The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-27

Belasco, tho author, for staging the
piece ...................,..,..,, ltUV
In addition to this must be considered
the fact that the play was brought out at
Washington and that three baggage cars OF
scenery and fares to and return for 90 per-
sons had to be paid for, besides calcium
lights, extra stage hands, etc, and the
theater.
But these figures, extravagant as they
may appear to the layman, do not truly
represent the financial responsibility
merely the expenditures before the doors
opened on tho performance, When any
new play is produced, ii Is considered by
the profession in the light of an expert
ment. The members Of the cast are pro-
tected by the two weeks salary clause. IL
the piece were taken off the next night, tho
managers would be compelled to pay two
weeks salary to every member OF the COM
pany. But the principals of such n mag
nlilcent cast as presented this play Of Nr.
Belasco's are TO be hired only for the sea-
son. They cannot be dismissed on two
weeks notice, as are subordinates. There
were seven principal persons, and these
had season contracts and would have had
to have been paid the high salaries con-
tracted for for 80 weeks whether the play
went or not That is what Is meant 10y
financial responsibility beyond antepres-
entation outlay. Put the two together, IL
you wish TO calculate the actual financial
risk involved
The production of q melodrama such as
Lifts "War of Wealth" is at the expense of
about eco, 600 before the curtain goes up.
Ten thousand Of this Is for scenery alone.
Next 90 the scenery comes the printing.
The stones for two stands cost 81 600 each,
while four kinds Of three sheets and eight
different kinds Of Autographs for window
work run the printing bin up TO 50, or
$4,000 Staging the piece by an expert
costs $780, special music $3.50, costumes
and properties about So 500 while the au-
thor's retainer Is 81 900.
The after responsibility is minimized by
the two weeks notice clause in such
piece, with the ability To utilize the prln-
cipals In soIpo other company under tho
same management In case Of the failure Of
the piece The printing usually covers
that for the season, as no stands Of bills
can bc contracted for except In thousand
lots. The two weeks notice clause would
let company like this out for something
considerably less than would he incurred
In a cast like that employed In "The
Heart Of Maryland The author, also,
usually shares tho chances with tho pro-
duccr--lnal cash payment on manuscript
depending, with royalties, on the success Of
the piece; so that need not be counted in
the financial risks.
There arc various considerations that
entor into tho production OF comic opera
which do not apply to other theatrical VEN
turos. These considerations multiply tho
risk Of tho enterprise The layman--for
whom this article is W y cn--may or may
not be musician, but ? cn the unmusical
will understand that the opera appeals only
to the musically inclined, and that tho
comic opera especially attracts those com
bining the sense of the humorous with the
tunefuL The clientele OF the comic opera
Il thcrcfore considerably more restricted
than that of the ordinary drama, which
combines tho story with situation and the
pathetic with comedy parts.
To still further increase the risk, In addi-
tion 10 tho fact Of the above mentioned
Limitation, tho preparation and production
OF the comic opera IL In itself attended, by
restrictions that apply TO no other class Of
smusements There is the libretto, and
shcre Is tho 'nus'c riro --s''~sii.~ %