The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-04

? Baby Are YoUP'' for the entire 4
= week.
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A UGUSTUS MrCUNE, the business
Il representative for the James and
Warde combination, seems to be
In trouble. He bewails the fact that
though he has tons Of paper with which
to advertise his show, he can find no
space to put it.
Il can remember the time" says Mr.
McCune, when the local biiIposter
used TO look to US agents as his prin-
cipal source of revenue, used to dine us
and wine us in order to get our trade;
but these days, he can't see US at all
He is looking for the morning mail in
stead. which brings him as many or
ders in day as we fellows could give
him in week-commercial paper. you
know"
The writer asked Mr.. McCune why
such state of affairs should affect
him, when he was exploiting the legiti-
mate drama, which was not supposed
70 need such a vulgar method of ad-
yertising.
Vulgar" said Mr.. McCune. nothing
OF the kind. It's perfectly legitimate
and just as necessary for Shakespeare
an productions as for Uncle Tom It's
they are not sold, what difference does
the quality make? The average play
Eoer-and don't forget il is the average
piaygoer on whom depends the success
or failure of any theatrical enterprise
only looks upon Shakespeare as an en-
tErtainment, nothing more nothing
! less. Even the average newspaper
makes little more distinction-and
among average playgoers Shake
SDeareS plays are known no better
than any others. IF we are going to at
tract them TO the theatre we must
work on the assumption that we have
an entirely new proposition. Why. I'll
bet that there isn't 20 per cent of the
theatre goers in this country who could
!. tell you offhand whether The Tempest
Ss tragedy or comedy. or even who
its author was.
ITS all very well to publish columns
Of classic stuff in the papers. The
students will read it and appreciate it.
But a picture OF the fairy Ariel in the
gOssamer-like costume floating over
the picture of real tempest. viii bring
more people to see the performance
than alll the dry literary description
lima ginAble.
THE first theatrical manager who at
tempted TO circus Shakespeare was the
late lamented and much loved Billy
Hoyden when he assumed the manage
ment of Tom Keene. Every one called
Hoyden sacrilegious for profaning the
dignity of Shakespeare by advertising
his PLAYS with big flowing posters and
an endless variety Of Autographs. Rfit
what was the result? Why. he made a
fortune, and did so at time when the
phrase shakespeare spells BANKRUPT
cy had Just about got current Who
was hurt bv his mOOted vuIgaritv2
Surely not the public for more of them
were enticed into the theatre and
fnrar.n IN H.. -
shakespeare genius. through the
agency Of these same posters. than had
ever been before through any other
agency. whatsoever
The firm OF WagenhaIs & Kemper.
when they started their Shakespearean
productions, took a leaf from w. r.
Ioyden's book and they have made a
fortune by doing so.
But" said Mr.. McCune. "bih board
space $ getting scarcer as the popula-
ton gets bigger. and the men who
want 70 tell you that they work while
you sleep or that YOU need a biscuit
have the best Of It, for they have a
larger public than has a show which
stays but short time in any com,
munity. and can afford to make better
pictures and more Of them than we
can We showmen years ago gave these
fellows the cue. and they now threaten
70 put US out of the running as far as
pictorial advertising is concerned.
Worse than all. they take our very
people to advertise their wares. II it's
cigar. why, UP goes a picture of
Louis James, saying it's his favorite
brand John Drew uses the ssureto-
aust automobile Frederick Warde
uses rubber heels and Blanche Walsh
the straight front corset"
It is related of Clyde Fitch that.
when Amelia Bingham went to him
Tor a play he pulled half a dozen COM
pleted manuscripts out of his desk. and
read three Of them 10 her before she
accepted The Climbers" IT is also
said TO be fact that The Climbers
had Travelled the rounds of the theatri-
cal managers of New York none OF
them daring TO produce the play which
hnaily established Miss Bingham as a
prominent figure in the dramatic
world. II is also we'll hnOgn that
Richard Ganthony had exactly the
same experience with "A Message from
Mars, though in that case the reason
Is understandable from the nature of
the play. These are the joys and scr-
rows of theatrical experience.
However Mr.. Fitch is now reaping
the benefits of good many years Of
announcement. during which he must
have been about the busiest man in the
country. Notwithstanding that his In
dustry seemed TO be meeting with lit