The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09
OLYMPIC'S LICENSE HELD UP.
MANAGER HAS SPENT $4,000 AL
TERING HARLEM THEATRE.
valentine Has q Stroke OF Paralysis. From
Worry, Friends say-Aotors Desperate
Over Delay--Mayor's Committee Said TO
Have Approved Changes in the House.

After SIC, 900 had been spent on alterations,
a company OF forty persons had been en-
gagged, every preparation made to open
the season on Sept. 10. the license OF the
OLYMPIC Theatre at 130th street and Third
avenue, has been held up, and the actors
who were engaged for the company are in
a state of desperation. The olympic is one
of tho oldest playhouses in the city. The
auditorium is upstairs, with a seating
capacity OF 800.
When Mayor Mcclellan requested oil the
theatre managers in the city to appear before
him in reference to making their houses
safer against fire, Thomas w. Valentine,
the manager of the Olympic, was present,
and he promised to do everything aske d
of him. A few days later the Mayors com
mittee made an inspection OF the house and
recommended that the walls and ceiling
of the dressing rooms be covered with heavy
tin sheeting, sprinkling system placed
on the stage and sheet iron in the rigging
loft, all tho gas fixtures removed an d
electric lights put in. Five new exits were
constructed and every effort made to make
the house safe. The committee looked
over the house again and reported that the
management had complied with the Mayors
orders. and they saw no reason why a license
should not be granted. Acting on this
Recommendation, MIR. Valentine engaged
actors The opening date was to have
been Sept. 10, but when the time came there
was no word about the license being granted.
Valentine. who had worried over the
and he has not left his bed since; 1t was
said at the theatre yesterday that he would
never leave it alive Mrs. Valentine re-
Gently assumed the management and en-
gagged F. H. Schaefer to look after the
6o,ise. Schaefer went to the Fire Com
missioner to find out the reason for the
delay and he was told that Chief Croker
would look the house over. Croker went
to the theatre on the 2eth OF last month,
and il is said that he reported back to Fire
Commissioner Hayes that he thought the
house was not supplied with enough exits
on account of its being upstairs.
In the meantime the manager says he
WINS led to believe that he would receive
his license after all the alterations had been
made, and preparations we're rushed Tor
had been rehearsng daily for The sultan's
Bride" began to tire OF the delay, and last
Monday they threatened to leave If some
assurance was not given them that the
theatre would open by next Monday.
got x bs% f ss tea ts apf that t the
house would open soon. Some OF them
left this week with other shows and others
complain that they are being fooled too
long. They gathered on the stage yester-
day afternoon in a body and protested at
being kept idle so long. The manager
again said that he expected to have his
license by Monday.
The manager said yesterday: Il wrote
letter to Commissioner McAdoo last Mon
day protesting against this holdup, but
he has not made any reply: ] have been
to see him three times. and every time
called / was told that the Commissioner
had not examined the papers yet. The
Building Department men have been here
and were satisfied with the alterations, and
also the Mayors committee. We have
done everything to meet the requirements
of the Mayors order, and since they put
us to all this expense ] don't see why we
cannot get our license. II 1t was their In
tention not to let the theatre open again why
did they not tell US 10 In the beginning,
and not make Mr.. Valentine spend almost
the last dollar he had in altering the housep
-This theatre is no worse than several
other houses In the city that have an up
stairs entrance. The front stairs are over
eight feet wide, and since the house only
has a seating capacity Of 800, ] don't see
any reason for turning Us. down. Mr.:
Valentine, the manager took lease OF
the building for FIVE years
II was darkly limited that rival theatre
had used political influence in holding up
the license. The actors said yesterday
that they would be on hand Monday for
rehearsal and II they are put CT any longer
would make trouble for somebody.