The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-17
AT THE THEATER.
Exposure OF Topeka Situation
Is Arousfng Interest.
Hold Up Prices Are Causing
Much Comment.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING
Only q Small Audience Secs the
Show.
"Wizard of Or" Here, the
Second Company.
PEOPLE ARENOT GOING

The agitation begun in Topeka by
| the State Journal against hold up
prices for various theatrical attrac-
tons. is arousing widespread attention
throughout the state, and the newspa-
pers in various cities are awaking to
| the fact that they have been and are
/ frequently being worked by ire
sponsible travelling theatrical com
| panies.
The press agent of each company
| who travels a week ahead of his COM
pany furnishes the local theatrical
management and the local newspapers
| in each city he visits with an aSSort-
ment of prepared press notices. OF
| course they are all to the effect that
the particular show which the press
agent represents is first class in every
| respect.
Much of this finds its way into the
| columns of the newspapers without
| being edited. 1t apparently gives the
personal endorsement of the editor to
| the various attractions. AS matter
of fact the editor very likely has never
heard of the company, and has no
means of knowing whether it is good
or bad production.
But people are induced to attend the
performance and spend their money
at prices which are always as high as
they may be possibly placed, and as
consequence the people are frequently
disappointed. The newspaper after
wards tells how bad the show was but
it is too late to be of any value to the
local patrons. They are out the price
of admission and in addition have the
remembrance of an unpleasant even
ing
There are scores and scores of fly
by-night theatrical troupes securing
which makes this condition possible
has them booked at all sorts of out of
the way places as well as in the cities.
The idea is to get the money. They
q Il
them first the revenue would not be
Forthcoming.
The Kansas papers have been re-
printing a great deal of the informa-
and as a result the people all over the
state as well as at Topeka are learning
some things which they did not know
before about the theatrical situation.
Dora Thorne" is booked at Topeka
at rs cents for parquet seats.
"Dora Thorne" played at Concordia,
Kansas, last Tuesday night and the
highest price for the best seats was SO
That is not all. The Concordia
Blade in telling about the show after
it had been seen at Concordia, hands
it one of the hottest roasts possible.
The show may not deserve 1t, but it
most likely is true. If the show isn't
satisfactory to the theater-goers of
Concordia, what must it be for Topeka
many more and better attractions?
The criticism of the Concordia Blade
is offered herewith for what it is worth.
The Blade says under the headline "a
Sadly Afflicted Audience"
1.-The mental suffering of Dora Thorne,
the lodge keepers lass, after she became
Lady Earl, paled into insignif1cance
when compared with the agony of the
acts of the dramatization at the opera
house last night. We don't believe
worse company could be assembled and
if the amateurs of Concordia couldn't
skin them an English mile and not half
try, we miss our guess. The play is all
right and, handled by a company of
competent people, would be very pleas
ing, but it is simply spoiled when a lot
of cheap skates attempt to produce it.
The house was not a large one and yet
it was far larger than deserved. We
have to expect a bum company now
and then
''One of the ladies in the Dora Thorne
company has a voice like a buzz saw in
a lumber mill working overtime, yet
she was the best player in the bunch.
'"The Fortune Hunters" was at the
Crawford theater last night. 1t played
at dollar prices. The State Journal gave
the information to it's readers that this
show played Omaha and other cities at
rs cents prices. The State Journal did
not know what sort of a show it was
but 1t did know about the prices, and
that information was given to the pub
lie.
The piece has been mere and has
gone. A comparatively small audi
ence, termed "a fair house." witnessed
it, and the verdict is that it was not
worth the money. There were some
bright and catchy things in the piece,
but on the whole it was not UP to the
value of a dollar.
And thus it goes. Shows come and
go, and the public is asked to place
their money and take their chance 1t
is a great deal like the poor farmer
who goes to the circus and spends his
money on a chance at a grab-bag or
a lottery operated by a falzir, or trad
ing a good article sight unseen with
some one you can't trust. You take
a chance, put up your dollar or dollar
and a half and attend the perform
ance, and the chances are that eight
times out of ten you will get gold
brick. 1t is all right, of course, for
those who have plenty of money and
don't care. Patrons of the theater
are entitled to some consideration.
When a person makes a purchase at
a store he has an opportunity to see
and know what he Is getting before
he spends his money for it. But you
don't get that chance with a theater-
People have learned that by staying
away from the theater they will be
able to secure lower prices and better
attractions in the future. And they
are staying away.
The Grand theater still stands idle.