New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-10
COST OF RUNNING A THEATRE.
HEAVY EXPENSES oFNEw- YORK MANAGERS
TOTAL OF OVER $4,000 PER WEEK IN A FIRST


A TOTAL OF OVER $4,000 PER WEEK IN A FIRST
CLASS HOUSE.
"The expense of running New-York theatre has
during the last ten years risen such height that
manager must have either an extraordinary OF
luck largo capital continue long in the business
Two Of principal theatres, that have been looked
upon by the general public as veritabe gold mines.
have just changed about TO change hands and it
would not surprise me much If another should come
pretty into the market. One thing is certain, and
that Is that one more sucn season thJ has been
would threequarters of the managers of theatres
throughout the country and of the travelling combna
tons bankrupt
The maker of these remarks well-known man.
ager, who is supposed to have accumulated fortune.
but from the feeling in which he spoke it
evident that he did not find his position altogether
enviable one.
1t isn't usual for business man to make the details
of his business public" no continued, "but there
seems to be so much interest felt by outsiders in the
theatre, and many incorrect statements have be-
published about managers expenses that 1t Is perhaps
well to tell the truth The trouble in running thea
tire that can't always get successes and that tho
gin of profit left by drawing piece is not as rule
great enough to Offset the loss caused by failure.
Let me exemplity: Suppose l have good average
success which eight weeks 30 business OF $4,000
week. And let me tell you that those figures repre-
sent pretty good houses one hears great deal about
enormous audiences and fabulous receipts but average
receipts of little eight hundred dollars per-
Torrance very good. For other the
first nights OF the week little than halt
profitable IA the last II get five six hundred
dollars in Monday fee pretty CT touching
thousand on Saturday, and say something over nine
hundred on Friday. IL every night were Saturday,
manag ement would be easy but explain it how you
WILL for l can't the receipts of the first three nights
will generally be doubled by the remaining three;
Well, playing TO $4,000 week. and II holds at
that rate for six weeks and then begins to drop i
hesitate to take the play off, for it possible may
take squirt up again. Plays the most uncertain
world
Sometimes q play hangs fire at first and then without
rhyme reason OOOms suddenly into success. why
during the trsee three weeks OF the Two Orphans
the management not sure that 1t was CO. and
felt great anxiety about it. over IN London The
Private Secretary was at first dead failure toward
the end OF month IL began to show signs OF life.
The author, who also the manager, had little
money left but his lease up. Against the advice
of ali his friends he took another theatre put his
play with the cast, ii hundreds OF nights and
every here knows OF its success at the Madison
Square On the other hanc, plays that appear to be
warning TO be attractive Ill theatrical parance,
the bottom drops out of them Now my play will
probably do neither the one nor the other ano shall
he lucky to get out even on the last two weeks have
therefore made about Sll 600 in six weeks. My next
piece is a failure 1t has been an expensive ono to
mount and the public lots it severely alone. Few
pie have any idea 90 what poor receipts 1t possible to
play in iavOrte theatre and with very strong cast
if the play doesn't happen to please. have had to
keep piece three tour weeks when the best mig lat
was under $500. and have played to less than the
hundred And 1t doesn't take the public long to
that there would be sufficient curiosity to draw lair
audi noes for three four nights, but t isn't
have produced play TO thousand dollar house. and
the next night not taken in $500. Now II l have
nothing can revive and it has become the custom to
play pieces into the ground, that re'lyals are not
possible. am compelled TO run my failure from three 70
four weeks, till | can get something new ready. In
that time very completely drop all my profit, and If
unfortunate enough to have two failures in success
siou have dip pretty deep into the bank account
OF course, l may be lucky enough To secure play
that will run hundred or hundred aud htty nights
and then is my harvest time but even IN long run
there are generally periods of depression which take
the gilt Oh the gingerbread Then, too, weather has
great effect audiences week OF steady wet
weather may wash away my profits tor that week and
eat largely into those OF the next" 1890
/" From your figures. your expenses are over $4,000
a week said the reporter.
That's about it-sometmes good deal more, some.
times little less The excess mainly arises when
have to pay heavily for foreign successes The
principal gent for these has lately taken to demanding
per of the gross receipts tor the right OF pro-
duction uf important London hits So il play TO
SO 600 be walks of with S900a rather large slice of
the cake isn't it, Butf don't mind that when play
to those figures. The hardship comes in when play
10 little moro than expenses and his percentage comes
out OF my pocket.
Rents OF theatres are terribly high those Broad
way ranging from twenty-five 10 thirty thousand
dollars, to which must be added interest on improve
mouts which manager is always making, the wear
and OF carpets and seats and occasional painting
and decorating. theatre can rarely be used more
than forty weeks in the year. 80 the rent may be aver
aged at about $500 week. The comp any Is OF
c0urse the heaviest expense-tar too heavy for the
principals overpad for the work they do and the
ability they possess. 1t has been demonstrated over
and over again that very strong cast won't draw
without good play. Certain actors Ike the late Mon
tague aud ThOrne undoubtedly possessed attractive
ness and worth all they received. but the average
leading man really ought not to have more than from
500 to 1928 and the leading woman ana o0nedienne
little more because OF the expense Of their dresses.
d" NV salary list Is