Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-20
A FAMOUS MANAGER.
The Well Known Man at the Head Of
the Alma Chester Company.


very prominent figures in the theatrical
world, a gentleman. who during the last
third of a century has been in the very
foremost movements of all the advances
that have been made in the elevation of
the American stage and the producing CT
some of the very finest spectacle crea-
tons of the musical comedy that the
country has ever seen. The gentleman
in question is Edward l.. Bloom, the
owner of the Alma Chester Company,
which opens this evening weeks en-
gagement in this city Mr.. Bloom has
until this season only given his time to
the larger ventures in the theatrical
world such as THE Messenger Boy Com
pany," which was under his management
last season and which company cost
about $3.50 a week to tour, and so when
this season the announcement was made
that Mr.. Bloom was connected with the
repertoire business it created no little
surprise in the theatrical world. A man
who has managed Herman the Great
for fourteen seasons, toured Ada Gray in
East Lynne" starred Henry Dixie
with 100000 black art outfit managed
"Koster and Balls "Hermans" and the
"Bijou' theatres and made the original
productions of "A Silver King and '"The
Lights of London in this country is
manager whose remarks concerning any
thing theatrical are well worth while.
A Journal man called on Mr.. Bloom and
asked him if he would mind talking about
his entering the repertoire field when he
usually has given his attention to more
colossal things. Il entered the repertoire
business simply because [ thought | had
an idea which would pay me to use in
that business said Mr.. Bloom. 'It is
well known that there are numerous COM
panies who play repertoire DIT popular
prices and at the same time do quite well
in their way. 1 have arrived at the con-
clusion that the public would be glad to
see a repertoire company appear on the
scene with a list of standard plays from
well known authors with cast of com
petent players who are fully UP to oil
the demands made on their talents in such
a list of plays, and thirdly and very near
ly first to produce each and every play
on consistent scale, giving the produc-
tons a liberal treatment as regards not
only to costumes, scenery, lights and
properties, but also as regards to those
seemingly trifes that really make or mar
an artistic performance. A company
such as / have mentioned, would, / be-
lieve have the hearty support of a pub
lie which has long had repertoire with the
dubious specialties sandwitched in be-
tween the acts to drag out often an other
wise dreary performance.
Nowadays when q theatregoer wishes
to no ant of
ville nature he does not go to see "The
Only Way or ''Du Barry" He goes to
the vaudeville theatre where a manager
at much expense of time and money has
prepared q host of high salaried artists
to entertain him with the best that can
be procured.
and so / believe that a long suffering
public will soon tire of merely half way
dramas and will demand that their in
telligence be appealed to by dramas of a.
good wholesome character, with a plot
and story contained in their action
worthy of the telling. | am trying to
prove that such a company can be con-
Quoted and while my Alma Chester Com
pany and the Stock Organizations under
my direction are not very old, under my
regime they are fast approaching the
high mark of artistic excellence I have
set for them. For the reasons that have
set forth don't think that the vaudeville
has any place in a repertoire company
when that company is striving to present
a list of standard plays in an artistic
fashion and is catering to the intelligent
playgoer.".
Mr.. Bloom is a man who has such
magnetic power that to listen to him is
to be convinced that he is right, not so
much by what he says as by the unseen
force that he brings to bear on all that
he says. Mr.. Bloom, although a very
busy man and d man whose position in
the theatrical world keeps him hustling,
is man who can turn toward the more
social things of life with a zest and heart
mess like that of a school boy.