The morning call., 1893-05-03
THE CIRCUS MAXlMus.

People are surprised TO hear that the ex-
cellent repetition of the Roman games at
the PaviHon-whch has been the event of
the -day-yielded no profit to its originat0rs,
and may possibly have Melted loss. Con-
sideTlng that everybody went ont at least
once to the show, and that, night after
night,. The Pavilion was crowded like the
opera-house on a Patti night, with ladies
standing three or four deepin the doorways
throughout the performance. this seems to
be remarkable contamination.
: The ordinary seating capacity of the Pa
.vilion is. something like 5000. Deducting
.tbe center of the hall for an oblong circus,
there was still room enough for halt that
number. Bnt the shape of the arena was
so adjusted that only. 1900 seats could he
placed. Between and around these seats
there was standing room for 700 or 500 peo-
pie. A theater manager with house that
would hold 1000 people would be apt to
conclude that, il he gave good show, there
would be money in it. Few theaters Ia the
world can house so many SPECTATORS. And
the show which WAS given at the Pavilion
was undoubtedly good. 1t was an accurate
and carefully designed repetition of the
Roman games-of 4 scene which reading
has made familiar to every one. and which
every one would naturally want TO see.
There can hardly be adonbt that the attend
anee al the Pavilion would not have been
less under more judicious financial manage
ment. go:
Unfortunately this was lacking The
management began by selling 2G00 season
tickets at So each. thus realizing $4,000.
These tickets were intended to be nom
transferable. But the impossibility of iGen-
tifying 200O ticket-h olders nnuified this pre-
caution. The tickets were transferred. 1t
is probable that every ticket was used
every night by different people. Thus, in
stead OF 1000 people who came III on season
| tickets there were probably 10000; and tie
management did not take in the money
which 16,000 people would have been willing
to. pay. If there had been no season
tickets, ana dollar had been charged for
each admission. with dollar extra for re-
served. seat. the receipts would probably
have: exceeded $40, 600 for the first week,
a fter which the entertainment might have
closed. Instead OF this the total receipts
were:S196Q9, and the expenditures, which
INCLUDED such items as $4,000 or over for
scenery and properties, were just-as heavy
as they would have been under good man
agemeht 1t is evident that the enterprise
was. III ING IhHuS Oh amaLtufS WIG are
not familiar with the theatrical business.
The event will not be without advantage
1t SLOWS that people will pay money to see
a reproduction of the games which. de-
lighted the Romans and the inhabitants of
the Roman provinces in France, Spain,
Africa and Asia, 1000 years ago. Americans
may not go TO the circus after breakfast in
the morning and stay there all day, rs the
ROMANS did. but they would undoubtedly
flock to see a good representation of the old
a! hletlc games, and feats OF horsemanshtp
and workmanship. in such numbers that
the enterprise would pay. How far they
would be tempted to witness gladiator fights
or combats Of wild beasts, or how'far the
good taste and the laws OF the present day
would tolerate such exhibitions, is;another
question which it is not now necessary to
discuss. But it seems certain that pictures
of life in ancient Rome. if faithfully and
/ artislicaily reproduced, would attract large
audiences. perhaps larger than those which
now gather to listen TO French comedies or
English melodramas.
Everybody is sorry that the Circus Maxi
mus did not make money. They would be
sorrierit the performance had been given
for the benefit of some charitable CT benevo-
lent object. As it was the sufferer by the
failure is a social club, which counts over
1000 members. including the best: circum-
stanced young men in the city. To such an
institutiOnthe loss of few thousand dollars
must be matter OF no great consequence.