The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-13
CHEAP ADJUSTMENTS.
Radical Change in Theatrical Matters
The Demand for Cheapness.

The Demand for CheapneSS.
Leander P. Richardson in Boston Herald.
The business of theaters through the country
has never, in the history of the American stage,
been in such a degenerate, disorganized
and dscouraging condition. There is
no exception whatever to the tales
parts of the country Now and then single
attraction does a large week, but the average
receipts of the theaters everywhere are very
much smaller than at any time heretofore.
was in Philadelphia on Monday, and had an
opportunity to talk with a good many of the
local managers, as we'll with number of
theatrical men who have been travelling through
the country, and who have come in to play en-
gagements in the Quaker City. must say
never heard such tales of woe star who was
exceedingly popular, and who did profitable
business only a few weeks ago, re-
Gently played in the city of Philadelphia to
less than 81, 900 on the week. This in spite of
The fact that the new play that he is at present
going about the country with has received the
concentrations of nearly everybody At the
Walnut-street Theater, where there is at pres
ent a lively split between the partners,
with law suits, elections, injunctions, and other
cheerful things flying through the air, it
is reported that $40, 600 has been lost since the
opening of the season. One company, which
went into the city of Brotherly Love
upon pooling arrangement with the
local managers by which each side was to pay
one-half of the expenses, and the profits were
to have been equally divided, received exactly
"a at the end of the week with which to pay
their railway fares to New York. This, you
will understand, occurred at a thoroughly
frst-class theater, and the company was an
organization of most excellent quality, con-
ducted at a very large expense. The McCaull
opera company played to So, 900 in the same city,
and Joseph Murphy to about the same amount.
Through the Pennsylvania oil towns, from
which these combinations have been coming
into Philadelphia. the condition of things is even
worse. John P. Smith has been taking a COM
%lrA,4 rxh %howa S,1 v,sA uy1wta al
successfully brought out in Brooklyn
and New York. The receipts have run as low
as $50 night. Mr.. Rice's Pop" company
headed by John Mackey and Ida Muelle, has
played to receipts which did not exceed $50 for
single performance. The Royal British Bur
lesque Company carrying thirty people, with
an enormous salary list, has drawn as little as
800 at two performances in one town. | heard
one manager saying, in reference to a first
class organization which necessity compelled
him to take through one might stands for two
or three weeks, that if he should succeed in
playing to an average business of 81, 400 a
week during that time, he should feel that he
had enjoyed remarkable success. In New York.
the same stagnation, to a possibly lesser extent
has existed all along 1t is known that the Kir-
alfy Bros. have given up the last two weeks of
their engagement at the Star Theater, where
Of this house, divided between the
Messrs. Moss & Wallack on the
one side, and the Kiralfy Bros on the other
have it Is said, exceeded $780, 600 thus far
There is not theater in New York city with
an attraction two weeks old on its stage where
one can not find plenty of empty
seats every night But from all the re-
ports that come in from various parts of the
country, it is evident that the metropolis has
suffered less than other points on this score
San Francisco has done exceedingly well for one
or two combinations, but the main run of them
have almost starved. In Chicago it is the same
story.
There are various methods of accounting for
this condition of things. One of the causes
lies in the weather another in the election ex-
element, and the third and perhaps, the most
potential, in the multiplicity of dime museums
The thickness with which these things have
sprung up all over the country is simply
amazing They are found everywhere and
all the managers of them are getting rich One
man, who does great business in furnishing
euriosities to the dime museums, was telling
me the other day that, out of more than thirty
of these establishments in various cities, there
are twenty-f five proprietors who have made out
OF the business sufficient money to be practically
independent. 1t is questioned whether this
sort of thing will be permanent. But, at all
events 1T is having a very strong effect on the
receipts OF theatrical attractions throughout the
country. And may add that, whenever there
is not dime museum, there is generally large
roler-skating rink, where one may have plenty
of amusement for very little in the way of in
vestment The system of cheap enjoyment of
various kinds, which has grown up within the
last four or five years, will naturally have the
effect of pulling down high-prced enterprises,
and those who have watched the situation with
the keenest interest are by no means blind to
the proposition that the prices of tickets to
theatres will probably undergo a gradual,
though very general, reduction within the next
season or two.