Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-13
LAYING OUT SHOW ROUTES.
They Are Selected a Year Before They
Are Travelled.

ranging Tor dates OUT OF LoWn tnan
formerly. In fact, I may say that the
system Of routing and booking has un-
dergone complete change. No long,
er than seven years ago the old sys-
tenn prevailed. Under it hardly any
so~called combinations went on the
road. There was then ne such thing
as travelling company named after
the play which it presented, Public
attention was directed to the star, and
the star rarely had company of his
own. There were then scattered
through this city five or six dramatic
agencies, and to one of them star
would go to be booked and routed az
the close of the season, usually July
1. The agent had connections only
Ia large cities, and with managers in
these he would make terms for en-
gagenents never for less time than
a weeE, and usually covering four or
SIX weeks. The managers in each of
the large cities engaged stock COM
panies at the beginning of each season
to support such stars as the agent had
engaged, and all the agent had to do
was to get the star booked for a cer>
tain time, and send on the play. The
stock company studied the subordin-
ate parts.
Seven years ago the present svs-
tenn was foreshadowed by some adj
ditional duties which theatrical agents
assumed.
What [ may call the old system of
the present systen came into vogue;
for at that time combinations is,
play attractions as opposed to star at
fractions sprang into being, and ap-
Piled to agents to be booked and
routed. The agents were not very
successful in managing combinations.
They could not handle the two lines
of the business stars and the play
attractions satisfactorily for, while
they had business connections in the
large cities, they had none in the
towns between. It had not been very
expensive for. their stars to make the
long jumps between the cities, but
when it came to making the jumps
with an entire company the profits
made IN one city were often absorbed
by the expense of taking the company
to the next city. The result was that
combinations went to pieces with a
rapidity amazing to the uninitiated.
You see, the agents didn't know any,
thing about laying out routes. Then,
too, they were loose about keeping
their books for combination engage
ments. Many time they would book
combination for a certain theater
for certain week, and on writing to
the manager find they had booked an
other attraction for the same week.
Then all the agents were looking lor
the same theaters; SO they were eblig
ed to write to managers about reserv
ing dates. The result was that coun-
try managers grew tired of engaging
combinations through agents, came
here themselves, and remaining here
during the summer months fighting
and squabbling on the square. Then
I Jumped in. I'd been on the road
with all kinds of theatrical attractions,
and as I'd been on the go
ever since I'd been old enough to be
on the 60, [ knew every town and
railroad in the country from theatri-
cal point of view. can say, without
being in the least immodest, that I
was the first agent to adopt the pres
ent system. [ based it on that pursu-
ed by New York theater, which
sent many companies on the road.
From the family which managed the
establishment I got the fundamental
principles of the present system. I
have it down to such fine poi Mt
that if | am asked to book and route
a company I can tell in a few minutes
what dates and places are open for
it,
How do you manage that?" we
asked.
II will explain. Through my ac-
quaihtance with managers, have
the sole agency for about hundred
theaters. To carry out my system it
was necessary that [ should be sole
agent for them here. Otherwise it
would be impossible for me to lay out
routes by a glance at my books. To
begin with, have q theater Ia each
Of the large cities in the couatry. In
some sections there are circuits as for
instance, the Vermont, the Texas,
and the California circuit, and I
am IN close relations with the
representatives Of these. [ by no
means, however, always include such
circuits ia the routes lay out Be
sides theaters in large cities, I have
good show towns between them. For
instance, have on my list ten New
York cities, the same number in Ohio
seven in Indiana, six in Pennsyl>
vania. and so on. Let me give you
an illustration as to how quickly [
can route combination or star. The
first time I had dealings with one of
my stars she came up to me and said:
My route for next season isn't well
laid out I want you 20 lay out new
route for me. I leave for California
tomorrow. What are your termsg
8 I will lay out aroute for you, [
replied, If you will leave everything
IN my hands. When you come back
from California Twill show you the
route, and you will find my terms
'sBefore she left that afternoon for
90 fo.r,,.o bod 1o, 70 To-; o,,f