New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-09
WORK OF IN ADVANCE AGENT.
COMPANIES ON THE ROAD.

The success Of travelling theatrical companies d.
ponds largely upon the work Of the man who keeps
ABOUT week ahead Of the company and Is known
I'm the profession as the advance agont His nams
however IS rarely heard by theatre gOers and though
II sometimes appears programmes, is passed over
with those Of carpenters. gas~men and chief ushers
who are nowadays often given as much prominencs
as Is accorded to tho actors. The duties OF the al.
ysnteaSent are to arrange for the Of
his company, its baggage and scenery the hauling %
the same 10 and from depot and theatre the posting
81 tho wsiprtntIns the distribution Of Autographs
and smsa bills, Bnowp ~" hangers also circulars
dodgcrs' Qsnd hills and other small printing handed
in tho streets or left az houses the exhibition of
frames OF photographs the engagement of extra malls
and female supors, choristers or baletdaueers ana
last, but BY means least, the advertisements aaa
preliminary notices In the newspapers
Cp TO very short time ago. the advance agent
was thought TO be Tho who the bost blowers
the most boisterous hustler" and the least governsd
by regard for truth. In the fierce competition thak
has been eDgendered By the vast increase 10 tho
number OF travelling companies. those clrcls.lilo
methods have been found to have out,ved their use
ulnSss. The poorest arsction= secured the loudoss
mouthed and most pertcrvd romancers, until matters
got 10 such pass that neither newspaper writers
newspaper readers paid the slightest attention TO their
statements. Instead Of looking Ike a seccnd-class
gambler and acting as patent medicine shouter, the
successful advance agent of today, is usually well.
business quietly and without Ostentston, and keeps
bis announcements OF the merits Of hts sttrsction
reasonably close 10 facts. Yet despite o. possibly
because Of this change, his work Is COW harder aud
more oxacting than before.
When a company OF Htteen or twsnty people hiss 10
make In the Of of from thirty i've to
forty weeks journoS averaging over eight thousand
miles, the necessity for obtaining transportation ID
the lowest possible figures 10 obvious. Tho numbor
Of persons Just given applies 10 the ordinary dramatic
company, but with spectacular operatic pro-
auctions, the roll OF tho company may contain any
where from forty 30 one-hundred names. Baggage
and scenery also items that cost heavily for trans
portstion. Very few good combinations now travel
without considerable amount OF scenery, and many
carry all the and properties used IN the repre-
sentaiion. In the latter special either
bought or hired FOR the season. and their movement
from 20 town has 10 be contracted for at vary.
ing rates. 6ome OF these built "a 10 have
large openings at the ends admitting low trucks On
which the scenery II placed These trucks arc lowered
from tho cars on shids and hauled directly 20 tbs
theatre, thus saving two landings OF scenery IN eas
town. This plan first used by Mr. J. ". Coliers
when he used tour tho Union square Thestre sac,
ceases.
Excess baggage is an item that figures largely IN
tho accounts Of travelling companies some railroads
allow 200 pounds free for each passenger, but with
the majority, the limit Is $50 pounds As every
actor carries trunk for theatre and ono for hotel
II 30 easily understood that this limit must In
nearly every be exceeded u would be we'll With
In the mark TO say, thai tho average cost OF railroad
ing per veeh for company Of about fifteen people,
800. few dollars saved unnecessarily expended
each week IN This item will make very considerable
difference In the balance sheet al the end OF season
Before the days Of the Interstate Commerce Act. tho
agent could, a rule make better terms than now
for transportation Of himself company and baggage.
A pas for tho agent the rule. and even when
yixe fprf ha A WAS
that no charge should be made for reasonable amount
Of excess baggage, To-day the agent has almost to-
variably TO pay for his own ucket, and CIly waep
there Is sharp competition between parallel roads Gao
he obtain any concession about baggage. As soon
as an agents presence IN q town becomes known, he
Is called upon by the representatives OF tho various
railroads, anxious To secure his business. Usually
those gentlemen dare not give passes or cutrates,
their opponents watching them too closely, and there
fore he only inducements they can oher are WITH
regai to baggage ard scenery. But as ths may
amount to large sum u the fun eSafse .n0aia %
smsrt agen. will in the matter c OF osgssss aione
+, saSS SH soar CO q ospeasS. and
for removal Immediately the arrival Of the train
and when necessary, nom the Ihea,te " sooh -
the a. may Sc % o % SO to woS
varies conside ably and the cheapest Is not always
Be taken The :sn, hes S a9 ne sd s
ascertain his general reputation for ruitworthness
n'S @0Ge snS Owe The Tor& 10 d, iasss u
company -. 49, ,.o.,,..s ,,ro,rb IN, countr,
arc supposed TO attend 10 and pay for the postin,
ana distributing OF all printing IN cases % %n
The v aiirseo oa'f SSs the theatre Or hall vo
VI The agen, IS much harder a. he hss % sec 70 nv
PRINTING and and P Ss Rus Of
10 the ro former Sr ,D Sa; ;soo SE SSn o ss
@aS os sR RRSS s @sss by rs s:
Tss aEond o ss G&n Of and fSf S
displayed. noticing particularly mar seere ,e
n nSaosaphs he must also see that hess have prom
inent positions in 'front.' OF Si 10 Toe Srse,ss. sttrs
ton presented 4 = osn found md y ns
n them sSu snd sFsSscnsn Of this Work also
among the duri.s q hs ssea IN X. m sr,s
The agent must oceasopaly watch that the wOrs Is Wei
Tbs :" agent arrsnsos with the iocs, stasemsnagof
nr the securing OF such extra people :; may
The IadIes and, II he is able, rehessss them IN thu
marches and dances, He also aSoer'ains how neal
o e9' srensTy tho scenes called of bs the eneplot
and makes such sns sSs renss
agent arranscs for them; ~, ..-,,., q. ,,,, ~.
.,Hs s ss. as PS'ihS s sa" q tho VARIOUS
papers. and requests preliminary notices o. bis son:s
In the SmaleF CltCs INC EDITORS VIII use ~
rin notices from other places bur IN the large cities
every thing must be written especially for each paper,
II is here that the value OF Journalist In tie 20.
siton OF agent is established If tbs aeeat cannot
write ACopyH and merely asks the editors 70 give
MIN notice, two or three lines will be probably
about all no wiz receive But when az sgrnt can
write bright paragraphs interviews with or Snetaotss
OF hs stnr or principal actors, he get IN matter
nearly every day, and the newspsPer mon are ia
to have A. As the newspaper work Is now recogn.so
as tho most important feature In preparing ~ ne
advent OF company, Il Is not slrpfisinN tnss.
humber Of Journalists have been induced 20 ecocms
advance agents. -, -. ar his
The agent has also e MAXI ho'el, re sedscsiSs
~ .bs,y chargns 10 theatrical people. who az ,vS.1
however got the best rooms Bot ere pa s.gr, rcw
thsr ,arntlou.ly term poverty-nA W, :, 6nttss ard
'o ," bS seen from the shove U.s. O. .so,,iT earn.
requirements that the deal il,oaast stase-msnsser
elns the snM'us an actor and n possible a.SasS 81
pnsibeSA s", ss..r 10 these saouIn " s.ss a, a