Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-09-12

show, as they will have no theater rent to
meet; no transportation for the company and
scenery or hotel bills to pay. The novelty
of seeing a fine show on ship-board, it is
claimed, will be just the thing to boom
theater going in small places, particularly as
the managers can afford to make the prices
very low.
1t is asserted that a syndicate has already
been formed to build the theater-boat and
send it on its journey through canal and river
to all parts of the country, well equipped
with a good company, fine scenery and an
attractive show. 1t is doubtful if the mat
ter has progressed that far, but there seems
to be few reasons why the scheme could not
be conduted on a paying basis.
ORIGINATED IN Russia.
The idea is not original with the people
here. To the Russians is due the credit OF
thinking up the plan and carrying it to sue
cesstul issue. st. Petersburg syndicate has
had a great steamboat built, some 400 feet
in length and 40 feet in width. The steamer
- IuSS dDouS W ~" va
Volga, stopping at the principal towns on
The way. The Russian authorities usually
opposed to all ino~vations, has sanctioned the
scheme and as many of the Volga cities and
the towns of its navigablc Tributaries are
without theaters, it is believed that the ven
ture will prove a veritable gold mine to its
projectors.
The Russian playhouse is SO constructed
that an, audience of LOCO can be comtorta-
bly, seated. A large mass of scenery is car
ried for the production OF an extedsive roper
toire of Russian comedies and dramas and
French operettas. The manager OF the
show is a Russian named Ttratanoft. and to
him was entrusted the work of mapping all
the numberless ingedious details incident
to a new venture Of the kind.
PLANS OF THE BOAT
The quarters of the actors. actresses,
supernumaries, stage hands, orchestra, ana
ali the crew are in the extreme bow OF the
vessel. The extreme stern is taken up with
the machinery which is OF the iightest
possible kind, SO that its weight VIII not
throw the bow into the air. All 1uei IS
carried under the body of the theatre, whicn
occupies four-ffths of the entire length OF
the boat and all of its width.
From the lowest point of the orch estra 70
the roof is fifty feet. The stage IS tribe
less than thirty feet in width and all the
scenery is let down from the flies. The
WINGS are lust wide enough to admit OF the
entrance and exit Of the players. Ut course.
the scenic effects are limited by the lack OF
room. but a much smoother performance
can I've given than in the meagerly equipped
theatre Of the small W The players are
NOT tagged out by a tiresome journey or
made unfit for first class work by the rare OF
;nAHcrently conducted hotels.
II such q boat were built by a syndicate
here its construction would necessarily oe
based upon the requirements OF the laIge
canals. Using the stern paddle wneel !.
would be possible to construct a boat OF great
beam and length, yet one which "o"'o ora"
comparatively little water.
WIDE FIELD HERE.
Such a boat could make a tour OF hun
dreds Of towns and at the end OF the season
womld not have visited half the places made
noxsible bv the great rivers and canals ana
fakes Of the country. The held would
almost be as broad as that open 70 com
panies who travel from place to place oy
rail. .a...r;.
All the best playing towns from . thealri-
cal standpoint, are those which have wa!eI-
front. as the visiting and money spending
nonuiation Of such 4 place is always larger
than n the strictly inland towns. WIN :
I'M. class company, such q boat could, i y
arrned. Be kept busy from one years enc
70 ia other. and BY ! judicious change q
production keep on making the rounds OF tne