The Saint Paul globe., 1903-03-18
TWIN CITIES MAY
Get NEW THEATERS
Houses to Be Built by Com
petitors of 'Trust" Which
Controls Local Bookings.

st. Paul and Minneapolis are likely
to have two new theaters In the near
future. The bitter fight between the
Klaw & Erlanger theatrical syndicate
and the Stair & HavIin and the In
dependent Booking agency Is to be
carried over the entire country, in
Guiding the Northwest.
1t was learned in Minneapolis yes
terday that a prominent firm of real
estate dealers was engaged in nego-
tiating for property located within two
blocks Of the Metropolitan opera
house and that this firm represented
Stair & Havlin.
The managers of the local theaters
say that they know nothing of the
proposed deal. although it has been
current gossip in theatrical circles that
new theaters for the Twin Cities would
probably be built within the next two
years.
The theaters of st. Paul and Min
neapolis are served with attractions
by two rival syndicates of New York
city. Klaw & Erlanger control the
bookings of the houses run by Man.
ager L. N. Scott. while the theaters Of
Jacob Lift look to the Stair & Havlin
syndicate for attractions.
The Independent Booking agency, of
which Henrietta Crossman, James K.
Hackett and Mrs. Fiske are the lead
ing features, has recently combined
with the Stair & Havlin firm and
now constitutes a formidable compet-
itor to the Klaw & Erlanger combi-
nation.
AS long as Klaw & Erlanger kept
their hands off the popular priced"
theaters of the country, Stair & Hav-
lin were content not to engage in any
fight with the big amusement corpora
ton. Recently, however, Klaw & Err
LANCER have cut into the territory and
business controlled by Stair & Havlin
and the latter firm now proposes to
retaliate.
By combining with the Independent
Booking agency, Stair & Havlin are
in a position to offer time and terms
to some of the high priced companies
of the theatrical world. With many
are now seeking to invade the field
over which Klaw & Erlanger have
held sway for many seansons past
Stair & Havlin recently erected the
Majestic theater In New York city at
cost Of more than one million dollars.
In Boston the firm built and opened
the New Majestic theater, represent
ing an outlay of three quarters of
million of Uncle Sans currency. With
these two theaters the rival Of Klaw
& Erlanger is enabled to offer the best
attractions to the playgoing public.
Many theaters have been acquired in
the past few months, giving Stair &,
Havlin chain of theaters from the
Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
Such attractions as Henrietta Cross
man, James K. Hackett and Mrs
F'iske are prevented at the present time
from playing in the Twin Cities.
Manager Scott is unable to present
them, as he is on the circuit of Klaw
& Erlanger and the popular prices
that prevail at Manager Lifts houses,
bar these companies from playing at
Mr.. Lifts theaters.
1t is openly stated in New York city
that If the new combination of Stair
& Havlin and the Independent Book
ing agency can control enough theaters
in the country that many of the lead
ing attractions would be only too ready
trolled by Klaw & Erlanger and join
its rivals.
st. Paul and Minneapolis have the
reputation of being two of the best
"shoW towns in the United States,
and for that reason Stair & Havlin
seek to enter this territory with high
priced attractions and wage war
against the trust"
Managers of visiting attractions now
In Minneapolis shrug their shoulders
when questioned as to the situation in
the theatrical trust" fight and decline
TO BE- Interviewed.