The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-13
WOMAN THEATRICAL MANAGER
How Mrs. Root of Laramie Runs an
Opera House.
Denver Post.l

n. e. Root, manager"
The name and the title look ordinary
and casual enough at the top of the
theatre programme and on the adver-
tisements. And yet there is a surprise
in store Tor the advance agents when
they strike Laramie, Wyo., in the
course of their travels from coast to
coast. The young man who stalks in
adJeCtived grandeur in advance OF
Uncle Toms Cabin" was SO stricken
with amazement the other day that he
forgot Tor minute whether his COM
pany carried one Topsy or three, and
~ oo.4..ueu- o.o.Or oL the nempJOn
KOmedy company was SO Illustrated
that ne spelt komedy with a Q.
Reason sufficient; H. T. Root, man.
ager," is woman.
Petty Root, they call her in Lara
mie, in appreciation of her daintinesS.
She is small, energetic, tactful, and she
knows the show business from adver-
Using to counting the receipts in the
box office. She is the whole thing,
and nobody is lett in any doubt on that
point.
When "BnP' Root-newspaper editor,
yarn spinner and theatrical manager
left Laramie and took to gathering in
WIND anInIa4s -OI CI4~u-e-. ana zOo4Oes-
ical gardens, Mrs. Root did not permit
the opera house to be closed up, but
vowed she would show Laramie how
an opera house should be managed,
and thereby also hangs a tale Lara
lnle mas Two rneaeres, deadly in I1SaIy
and about equal in facilities for en-
pertaining the public. When Mrs. Root
took personal charge of the Root opera
house she vowed to show her rival
some tricks. With persuasive manner,
with which this little lady is well
equipped, she convinces the postmaster
that all mail addressed in the custom
airy way to Manager Opera House. -
should be handed to her. This gave
her an advantage that was distasteful
and humiliating to the opposition But
thea trical agents in Laramie are re-
Sourceful, and one day there appeared
a new sign on the front OF the oppoSi-
ton house and new name a the mead
of the newspaper display ads" 1t
was Manager opera House. The OPP
position went with dignity to the post
master and pointed out the change in
the name.
Please put all mail addressed to
Manager Opera House IN my box, ."
he said. And the postmaster could do
nothing else.
Mrs. Root was not to be discouraged
by temporary defeat. She decided on
improvements. Carpenters, plasterers,
decorators were set to work The ex-
terror of the opera house began to
blush pink in the pure Wyoming sun
light. Kings and queens of tragedy,
the court fool and the ballet girl
frOwned or grinned down from walls
and ceiling, and red roses bIOOmed on
the border of the brand new curtain
The curtains chief adornment though,
was picture of a Laramie street, with
the opera house rising impOsingly and
beautifully on the corner and the
Manager opera house dwindling to the
vulgar dimensions of a constable half
a block away. Could anybody doubt
after once gazing upon this picture
and on that?''
Then new seats-real opera chairs,
with red plush cushiOns-tOok the
places of the immemorial wooden
benches. The rout of the Manager
opera house was, SO Manager Root
said, complete.
Now, this busy little lady did not
stop there. She did not like the way
the ushers were doing their work, so
she placed herself at the head of the
small corps, and showed them how.
She is still showing them She escorts
the people to their seats. oversees the
distribution of programmes, and keeps
the boys in the gallery in order.
Boys, you'll have to be quiet or get
out!' she calls above the heads of the
audience, and the boys subside.
1~uC -s4rS- --OCC aSnIeN - Aer triumph
when she posts bills A common sight
in Laramie is Mrs. Root, assisted by a
small boy, welding an eight sheet
poster that flaps in the Wyoming
breeze in a vain attempt to get away.
1t never gets away.