The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-04
THE PASSING THROx6.

Daaies frohMan. who II here with his Lyesun
Thes:es STOCK Conpsay. o. Ssv York. y one ct
TIE Sea1isg shessysesl managers ecd amnssmenS
difscsosn in Anffses. He 10 vsss pleasant snd
arpfoeehabs gsasiefasE, o1d waen sea ~
Fo~r-isT9IEtsRxexn reporter iass nikss taxed
fseeIT On :Asss..ea. ua..sra He IL Ezra b.
sserer ia stock companies. asd saIssas On thai
subject, sata. eft % sSdissusatls thas sns eess
theatrical work es1 cafy De aone ey sesoek'cosa-
rs7y, ana OF course .as better seS company %
more perfect the representation Bat In tss
formation Of IA organizations OF tbs. kind wsicn
shall b Srss-ei2ss, sas earnest mansxes Encs
uany ss1uhlsags.ocka First. the starring and
combustion system has now been Ia vogue 90
raany years that large majority OF the pssyess
OF the present d.y have hsd no opportunity foF
sne schooling which $50 necessary 20 con-
potent artist Tbs tensency vita those con-
psnies Supporting stars has been 20 Be- satisfied
with good enough players. expecting the
e3alsercs o. the main attraction 10 make up Tor
al tehcssncscG There IL no longer . wa.easnI-
nc for the improvement OF the minor MEM
bern Of . cast. and the long runs OF p.ays aga.o
csfsaii opportunities wiz those who may De
eoznp<ssnt and eager 70 p.ogresa Taessio'e 1t
tie Sutsss tie manager discovers great scsr-
city Of material from which 70 form his corn
pssy. second. after having easefuliy chosen
the best available talent and having b. every
means Ia bis power stsiven 70 smpgovs its quail
iiy AID resent Is in its most attractive light 70
tnc public, he fnds he hiss also na1s IL attract
I've 10 the other nanAeers In other words. nis
material having become more valuable, greatly
through ME own efforts and Judgment. it 10
sought after BY the arbitsrs OF other eoupaa.es.
and 70 retain !. often means great increase IN
cost Third, the vehicle which shall be used %
present thu company 10 the public 10 often ex-
sensiy dnicult 70 procure. To be successful
manager ,aust please . multitude Of varied
tastes, sos II this b not the case the box Office
will not emile with wealth and the enterprise
VIII have TO he abandoned - Improbable
More especially 10 ihts the case with plays than
viii any other sort Of writings A novel will
secure great sale IL there are highly interest
ing portions TO 1t. even though the majority OF
IL may be considered dull. The dali parts
viii b skipped in reading. and the
effect Of the good ones left In influence for the
praise Of the author But with pa. nothing
can Be skipped-aIi must be received Two
thirds OF play may be excellent and the re-
naming third condemn the whole Many OF
the pays which have failed, and which failure
ia.rly com petent judges have been pulsed to
account Tor, have met their Waterloo On account
OF weak last oct. which has destroyed all thu
good effects OF an otherwise strong and inter-
estinz play. Nor Will it do 10 appeal TO the lit
erary culture OF your audience for salvation.
Even your cultured auditor will side against
you II you do this at the expense OF the Ora
matte strength OF your play II you write 10
izs you-and when they have nothing especial
TO hinder their coming. Ii you write 10 please
the many they viii come. aud foremost among
them you will lind the select few whose favor
you have not openiy attempted to court OF
course, high literary merit conf joined with pow
ersul dramatic construction would make the
perfect play: but We can only hops to strive
for approximate perfection In anything in this
world. To review, then. . manager has great
difficulty In finding acceptable players, greater
diffieulsy In retaining them after being found,
and greatest OF ali. procuring plays which
shall be worthy OF their best efforts, and
nj the same time acceptable to the public.
In this connection IL must also be remem-
bered that thousands of dollars must be spent
In preparation before there is any possibility OF
knowing whether that expenditure will bring
any return. aud that In esss Of failure the goods
you nave paid 20 much for to Offer to your Gus
toners have no value Whatever. Viewed com.
merc!ally. there II no business in which the
risk 10 so great - in the theatrical aud its most
Difficult: branch 10 that Of the stock company.
OF course. while on tour, - when we visit your
city, we have only our successes to offer you.
and your disappointment aud our loss il re-
daced 20 . minimum, il IL exists at al You see
only that OF which Ne have proved tho worth
and improved it, value By many and carefully
thought out additions ana sliminatfonA These
are . few OF the reasons Why there are not more
nrss-cisss stock companies In existence and, BY
the way. also explains Why the other com pauies
today travelling oftsa fail to give performance
with which the public 10 Thoroughly satisfied
Another point regarding plays which might
add Is that even with the most acceptable OF
them their atsractiveness 10 short lived, and
after one season the public demands something
new. 20 the manager must be ever on the alert to
keep his public satisfied.
Miss George Cayvan. the leading woman In
Mr. Frohman's company and one OF the most
lovely and iovab.e women the American
stage, when seen by Posr IxrEILI0KxcEa re-
porter last night. said: at will be Just two