The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-05
Manuscripts
Bought by
FrOhman.

All that the public hears or knows
about a theatrical managers play in
vestments is confined TO the plays he
places upon the stage OF his theater o.
produces with his company or compa-
nies in somebody else's theater, as the
case may be. II knows nothing about
the plays he buys and builds hopes on
for the nonce. but a little later throws
into his wastebasket; the plays he
purchases and partially pays for before
their production. and later on labels
them failures" without trying them
himself. or the pays that he secures
and keeps IN stock. as il were. not
knowing when he may have to drag one
out for use. or what special value a
certain turn of the public taste may
give TO manuscript
There isn't a manager in America
aye. nor IN Curope-who spends SO
much money for plays in one year as
Manager Charles Frohman does. He
reads 500 or 600 submitted American
plays every year. and often finds ma
terial in one which. while the entire
play may not be exactly up 70 the
standard, he deems IL his duty to pur.
chase. and so he does IT.
Mr.. Frohman goes TO London an
Paris every summer and makes or re
news contracts with the leading dram
atists. He secs them personally. listens
to their plans. scans the scenarios OF
their plays and comes to an arrange
ment with them for the American and
English rights OF their dramas or com
edies. In the cases OF the eminent
dramatists he has no hesitation In pnr-
chasing the untried play. for like our
own Bronson Howard or William Gil
lette. 1t is pretty safe 10 esteem the
chances as largely in favor or the sue
cess OF their pen products. In other
cases he buys the offered manuscript
Whatever method he pursues in his
purchases. he manages TO invest $50. 600
10 $1Oo, 600 every year in manuscripts
before a curtain has gone up on one
OF them. and often before the pen that
is to write them has been wet with ink.
OF this amount he will lay by $4,000 t.
$l2.00 worth. while 5000 TO $4,000
worth by reason OF better purchases or
change in the public taste or Cor some
other unforeseen reason viii become
practically valueless.
Mr.. Frohman does not buy plays for
mere speculation. He Is the largest
producer OF plays In the world as well
as the largest buyer OF plays. This
year he viii produce I'm the neighbor-
hood OF 20 plays. most or them OF the
most expensive class. One alone. The
White Heather" viii cost $50. 900.
He has II companies on his hands.
and last year and the year before pro-
duced and ran plays for long term In
five or six New York theaters, as he Is
doing again this year. Having so many
theaters and companies on his hands.
IL is necessary for him to possess plenty
of material which seems 10 satisfac-
toriIy explain his sS0.o00 90 100000 a
year investment in dramatic authors
manuscripts.
But there is something more 90 say
about Il. Mr. Frohman has a weakness
for plays as some men make a hobby
OF buying paintings. or old armor. or
rare first editions OF books. He likes
plays. he loves them. He's n genuine
| dramaphile It's his fad. his pleasure
/ in life .and he indulges IL. not wildly
nor recklessly. but with rare good tudg
ment and fine discriminative taste.
| Poor Eugene Field used 10 say that
whenever he saw a book he could hard
Iy resist purchasing st.
81 seldom see a play" said Mr.. Froh-
man one day. that l do not want q
buy IL. particularly II IL Is n good play.
|. With such an extraordinary love for
plays i'm manuscript or produced form.
| II is "a good thing that the successful
manager has such a well balanced
mind and can bring such judicious con
sideration OF the acting values OF plays
TO his purchases OF them. He hasn't
allowed his fad or hobby. or whatever
| else you might call II. To run away
with his business brain. and the result
i Is that every year he places to bis
credit more play triumphs than all the
other important American managers
q ,,..f fos.afbeV