Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-20
MANAGER MAXFIElO
Gives Many Interesting Details Con-
corning His Work.
How Companies Are Booked-The
STAGE a Hard Task master.

"All is not gold that glitters'' and the
II job that's Il snap must be next TO the
Il North Pole for so far II mas not Deen
Il discovered. There are many that look
Il like snaps from the exterior but are
much like a cold bath. better on the
Il outside than in. One or the Things
II usually considered as being easy is
acting and all the things connected
with acting. TO go travelling all over
Il the country. seeing the sights and
II working but a couple of hours or so
\ day looks nice from down in front of
II the foot lights but M in back it's Il
! good deal different.
| Things change on the stage as well
| as off and the show business is not
what it used to be years ago. 1t has
| progressed and improved along with
other things. Opinions may differ as
/ to the acting but the business end of
| the the.lter even of the, country thea
| tire, is now about the same as other
| lines-just pure business with sys-
| TEN and regulations like all the others.
/! The workings OF the circus machinery
| are fairly well known through much
! that has been written about 1t OF late.
| but there are sprobabiy not a dozen
/ people in Waterville that knows any
/ thing about IA travelling theatrical
4 company outside what they can see
i from Il reserved seat.
i Manager MaXfield of the City Opera
Il house happened to be in talking
II mood, the other day, and talked shop
II in way that was interesting. He may
not know it all. but he knows a good
/ deal of the business especially from
the local managers standpoint. What
he says comes from his own personal
II experience so it can be relied on.
II In the first place he says one reason
i Why he likes the business is because
of the many pleasant people he meets.
Some Of the best people | ever met in
my life says he, have been show
PEOPLE The managers as rule are
among the brightest men in the
country They draw big salaries and
II have to be men of ability to do it. Once
IN Il while there's a cranky one. but
rs Il rule they are splendid fellows to
meet and do business with. They are
daily handling large sums of money
and have heavy loads of responsibility
on their shoulders all the time. They
must be bright and honest. or else get
out of the business.
H About the first thing to be done when
Il travelling company is to be sent out
on the road is to arrange the bookings
and fix the route. This is almost in
\ variably done months ahead in order to
make, travelling expenses as low as
i possible. When 4 manager is plan
i ming ito send show into Maine he
II makes his bookings sometimes n year
Il in advance rs he can thus pick his
route to suit himself If he waits UNI
til we'll along in the season the date he
| needs in a certain city may be en-
gagged and a long jump over the city
necessitated. BY getting into the field
early these long jumps can be avoided
and time, travel and money saved. So
| it is that the best attractions must be
| booked months in advance.
Booking is done in various ways.
| There are several managers in New
York and Boston who control many
travelling companies and arrange
routes for them. They stand all ex-
pense and take the profits. One or
| more companies bay be sent through
New England and as many more
| through the West. These managers
usually know the country pretty
thoroughly and all the theatrical routes
| for these are about as distinctly
| marked as the paths of ocean liners.
| Some of the best companies are
| managed by these men. Then there are
| booking agencies that will book any
| show that pays them the price. Routes,
| ready made. can be furnished by them
through any section but most local
/
business with them as there is little
to guarantee the character of the at
traction they handle.
| Another way is for the promoter or
| hacker of the company to select his
own route according to his own judge
| ment. He goes if he can. where he
| thinks he can do business. The towns
that have little to offer him are
skipped. The whole thing is figured
out as well as shrewdness and good
business judgement can do it and the
manager is usually man who looks
before he jumps. A theatrical COM
Dany is a costly thing to have running
| wild in the country and the manager
wants to know just about where it is
going every evening while it is out
Another plan. called wild eating"
| is sometimes tried. This means to start
! the company out and let it go wherever
chance directs. 1t may be in Maine
| tonight and in New Hampshire to-
morrow night If one house is en-
gagged it goes on to the next, wherever
] it may be. This is costly method and
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