The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
OLD THEAIRICAL TRICKS.
The Statistical METHOD ana the Announcemen
Chronological fer Filling o House.

The Statistical Method ana the Announoement
Chronological fer Filling . House.
A method of theatrical advertising which Is
now almost obsolete, but fourished amazingly
at one time In New York, was the publication of
statements of the number of persons at per.
formances. Theatrical managers at all times
have been prompt in their acceptance Of the
truth Of the old saying that that which pleascs
long and pleases many must possess some
merit" Accordingly, the announcement Of past
or continuing success has generally been looked
upon as proof Of the excellence of the enter
tainment offered, and such announcements as
these twenty years ago wero by no means rare:
Success supreme. pre- eminent. u~nexampledI
11,2i1 persons have witnessed Uncle Toms
Cabin at the - THEATRE 1871 persons
have witnessed 'Humpty Dumpty' at the -
THEATRE" 1918 persons have witnessed tho
Black Crook at the - Theatre. Como carly
to secure SEATS
No one has ever been able to tell how far
these statements of managers of q quarter of o
century ago were accurate or upon what they
were founded. Box office accounts show, not
the number Of persons in theatres, but the re-
ceipts in dollars and cents from each perform
ance. and 1t has always been impracticablo to
tell exactly how many persons are In o theatre
at one time. Thus seats in boxes arc not
usually sold separately. Boxes areasold for o
lump sum. and there may be one person in q box
or there may be half a dozen without evidence of
the fact in the box office statement. Again,
some tickets bought are not used. and again, Q
considerable NUMBER Of persons change their
tickets.
In every theatre, except in very rare cases of
record. breaking business, there are some per
sons who are passed In without any record of
their number, and it is therefore impossible, or
nearly SO, for any manager. to state, except ap-
proxlmately, the number of persons who visit O
Grafton. however, did not deter the managers Of
state the total OF their patrons in round num-
beers. To announce, for instance. that 1000
persons had during a week seen the play Of
be convincing. 1t was thought necessary to
make the announcement as follows: "7.1l9 per
away"
cal announcements had their origin in war
times, when an Internal Revenue tax was i'm
posed upon theatre receipts. and the managers.
ceipts for the Government. hit upon the plan
of publishing the number Of persons in attend
Whatever the origin OF the plan was. 1t worked
SO Soo, vel that It was long followed. Another
nouncement chronological" In theatrical ad-
vertisements, following, this plan, 1t was GUS
DAu.s W Ctot " oiiy LLC hIuTO OI INC aI-
traction, but also its elemental merits, con-
tidered from the point of view of time, and
as follows:
"oLIvER TWIST" TONIGHT.
7:30-Doors Open.
7+o-Overture Begins.
7:4o-Curtain Raised.
6:00-Entrance OF Eaoin-
o:1b-Fd0in and BfI Sfkes Converse.
6:90-Entrance OF Nancy.
s:oe-The Great HOUSEKEEPING Scene. Flash Toby
Shot at a:05.
in Bow Street. Don't Miss the Court
Scene.
lo:oo-BM Skies and Eumov Quarrel.
lO:3O-Fa0in In jail.
London Bridge Scene. Noah Tracks
Nancy.
ll;0S-BUS skies Kills Manor.
Be Sure and Wait for the Death OF BlI Stkes, which
Occurs at ll:22.
This method Of theatrical announcement Ia
now nearly obsolete, though occasionally IL Is
In the ease of some performance of
more than usually variegated character. 1t
fiourished most during the original run Of THE
Black Crook" at Siblo's, a novelty to old Now
\ ork theltre-gocrs SO bcwildering that 1t was
thought necessary to have. as IL were, guldeposts
OF Its merits as q part of the announcement.