The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-29
A UNIQUE THEATER.
The New Venture of Steele Mackaye, for
Which Financiers Predict a Failure.
Cpecial to the Irdianapolis Journal

The New Venture of Steele Mackaye, for
Which Financiers Predict Failure.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, March 27--The new Lyceum The.
ater was opened this evening for inspection by
invited persons. 1t has already been nick named
Mackaye's Folly, and his triumph will be pecul
iarly satisfactory to him should he succeed be-
cause of the ridicule and slight which the enter
prise has undergone The auditorium proved
when lighted to be the most unique and beauti-
full in the city, but it is small that in order to
get thousand dollars into it at once, the price
of the best seats must be 81 so. Only six hun
dred persons can be accommodated The utter
recklessness of the financial calculations may
be inferred from the fact that, though the space
is so limited, much of it is sacrificed to make six
broad asles, the sections being wide enough for
butfour chairs so that each couple of auditors may
get out or in without rubbing anybody's knees
There is only one gallery, in which are
the costliest places. Mackaye is diversely
regarded as genius and a monomaniac
He has evolved q great number of
curious devices The two-story stage of the
Madison-square Theater was of his invention
but it is not duplicated in the Lyceum, there
being instead an intricate system of hosting and
lowering the scenery completely and instantly
The musicians, too, are to be let down into sight
from above the stage in sort of aerial car
They are to number twenty three, and are the
best obtainable-this piece of extravagant ex-
penditure being in harmony with the rest
of the scheme. The company engaged for
the opening play contains Robert Mantell, j.
B. Mason, Sadie Martinot, Viola Allen and
others who command rather high salaries and
the total expense will surely equal if it does not
exceed, the greatest possbereceipts. The wild
ness Of the enterprise has already frightened out
the original capitalists, and the outcome is
awaited with sarcastic interest by the profession.
$25. 900 in tuition fees from over a hun
dred pupils two of whom, daughters of
General n. p. Banks and General Mark Sher-
idan, are to appear in the initial play-and that
money has been absorbed so entirely that the
teachers are suing for wages. There were
twenty nine of these instructors at the outset
and now only four. Among the disgruntled
seceders are Madame Michels, Willie Seymour
Max Freeman and Alfred Ayre, while the Froh-
mans have dropped out of the business depart
ment, along with several others Play bills
that disappear into small stick like the auto
matte rolling up of window shade; chairs that
equal surgeons for variety of adjustment
ushers in livery, and metal tags instead of seat
coupon s-those are some of the freaks which the
audience will observe; but experts look for even
more striking features in the finances of the
truly wonderful Lyceum Steele Mackaye him
self is a nervous, visionary, intensely enthusias-
tic man, widely known as disciple of the Delsar-
.ean system OF dramatic expression.