New-York tribune., 1890-01-26
PROFITS ON PROGRAMMES.
BIG GAINS FOR THEATRE MANA"Ef>'
HOW THE CASTS GET LOST IN THE ADVENTIST
MENTS

MESTS
0wel I've found II at last'
"Found what7'
0Tbe prograInme OF the play. II is here. although
beran to think II had been left ont entreY'
think II is q shame TO I'll mp the programme with ad
vertiscments like this. Who Is interested IN u'y
Goods and corsets and eating saloons and cocoa ana
All that sort of thing when they come 10 thc pay =
What do they put in all these things for anyway
0Decause II paws Of course. Don't you know there
s money in these programmes DON'T Non h''"
there are men who make a living by getting 'hcm
up7 OF course It's annoyance u the the'''e
.oer to be obi gcd 10 read all that stun bu nc c"A
isn't obliged 10 read II, you know
Part of a conversation at one OF Ne"-iorAs 'le
aires II IS not necessary 10 specify which one as
the theatre programme nuisance is about as prevalent
In one in another.
Yes. there is money In them" continued the
sneaker ain fact there is 50 much money In them
that the men who get them mp pay the managers "i
the theatre bonus Tor the contract Some pay a.
hgh as Sl,5OO and 1000 season.
They make a contract % furnish so many
programmes every night during the season, and then
20 forth and solicit advertiser enough 10 pay the
bonus and net q handsome profit besides lherc are
two or three who practically monopohHe ms the
atre programme business, printing as many a. a scof@
our managers print their own programmes anu Ic'P
all the profit from the advert. sing.
into an advertising sheet isn't very complimentary of
agreeable to the patrons OF inc thc9tic Dut u pay
and that is the end Of the matter No amount oi pro
testing on the part of the public VIII ayal against
that argumcut. IL makes no difference u The man
who prints the programme whether or not Yuu nave To-
turn over page after page Of advertising and scare
iudustriOusK among fiat stale ana unpruhtdbe com
lncrcia announcements order - ma the cast, but
IL does make u difference 10 him If he cannot III those
same pages with paying ads
81 heard there a scheme on foot recently 70
create a grand theatre programme trust all over the
country. The pTOprlctOrs Of an entcrpnsng ara
matte newspaper were at the bottom Of il. Their
plan was quietly t. buy up the programme prlyi
ege In New York, and aicTward In all sections Of the
country, and to g. sue programmes which shoud com
plccly rcvOlutiOnZc the present ideas Oh the sub
jcG They intended IN the first place to print tho
programmes a half dozen pages Of their dramatic
news paper, prc.crviug the general make up and ap
pearancc Of the paper title page. reading matter and
even ads' The reading matter would De- selected
with special reference TO the play the board, AT
each theatre and be profu-cy illustrated with por
traits Of the cast ard from the play. thus form
ing q ha1d-Ome and valuable souvenir T. carry home
! ing, being taken from the stock Of the paper. OF
course the scheme would cost money. but then 10
! would De regular gold mine and boom the dramatic
| weekly behind IL beyond all precedent
"Why didn't they carry out their schcmef :" asked
| the woman
"slmply because the paper itself died Of financial
debility after and this with its other brilliant
| schemes came 10 naught.'