Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-08-16
AN IMPROVED OPERA HOUSE.
This is what Salem Needs and Il
Should be First Class in every
Particular.

a long time that Salem's opera hous,
facilities were entirely inadequat,
and unsuitable for n city of this siz,
and progress. The room i'm the Reed
building used for this purpose !,
large enough, but its arrangement
and furnishing are not what they
should be. There is no beauty oi
finish or decoration in the interior
things which have a great influence
in attracting an audience, and the
lack of which cannot be fully com
pensated 10y the best performances
or sweetest music,
There is but one avenue of ingress
and egress and while there has never
been a fire to create a panic in the
twenty-five or thirty years Of its ex-
istence, yet the people all this time
have been fretting over what might
happen, and many nervous individ-
uals have studiously avoided being
caught in the possibility. The ven
tilation and heating apparatus are
very poor and in this line comfort
and pleasure are rarely if ever eX.
perienced, while many severe colds
have been contracts d there by audi
tors and actors. That cleanliness
which is 80 nece. .sary in such II
place has not been characteristic
The peculiar construction Of the stag"
causes the articulation of speakers
thereon to be lost among the "tlies, >
while the lack OF acoustic properties
throughout the house does the rest,
aud the audience rarely hears with
satisfaction.
These facts are distinctly known
and recognized, and it is known
that they are the causes which either
entirely retard the best operate and
theatrical talent from coming here,
or else to 60 away from here under
financial loss, and Salem thereby
receives abroad the reputation of
"poor show town." with the enmlty
of all the actors.
The owners of the building rec.
ognize these things and if a move
is not made for the erection of a
new opera house building, upon the
improved modern plan, with suita
ble location and of adequate dimen-
sions and conveniences, they intend
Immediately after the state fair to
have the Reed renovated and pu.
in order. The plan of improvement
is not yet fully matured, but it will
be such as will materially change
for the better from the present con-
ditiou. 1t will be painted and dec
Grated, opera chairs put in, the stage
effects improved, heating APPARATUS
provided, and SO on.
But the general feeling is that a
new opera house, properly construct
ed, would pay here, and there is
timey 10 have 1t completed by the
lst of January. Its first season,
with the legislature in session,
would bring in an income that
mould make the investment pay.
ing one, and after that there would
be no difficulty in continuing a sue.
cessfUl career. There Is plenty OF
capital and there are many suitable
sites in Salem for such II structure.
If no one man will undertake the
project (and there are many who
cam then company should be
formed and with little effort it can
be done.
In conversation with one of the
owners of the Reed building to-day,
he informed n JOURNAL reporter
what he considered the appropriate
plan of an opera house building,
and he has been studying the mat
ter from a practical standpoint and
the observation of other places. He
says the opera house should be on
the ground floor; should stand back
from the street sufficient distance
so the ascent to the entrance can be
made so gradual that 1t is easy and
unnoticcable, while Mt the same
time this entrance shall be above
the auditorium and stage. The
building should reach an alley or
side street, that the trunks and par
aphernalia of companies could be un-
loaded therefrom, and into which
wide avenues of egress could be pro-
vided, thus iusuring confidence on
the part of those attending. OF
course the scenery, seating arrange
ments, decorations, heating, ventil-
alton and the like should be of the
very best aud will naturally suggest
themselves. Given these condi-
lions, ana salem people Will quickly
learE to make it profitable for any
good company making an engage
ment therein.
In this connection it might be no
harm TO say that rumor hints that
Mr., a. Bush and his partner, Mr..
Ludd, of Portland, have more than
half notion of carrying out the
plan here suggested, but Mr.. Bush
only smiles when the reporter tries
to get at his intentions. 1t would
be just like him, however to have
the plans all made and the work in
progress before anybody knows OF
il. He recognizes the need of Sa-
lem in this line; he has the right
kind Of location for 1t; he has the
means to build II; he surely knows