The morning call., 1891-06-28
TIE OLD-TIME
STOCK COMPANIES.
FaT0ritG Combinations That Have Almost
Ceased to Exist,
The Company That Once Trod the Boards in
the Old California-0thers That Fol-
lowed in the Eastern Cities.

I0r Cne BaluWln, mas revived considerable
interest in the old-tme stock company.
Since the advent of the present combina-
ton system in theatrical affairs, which be-
gan nearly twenty years ago, stock companies
have almost ceased to exist. During the
first seven or eight years of that period a
few of the old organizations continued TO
struggle along, but one by one they sue
cumbed to the progress of events, until there
was not in the whole of the United States
single theater which excluded the combina-
ton companies. The reason of this was
that the American people, fond of con-
slant change and ever recurring nov
city, would patrOniZe those theaters which
weekly presented new plays and new faces,
and also that the travelling organizations,
tarrylng but a. week IN each city, mad eacn
but one play TO prepare to last through
out the entire season, and could therefore
present 1t IN manner so elaborate that Tor
the stock manager to attempt to compete
with it, with but one or two weeks run 10
repay him therefor, would simply have
meant ruin and bankruptcy. Thus per-
ished the old stock companies, OF which at
the beginning every metropolitan city in the
country boosted OF at least one. Perhaps
the last prominent one was upon this Coast
Many of our readers remember the excellent
organization which graced the boards of the
California Theater. with Lawrence Barrett
and John Mccullough as managers and
stock stars; John T. Raymond and james
/. Williamson as low comedians; Annette
lnce, Charlotte Thompson and May Howard
as leading ladies'; Lewis Morrison and
Thomas w. Keene as leading men; Emelie
Melville, Alice Harrison and Minnie Wal
ton As sOubrettes, and hosts Of other names
of players who have since become famous
as stars. But at last it, too, gave over and
its members plunged into the more labor-
Gus but far more remunerative combination
system.
COMBINATIONS PROSPER.
For years combinations prospered. but
there came Il time when it was discovered
that in the abandoning of the stock system
| the apprentices in the art of acting were left
| without proper schooling and experience;
| and, moreover, that very apparent charm
which Came from the constant playing to-
| gether of members Of the old stock COM
| panies was entirely lacking, and the gen.
eral effect was poorer. No new well-trained
acquisitions and lack of harmonious &C
| ton smUng the older ones had cheapened
| the quality of work produced. Thoughtful
| managers had noticed this, even before the
| public began to realize II, and cast about
| them for the remedy. A return to stock
| companies was the apparent solution, but
| how to make that profitable was the ques-
| ton. Managers are but human, and like
| the rest of humanity, they are willing to
| strive to elevate art but it must yield
| wealth as we'll as fame, or they cannot
| continue in it. 1t was eventually de-
| cded that as New York was the one
| city in the country which possesses float
| ing population equal to its resident one,
| there would be the greatest opportunity of
| having plays presented with stock COM
| pany run long enough to pay for their pro-
| ductiOn. And there the experiment was
! tried, unsucceSSfully at first, but finally
| with satisfactory results. This selection
proved the astuteness of the managers, as
up to the present time no other city has
bppn q bIUn-piaSS stock
| pany for any length OF time, while New
York has four in most prosperous condl-
| ton. The first organized there was Angus
| tin Days Fifth-ayenue Theater Company,
| IN 1874, with Agnes Ethel and Fanny
| Davenport as leading ladies' and Under
| the Gaslight," "Pique," Divorce" and
| other plays were offered with varying sue
| cess, but after two or three yeaIs the enter
| prise was abandoned. Next came the
Union square Company, with Charles
| Thorne as leading man and Sarah Jewett
as leading lady. Under this management
THE Two Orphans" 1.-THE Bankers
Daughter" Lights o. London" the
DanicheffS" and Daniel Roehat" were
given. This company vas very successful
| for about ten years-that is, up to the time
| A. NJ. Palmer withdrew from the manage
| ment. But Mr.. Palmer could not long re-
main out of the field, and as the Union
square COmlany was fading from view, A.
NJ. Palner'S MadisOn-SQuare Theater Com
the front rank of stock organizations. Au-
gustin DAILY then made another venture,
this time setting aside the melo-
dramatic society plays in which he had
previously reveled and dev0ting himself ex-
cluSiveiy to adaptation of modern French
and German comedies He proved himself
in touch with the times and amaSsed large
fortune, to which he is constantly adding at
Days Theater.
STEELE MACKAYE.
Next theater was built around the cor
Her from the Fifth-avenue Hotel and called
the MadiSon-square. for the production of
American plays. The moving spirit in it
was a bright but erratic man. Steele Mac
kaye. He wrote Hazel Krke for the
opening. anG it continued there for year
the longest run ever known in New York
I'D to that time. Soon Mr.. Mackaye proved
TOO erratic 10 suit the business men who
were the capitalists of the enterprise, and
| Mr.. Daniel ErOhman a graduate of the
newspaper fraternity, and noted for his
| calm and deliberate yet Shrewd business
methods, was gut in charge of the theaser.
and during his four years OF management
| produced THE Professor" "Esmerada,"
| "The Rajah," young Mrs. Winthrop"
| and MAY Blossom" all of which were
| taken through the country with specially
| organized road companies There were
| many things, however, which Mr. Daniel
| Frohman wished to do to perfect his COM
pany which were not pleasing to the pow
| ers behind the throne at Madison Square,
| so to be free to carry out his own IDEAS
| Mr.. FrOhman assumed control of the Ly-
| ceum Theater, a new house which had just
| opened on Fourth avenue. There he has
| been untrammeled for the past four years,
| and has held together one of the strongest
| and most equally balanced stock companies
| New Y DIRK has ever seen. One season was
| sufficient to place the Lycpum Thea
| ter at the head of the New \ ork stock
| theaters and it is this company and the
| plays which mark its four seasons work
| which is about TO be seen at the Bald
| win Mr.. Frohman's policy has been to
| present plays dealing exclusively with the
| better class of SOcety-0f ladies and gentle
| men-with plot of heart interest ana a
moral pertaining TO daily life, but with
nothing to offend. and the whole inter
| mingled with clean, pure comedy that one
| may laugh more than weep be gay more
| than sOrrowful. The Lyceum Company's
| Miles play, 1.-The Wife," of which the
its second season with dainty picture of
third season by another BelascO and De
Mile play, The Charity Ball." the hero
Of which is New York minister; and
its fourth season with another English
play, The Idler." Mr.. Frohman has
chosen the middle ground between the
nelodramatic society dramas of the Palmer
Company and the high farcical comedies of
the DAILY Company, aud has been most sue
cessful everywhere.