The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-05
GOES BACK TO DREssMAkiNG.
Mrs. Osborn's New York Society
Playhouse" Proves a Failure.


From the New York Sun.
1t was nearly midnight on Saturday be-
fore the curtain fell on the last per-
Torrance at Mrs. Osborns playhouse and
ended theatrical enterprise unique in
the history of New York amusements. The
audience, which was large, was friendly.
All the audiences at the theatre have
been friendly from the outset. Indeed,
they We're usually admitted because of
that characteristic.
On Saturday there was probably no
more money than usual In the box Of
fee, but the spectators were more friend
ly than usual The curtain fell later than
usual, and the audience remained in the
theatre and applauded Blanche Ring and
Harry Coner until the latter thanked
them on behalf of Mrs. Osborn.
The spectators wanted to see Mrs. o.
born on the stage She had been sitting on
the last row throughout the performance.
and just before the curtain fell disap-
peared behind the scenes. But she re-
fused to come before the curtain and
speak.
IT have come to the conclusion that my
business is making dresses" was all she
would say to the reporters who asked
her for her views upon the financial fall
ure of her scheme. That the scheme did
fail completely may be understood by
the difference that was constantly MAIN
tanned between the receipts and the ex-
penses. The weekly expenses of the the
atre during the two months of Its exis-
tence never fell below $4,000 a week, and
the largest receipts ever known there
were s1,634.
The heaviest loser was Mss Norma
Munro, who was the financial hacker of
the scheme. Miss Munro. who is one Of
the few persons who know just now much
she has lost. has not dlvulged the amount
Other losses are unimportant as compared
with hers. Mrs. Osborn, who provided
the dresses, still has lease of the the
atre. She pays only $3.50 a week, and will
be able to let it without difficulty for
that sum.
Mrs. Osborne opened her theatre with
definite policy in view, and even some
experienced managers thought that her
scheme might be carried through sue
cessfully, even II there was no opportun-
ity for profit She wanted to provide
slight entertainment for persons who
wanted some place in which to spend the
time between dinner and II O'Clock. Evf-
IDENTIFY there is no public of that kind
which is not suited by the regular the
aires. Its proximity to the fashionable
restaurants made the theatre accessible
to the public she was trying to interest,
but in experience led to mistakes that
were not to be rectified after the theatre
had once been opened.
Society is very likely to shy at any
attempt to catch its favor. Mrs Osborn
announced that her theatre was meant
to appeal to society, and maybe for that
reason its support of the enterprise was
uncommonly meagre. So soon as the per-
sons who want to go where society Is dis
covered that the theatre was not its re-
sort they remained away. And the gen.
eral public exhibited not the least in
terest In the scheme
Some of the managers with whom Mr..
Osborn consulted told her that the play
house would not succeed unless she hit on
some extremely clever idea. Ard clever
idea is so valuable In theatricals that 1t
cannot be wasted in theatre so small. If
1t succeeds in interesting the public its
full value is to be made use Of only in
theatre large enough to hold the audi
ences 1t will attract. Mrs. Osborn de-
veloped some exceptional talent in such
members of her company as Miss Ring
and Miss Aver. And in Drina de Wolfe
she put forward new stage beauty.
Those are about the only rewards that
will come to her and Miss Munro for their
outlay of thousands Of dollars.