The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-13

And as TO these slight changes. What a
job! One has done his best and is asked to
improve on it. Try it yourself.
OF course, am talking of managers who
produce plays, not of janitormanagers,
who. like shrewd house agents, offer the use
OF their theaters TO any company paying
the rent beforehand, unless it be of such
standing that there can be no risk in shar-
ing receipts with the temporary tenants.
There are, perhaps, a hundred producing
managers in America, but of these, very
few are originators; the overwhelming ma
jority is contented to follow the path cut
out by others or in trying to do a high
class entertainment at trifiing cost. In
reviewing the days work of a high-class
manager producing plays of an elevated
character, we will gain proper estimate Of
a producing managers labors, duties and
responsibilities.
HOW ONE MANAGER WORKS.
The best equipped of theatrical directors
| in America lives in his theater and for it,
you might say. He arrives at his office
punctually every morning at g. or $50
o'clock. stays until half-past 4, and returns
in the evening, usually, to remain until the
performance closes. The first thing he
does in the morning after looking over the
financial reports of his local business man
ayers is to read his enormous mail. The
mail contains, above ALL minute statements
of his representatives travelling with va
rious companies through the country. Also
similar communications affecting the finan-
cial and artistic status of other theatrical
enterprises in which he is interested. Once
or twice week the managers London and
ri ynr1fG In, flofv sIof
men are constantly on the lookout for
novelties. not only in the line of plays and
features, technical stage improvements,
etc, but also as to human material. When
a new footlight divinity looms up at effete
Paris, or a young actor makes a hit or a
manager is about to go to pieces, the New
| Yorker is sure to hear of it by his own
representatives, who usually anticipate
newspaper reports and frequently are more
| correct.
The mail being done with. the play-pro-
ducer calls his stenographer and dictates
often a very large number of dispatches
and cables, but in ninety-nine out of a hun
| dred cases all theatrical business is ar
| ranged by wire. There is too much at
stake TO trust to the slower mail. After
that the accounts of the stage managers.
superintendent of the buildings, the print
| ers and billposters are brought In, the
manager weighing even the smallest fnan-
cial disbursements in his mind before audit
| ing it. He knows to a penny what every
| article in the property room, etc. ought to
| cost; he also knows how long il ought to
last, If properly used.
| 1t is now II o'clock and an army Of callers
| is on hand, all sorts of conditions of men
and women of the stage, pleading for an
| engagement, seeking advice, Offering their
| services in the many outside schemes in
| which the manager is interested or request
| ing charity for themselves and colleagues
READING MANY PLAYS.
| The producing manager usually spends
the afternoon reading plays-American
| plays. English plays. all sorts Of plays.
He has reader. of course, who assists him
| in so far as. out OF the mass of manu-
scripts submitted. he selects those which.
| by their intrinsic merit. deserve a busy
] mans consideration. The reader is com
| missioned TO read all plays submitted and
to write a terse and comprehensive criti-
| cism OF each one. noting its defects and
| good points and giving a synopsis of the
story.
| On his walks about town the manager
! does not neglect his business. He knows
the location of all the stands and posters.