Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-22
SOMETHING GOOD.
WHAT THE SOUTHERN PEOPLE
WANT THEATRiCALlY.
A Great Change in Recent Years-Trashy
Companies Find Poor Reception.
Outlook for Coming Season.
New York Dramatic Mirror.

II
OF May 23 considerable attention has been
attracted to the subject in theatrical circles,
and. in quest of fuather information. Mir
| ror representative went in search of some
1 OF the prominent Southern managers, many
| of whom are now in town bully engaged in
| filling time for next season.
The first seen was Henry Greenwall
who represents the great Louisiana, Texas
| and Arkansas circuit. This gentleman
| was found in his comfortable Office at Tay-
| lor's exchange and. in answer to an inquiry
| as to his views on the situation, Mr.. Green
wall said:
II am heartily glad to see that the Mir
| ror, with its usual alertness, has been the
first one to open up this matter. read the
article you refer TT, and can sincerely vouch
for all that it states. 1t is the plain truth,
Il nave been for many seasons in the
South, and have closely watched the devel-
| opment of the theatrical business in that
section. 1t has been wonderful. TheatRk
after theatre has been built from town 70
town throughout the entire South, and still
more are being hurried to completion. All
this points to new era in the theatrical
affairs of the South.
1.-THE past season has been one of the best
have ever experienced. Good and really
firstclass attractions have done well every
where. You must understand that in re-
cent years there has come great change
sver the South. The influx of new wealth
many millions in foreign and Northern
capital In the past ten years-has brought
besides the attendant prosperity a large
number of new people, and those, with the
younger generations of the South as we'll
are already well trained and educated, as
it We're, in all that pertains to proper dis
crimldation in regard to theatrical per-
fOrmances
ANY manager that thinks he can palm
on on the Southern peoble Of to-day poor or
trashy companies will find bitter OPPOSE
ton and fiat failure. Promises made be-
ferohand must be faithfully performed and
all will go well; otherwise it would be far
better to keep away.
''Gaudy TYPOGRAPHY and printing are ali
well enough for some people and some
pieces, but they must not be relied on. The
people named in the casts must appear or
suitable substitutes furnished. We may be
long way Off in distance, and it is shame
full to disappoint US ae the last moment with
broken casts and broken promises"
When questioned as to the prospects for
next season, Mr.. Greenwall replied:
They never looked better for the South
Texas now has over 1000, coo inhabitants,
and with Arkansas, louisiana, Alabama
and Georgia added we have pop
ulation of over 100000 or more
than one-eighth of the entire population
of the United States The weather has
of impeding epidemics. In Texas cool. dry
winds generally prevail from September to
May. Railroad travelling throughout the
Southern tier OF states is pleasant, and the
facilities ample and adequate. Fares are
much lower than in the North and North
west.
Tho crops are looking fnei The cotton
crop last year amounted to $3.50, 900 bales.
This years estimate is put at about 1850
600 to 100000 bales. This alone will be
worth say $500, 600. Tenas produces
about one-quarter of this crop. This wear
more wheat and corn has been planted than
heretofore
Manufacturing industries are progress
ing most prosperously all over the South,
particularly in Birmingham, Ala, Chatta-
nooga, Tenn, Atlanta, Ga, Galveston,
Houston and Dallas, Tex. Everything APP
pears promising
Mr.. Greenwar enjoys the distihction of
being the manager of the Grand opera
house, New Orleans; fremont opera house,
Galveston; New opera house, Houston; the
opera house at Dallas and the Greenwall
opera house at Fort Worth. He is also the
representative of the opera house, San An
tonic; opera house, Austin, and the Capitol
theatre, Little Rock. He also represents
the interests of over forty theaters in
Texas, Arkansas and louisiana
In his summer Office at 1l45 Broadway,
OdSOu IdauCuUdum VdS DUSuY en-
gagged and surrounded with book records
maps and diagrams of theatres in the South
ern circuit, of which he is the general mana
ger. On the reporter making known the
object of his visit, he was cordial received
by Mr.. Tannenbaum, who said:
Il must congratulate the Mirror on its
enterprise. it is always wide awake for
the true interests of all sections Of the
country, and in this matter it has certainly
struck the right chord
eyes, the South is just now experiencing
remarkable successful era Of prosperity
The Southern circuit embraces that portion
of the South which to-day is hourishing
most maryelously. Birmingham, Ala, and
Atlanta, Ga, Chattanooga and Knoxville,
manufacturing interests. Before the
war these places scarcely knew
the name of spindle To-day
they are counted by the tens of thousands
in any of these towns, and all is hustle and
progression.
''The past season has been an ex-
cellent one for good attractions play
only good, attractions are wanted,
now. The Southern people viii not stand
the same old trash as was offered In former
years. Comedies, farce-comedies and trag-
and good comic operas are generally
- Received.
Inere Is announcer tnlng the MlrrOr sn0uld
call attention to. It frequently hap
pens that companies booked for
week stands in large cities find,
after playing for several weeks to
bad business, that it is useless to continue
and complete the time already booked.
They then try the South. kilograms pQnnI
in on US beseeching dates. When the
companies come, we find them often Grip
pied in number, worn-out and impecunious.
s.AIl this is unsatisfactory to all CON-
cerned. Why do they not arrange their
routes for the South earlier in the season,
as the time could be booked more adyan-
eously, and they would not be surrounded
with too many conflicting attractions!
81 can prove that with many companies,
in two nights engagement in Atlanta, Ga,
the profit ON the two days was As large e
the average profit for whole weeks stand
during the entire season of the same at
- city Of Macon, Ca, has
Nh remarkable for profitable
returns for the past two sea
sons. Savannah. d anseher - cisH