The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-25
Many Old Plays
Still Pay Well

Special to The Globe.

Special to The Gtohe.
NEW YORK, Jan 24.-Few UNDER
stand the system Of brokerage by which
modern copyrighted plays are handled
In this country, nor are aware Of the
immense amounttof system required by
those who have been handling them.
An account of one of the largest agen-
cies of this kind will probably prove
interesting to the average play-goer.
For instance, most people outside Of
the actual theatrical profession would
venture about an average of two years
as the life of play as piece of in
come producing property and be pro-
portionately surprised at the Informal
ton that productions of forty years
ago are still drawing royalties for their
authors or owners. t'Rosedale," which
was first presented in the middle six
ties, is being played today, and "Hazel
Kirke," with which the Madison Square
theater was opened about 1880, is also
IN the gray-beard class, but It's age
IS Iusty, for only recently it was re-
ported as being an attraction at more
stock companies, of which there are
about two score scattered between
New York and San Francisco, than any
duction, not excepting the Broadway
sensations of a bare season of two
ago.
Plays of all ages and all conditions,
from the society problem play of yes
terday, to the humble melodrama of
forgotten date, are of commercial value,
and the renting of them to stock, rep
ertoire and amateur companies consti-
tutes a separate branch of theatrical
business of no mean proportions. An
Idea of its volume may be gathered
from a visit to the play brokerage Of
fees of Alice Kauser, at Fortieth street
| and Broadway, New York, where all
the Broadway sensations that within
the memory of the Oldest fnhabitant,
have made theatrical history are kept
in the manuscript closets that cover
the walls from floor to ceiling, to be
let out by week or percentage royalty,
according to "a sliding scale of from
10 per cent on the smaller amounts,
or on from 7flxed royalties for from
one performance up. There are over
| 400 plays in the closets, from two to
eight copies of each, with set of
| parts" or separate books containing
exclusively the Zines" and business
of each character concerned for each
of the copies, which makes a very con-
| siderable stock to be handled.
1t is, of course, necessary to keep ac-
| curate records Of the disposition of
| these details, and bookkeeping methods
! falling short of the requirements, a
| huge elastic book is made up Of the
| loose pages, and expanded by addition
| of leaves for the new plays that come
| in.
When Miss Kauser started business
| some half dozen years ago there were
/ not over five stock companies in the
| United States, and her gross receipts
| for the first year were SIS. Now she
/ supplies the attractions for forty-f1ve
stock companies, III repertoire COM
| pameS, or bands Of Strolling players,
/ and amateur dramatic societies out of
! count.
This one branch Of the theatrical
| profession involves counting players,
! orchestra musicians and the business
| STATS of the different theaterS included
| in the system, about $500 people. The
| stock companies average about fifteen
people in the cast, and a theater force
| of about thirty-fiVe, while the total of
| the repertoire companies works out
! about a bakers dozen each. Last year
| there were over 700 contracts between
owners and producers, made through
| this office, each one involving the pro-
! dUction of a play under Miss Kauser's
| control. The conduct of this volume of
| business requires the services Of an
| office staff of twelve; Miss Kauser, the
| executive head of the concern, her
| brother as general manager, five ste
| nographerS, three Of whom are con-
! stantlY employed to replace worn-out
| manuscripts, aided by boy who does
nothing but ruling and binding, while
1T takes two others to handle the daily
| mail; a shipping clerk and a clerical
| force of four men, upon whom falls
the task Of looking over, recording and
| making. abstracts Of the hundreds of
| box-ofhce statements of receipts from
out-of-town managers, and one has to
! know the formidable nature of a box
| office statement to appreciate the work
I this stands for For upon the data
| spread over its fntricate surface is de-
| ternined the royalty due.
One other department of the broker
| age Is the facetiously termed "Admi-
| rally Court which is Miss Kauser
! herself, fer the detection and suppress
sion of pirates, !" the technical name
for the small fry of managers who
| produce copyright plays Sub rosa" to
escape the payment of royalty. And
seldom does q theatrical Kirby get
past the trained espionage of the
| broker. Long familiarity with the af-
fairs of the stage has made her ac-
| quainted with practically all the titles
/ copyrighted and when a new name
! crosses her vision, as it invariably
does if it shows itself on a billboard
this side ofthe Pacific coast, satisfac-
tory explanations offer or summary
| vengeance falls.