The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-08

A contract containing the seventy-tive
or eighty per cent. clause is sent for his
signature. He Will probably return 1t
and stick out for sixty or siXtyhve per
cent This calls for a fifth letter and
more persuasion. How long this goes on
depends upon the obstinacy of the parties,
but it finally ends in both parties signing
a contract in duplicate and that date IS
closed. This correspondence goes on at
the same time with some 200 theaters
throughout the country, and it takes from
five to ten and sometimes twenty-five let
tiers before the matter is settled AS they
are settled the book is entered up. But
very often the country manager is inclined
to hold off indefinitely for something he
may think better, or refuse to consider
the show al all. Then negotiations must
be opened with another theater in the
some town or possibly in the nearest
town adjoining.
Working this system over nine different
routes for nine different shows may read
lily be believed an herculean task. Then
the cOuSidera tons to be observed are
quite different with different shows. The
expensive show must be booked in big
cities only and for week stands The
cheap show can be played at enc night
stands and dodge here and there and
make money. Then every date not filled
is a dead loss in salaries and expenses and
the margin that might have been made.
Yet il will sometimes be equally disas-
trous to make many long jumps If dates
are made on the Pacific coast enough
must be made to be worth while.
LONG Jumps OFTEN DISASTROUS.
In the long Jumps and untitled dates we
have the cause of much theatrical dlSln-
tegration every year. Another consider
alton is the particular railroad over which
h-.fr
more liberal to theatrical companies than
others Again some plays do betterin the
south than in the north, some draw more
money in the west than IN the east, and
so on. 1t is necessary to know the char
acter of the town, the number and char
acter of its theaters and what kind of
plays they are in the habit of running.
All and every one Of these considerations
can he measured in profit and loss
With a new play the work of booking is
doubled and the mental anxiety is inten-
sifed. Then there is the stupid country
manager, who is a druggist or livery
stable keeper, or dry goods man. and y
frequently as obstinate as he is ignorant
Of the business. Some of them have a set
price for farCe-comedy and another for
melodrama, and so on, and itdoesn' tmake
any difference what the quality is; and
others have a certain percentage for any
thing, and will not play any show above
that price.
The average percentage to the travel
ing show is IS per cent. of the gross re
ceipts. Some get more and some less, 60
ing a to quality and need of date. For
a holiday date the local theater expects a
larger share of the receipts.
Contrary to the popular belief, perhaps
the nearest towns TO New York get the
worst shows, and the south and west bet
ter shows than New England. This is
because the near territory is gobbled NJ
by the shows that dare not trust to theiI
chances Of getting back. They can't risk
the railroad expenses OF course, they
don't catch the big cities like Boston and
Philadelphia The south is now getting
the best, and next to her the west.