The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-17

was In high glee ~ knowed ii. Gull" he
said triumphantly. "an' | haven't seen
Hamlet for twenty years. But anyone
who's ever seen de play knows dat the big
around the kttle and trow stun into It,"
Mr.. O'Neill did not think it worth while
TO explain any more.
Nowadays" says Fred G. Berger, Sol
Smith Russell's manager "a great major
ity OF the advance agents Of travelling
companies are men who were formerly in
the newspaper business. In the old days
the best sort OF an advance agent was the
one who could put up a four sheet bill
on dead wall without the use of step
ladder. In former years we could sit down,
take a sheet of paper and map cut our
route Then our advance agent would 70
over it and engage halls and post the liis
We never had any fears that we would not
be able Il secuie he lease of halls In
these days We make dates from one to
three years in advance have already
made special dates nearly. three years in
advance. There has hetn a great change
in the show business since the CO.'S"
A New York dispatch to the Chicago Tri-
bune says Before the curtain rose al
Colonel Sims Montauk theater this even
ing ushers walked down each aisle. and,
turning ,othe audience. said in a clear,
distinct chorus:
Ladies will kindly remove their large
hats"
The effect was electrical. Hundreds Of
hands went up and drew out hatpins and
hundreds OF hats were deposited in vacant
seats or in the lap
That the announcement met with the
views of the audience on the vexed .eh
hat subject was demonstrated by the bui st
of applause which followed. Round after
round was given, and William n. Crane.
who stood peeping out OF the curtain, re-
marked that he would be satisfied il he
could command such enthusiastic applause
at any stage Of his performance.
For some time past Colonel Sim has had
a request to women TO remove their hat.
printed in big letters on. the programmes,
but few In the audience heeded II.
Some idea of the enormous number Of
plays written by ambitious American dram
atists can be estimated from the fact that
from thirty to forty new manuscripts are
received each week at Rosenhclds type
writing Offices, where most of the theatrical
typewrlting work is lone in New York.
There is no geographical monopoly IN this
aspiring dranatic spirit. for the plays are
received from all S'tllhUs VI inc Ntuhtls
even as far distant as California and Nova
Scotia II is curious fact in this con-
nection that very large proportion of
these efforts come from small towns, places
which are. as rule. found only on county
mans and in the date books of transforming
managers. They come from persons In all
walks OF life. One Ohio man distinguishes
himself by sending a new play once
month. They are not inirequently accom-
panied by requests to handle and produce
as well as please put this In type
To be successful! on the stage is only
relative term. meaning triumph so far
as the audience is concerned This does
not necessarily mean anything TO the
manager, unless one is genius when
! the usual order OF things is reversed and
| The manager breaks up and the actor or
| singer nourishea Hermann. for instance,
made 800 900 year and died practically
| a moor man, but that was the fault OF
his good nature. No man can say sidney
| Drev. who starred In 1.-THE Girl from
Mexico.' .'The Rivals and was great
| hob Acres, Is not a successiui actor.
| YET he does not, and says he can NOT pay