARlrIEs or COUNTRY MANAGRRs
Some Of the country managers as they call lhemsels.x
| are very queer specimens They have never had an,
conlectio with the theatrical pr esson, are spc
ators or builders who have up theatre a. the moa
promising way Of making money aud who seem unabls
10 comprehend any why one Of ny storm
beat companies comprising between thirty and fortv
people, AM carrying full scenery should be entitled 10
greater percentage OF the receipts tn crorad sAov
OF six seven socaed performers, whose total salary
| list Is under $500 a week
zone OF these managers wrote very lnsoent letter
not long ago, assuring that he just much Of
| manager I was I answered, Il know you are
manager and that fact necessarily renders It almost I'm
possible be polite But try to fight against the feel
ing. and let your first effort at reformation be shown In
your letter to yours. truly, l. c. That brought
him to his and we now excellent terms"
"You must have pretty accurate know eige Of tho
geography Of the country" suggested the reporter
YES. and where deficient my travelling managers
my aid There is scarcely town OF over 10000
people IN which Of my companies has not played and
season, when was giving The Bankers Daughter
I'm small towns performed In 22j different places
season. staying than two nights Ia
town and tlat only very rarely. on that trip we took
in towns Of not more than 5000 nhabitanIs."
HOW ROUTE IS LAID OUT.
How do you proceed to lay out a routcl"
Each Of my companies has a certain part OF The
country When was, last as)n running Our
'Lgl's Of London they divided into the Eastern,
Yves ern, Central and Southern. Having settled alOut
the position OF the country d when mpa Is 10
play, the rt thing ia to secure dates IN tle principal
cities stands, I'm such order make he
railway Jumps rs short convent Mt "a possible
when tie cities have been secured, the one two and
tire. night stands, or tho 'hllns-n, as my tern
tnam. are selected We keep record ~ N business
done I'm each place. that form est maze Of
the probable receipts Of town. and can lige n the
character " the entert llnment best suited TO T. sums
owns arc good for comedy and bal for ag n.y.
toual plays, while others entirely reverse N zen clnd-
tous Then too. have o know ahf bear IN uhndtls
szos Of 4fnges and te possibility herwse N putng
No scenery Many stages nre TOO small TO take even
tho planosf 'scla W. get up. I'm Arranging ROUTE
failure 10 max even single desired dlle win often
~ se great Inconvenience. compelling ne ~ iet every
other manager for two weeks ahead 80 shift h. at,
elher flw rl or backward on 10 make ~ skin the i9Ha
altos cthot elso pass II and seqdently return Al
imm. pa.I " ip,teaaed coat IN railroad f,tes'
"whtt amount no tor spend a'nrily In fallfoti
ibgl"
"lhat Ia aop,olln that have never nsusd oai o..
nniiY, but onn slya ylu tha basis for msig e's,
calculation Ny average fares mr etuh company vii
ba nt1n $3.50 Wrah fuf The h,a onmptues pliT
iug un 80 nYafnfh thr YseYep w. ~ th this
amounted "a ever $4,000 llt tia SIM dos not H.
cnle IA. expenses %, tno home company which sonef
ally travels fof eight ~ ten weeks prlr 10 lhelf plating
nt this uoatfe or ne freight pruning Hilpo n al
vance Of Zach company every stand At which b. plays,
or my own expenses the frcqu nt ips ana compelled
10 make Abotether. the nmodnt We annually payN
rail- oads must be- considerably over $4,000"
TIE MOVING or TnE "PRoPfWiFs"
allow many people will he under your Management
during the coming aeasonP
"tn all, nearly 800 aud the weekly expense. will b.
nily 10000 TIE salaries of actors range all the way
from $40 to over FgOO with each OF tho 'stotm.Bo,eu
and l,hs companies n acar i0r scenery, built by tas
pcuns wanna Railroad ACCORDING 10 my dossn Lioh
A.. grf
on whcn The scenes uro pack d. When The ear alfiNs
In town, those nucks are pulod out and lanod tothe
turattc nn1 ultor the perform arc tontdd and once
more pat iu the liy TITS arrangement vast aa'lhf
~ time, Lbor aud wear aud tear Is nyodad nao'l,u
II not for ts plan, ~ would DO inpOsAl o w
ncut .uch heavy pieces IN on ght stand, me llghE
requires ocven complete scenes, aud though Storm
Ioi en- has not many the elaborate ca "a, 90 ~ "r
en OF the sol. causes anOst much stun o. De ar
RED Win eacu car coca every property repaired 10
the repre- atOn except ordinary pfucnrabs
in every theatre, including calcium lights aud nnchlhcV
for producing the aurora Dorealis eli cts 80 that ave
mnt s u rfect presentation ia every pa ucaI Al, Hay
Pcn-Yau as did at the Unon square Theatre. Laon
company also includes one or two sagecsrpeneIs ana
properly The storm Beaten CAST wi the neees
sry chorus numbers considerably over thirty ANA tIs
gs Is but little less eXacng. Each Of tue ca VIVA
its scenery properties. etc. Is insured for 10000"
THE GREAT EXPENSE or PRINTING.
"The matter Of printing is one OF the most serious
with which ger has to deal He has constantly 70
be getting up ieas and devices or he will be len
very seriously in the luroh By more acdve competition
I'm each play great variety OF window and wall paper
bas N he got ND Some are single shees, and
uense stands which consist OF from twenyfour TO MY
sheets OF paper cach sometimes coating as much a. - n
s4astand Many clues will take twenty such stan DIS bs
aide vast quantity OF three sheet bills and window Ithe
,onhs 20 the number of l. 200 or 1900 Where Gem
many plays week IN a set OF printing snmcesi
Int ach little one-nght stand has to be worked accord
ing 10 IT. SIZE and the expense FOR printing necessary
fT more in playing in small places Than In CUES ~ M
dition TO window ami wall printing give olt desIPss
bo,ks and various KINDS OF ornasen al cars anu .
! grawtnes The expense for printing 10 very heayy
6onble at NJ raj reading, and II would DO SAFE " ~
ma NJ ook aud swell the print rs an hthOSrSP-
! err accounts TO over $4,000 year. oo,x
e' s W. ocn am incl cd u think that managers ohJ
eYist 10 support printers railroads ana hote Aes,
| saw nothing Of actors. Nj. Shelby, OF l uc on
! en;v i'm Chicago recently made speeo.. 80
! ina ccrasien OF Lewis MOrr sons hen q, az 49,
M atre and in the course OF his remarks s"l; ssr,
thirteen wears ago BECAME ConNuced thd' lu..e "a
more managers than there were actors IN
M acting and took q managing That Was va .t,sv
Well the following November was stu wesrihs o. ths