The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
GOSSIP FROM STAGELAND
SOME PEEPS INTO THE APPROACH
ING THEATRICAL SEASON.
The Park to Open Next Week-What
Becomes Of Old scenery-Local
Foreign News Notes.

Although the local theatrical season will
not be launched in it's entirety until the
first of September. Indianapolis theater-
goers will not be obliged TO wait until that
time IL they are hungry for a stage enter
tsinment The Park-always the last Of
the local pIayhouses TO close its doors at
the end of the season and the first to re-
open them at the beginning OF a new
theatrical year-will start business at the
old stand a week from tomorrow. the at
traction being the melodrama, when the
Bell Tolls A new stage has been built at
the Park and a number of brand-new sets
of scenery have been painted during the
last six weeks, while several other i'm
provements have been made about the
house. Manager Fred. Dickson announces
list of excellent bookings and this popu-
lar theater will doubtless be in for another
successful season
The second house to open will be the En-
pire. which will welcome back its patrons
On Aug "a. with Manager Zimmerman still
In command of the house and Samuel
Davis as his chief assistant. Managers
Heuok & Fennessy, Of Cincinnati, who are
IN control of the Empire. as well as two
theaters in the Queen City. and several
road combinations, promise that the new
season will be productive OF a better class
OF burlesque shows than have been seen
for some time. There were number Of
very poor burlesque companies on the road
last year and Indianapolis had its share
of some pretty thin affairs of this SORT
The managers of the principal burlesque
houses throughout the country are demand
ing that the entertainments be of a higher
degree OF merit in the future, and are
telling the road managers that the shows
failing to make good will be Cancelled and
refused return dates. The Empire has been
renovated throughout. the lobby has been
redecorated and half dozen new pieces
Of scenery have been supplied.
The Grand and Enslshs will not be
started on their seasons careers until State
fair week. although Al G. Fields Min
strels. always an early visitor. will come
to Ensiish's for a single performance the
latter part OF August. Mr. Field, who has
many friends In Indianapolis. writes that
he will have the most expensive show this
season that ne has ever put on the road.
One Of the biggest features of the per-
Torrance Is to be burlesque circus on a
spectacular scale. Engiish's will have a
high class OF attractions this season. say
the managers of the Valentine circuit. The
best that Is In vaudeville is promised for
the Grand.
What becomes OF stage scenery in the
theatrical productions which have proved
unsuccessful? It is the white elephant in
the way or q burden left in the wake of
theatrical failure. Rarely will anyone make
the slightest offer in money for it, The
superstition might be natural that anything
which represents substantial product
costing so much might serve for some Sec
ond-hand purpose or be made over to meet
other requirements. But scenery designed
TO Mt the action and business of a certain
play is seldom serviceable as a whole in
any other production. Once in a while
parts OF II. usually the perspective paint
Ing, called the wall drop, of an exterior
scene or a house. may be used. But, as a
rule, the owner OF scenery has, in case of
failure. something bulky and heavy to
handle left on his hands for which he has
no further use--something that he can
hardly even give away, and an incumbrance
which he must remove from the stage of
A writer for the New York Times made
1t his business short time ago to find
out what does become of the scenery be-
longing to unsuccessful plays. and in writ
ing an article on the subject had this TO
say. among other interesting things:
I'm the spring of the year the scenery of
plays that have failed in New York in the
course OF the winter and the season which
draws to a close may be found accumulated
In large storage warehouse far over on
the west side of the city. i'm the locality of
Twenty-eighth street. This has served dur
ing many years as the chief mausoleum of
the remains of these failures The expenses
of the interment include carriage at s. a
load. handling by the warehouse employees
at 81 a load. and storage at 81 load
monthly. The acceptance states that set
Element must be made quarterly, and that
all goods held for arrears in payment
twelve months will be seized and sold at
auction. There Is also the little bill for
insurance. which many an owner contracts
with the fond hope that something may
happen In the fire line before the year,
end.
I'm addition to this large place of storage
there are couple of rambling old stables
on Thirteenth street, east of First avenue,
where much scenery that in the last half
dozen years cost snug fortune reposes in
solid stacks awaiting the last judgment. In
small room OF neighboring scene painter
are the models on view of the handsome
interiors and exteriors piled away. Now
and then somebody. harboring the notion
OF producing play for trial at a nominal
expense. drops in to examine this second
hand stock. Nothing results, however, sat-
isfactory to any one concerned. The seem
cry representing picturesque mountain re-
treats and grottoes, on view once In a great
spectacle. is misfit for domestic drama
or comedy. The nine scenes OF a melo-
drama that sunk $500 are also of no use
In the play which requires new features
up to date.
Mention should be made of the fact.
though. that since the stock companies be-
came more or less prosperous in and around
New York. some small opportunity has
come in sight to unload the scenery i'm stor-
age. But such interest as there can be for
the general reader in this statement must
be stimulated by calling attention TO the
absurd difference between the cost of the
scenery and its selling price The man.
ager. for instance, of two stock theaters
in Brooklyn purchased not very long ago
from well-known player, who has given
up being his own manager, five loads of