The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-22
10 CENT THEATRES OUT WEST
A NEW IDEA THAT HAS HUNT
THE REGULAR SHOWS.
Ono OF Them May BE Started In q Vacant
store and All seem 70 Prosper-Twenty-
Eight In san Francisco Alone-One IN
New York-Now Worry for Managers.

New York-Now worry Tor managcra
Many theatre managers still remember
with a shudder the days OF the dino
museum fever which swept over this country
a score OF years ago. AT that time crowds,
attracted by the opportunity TO witness
! novelties for very low price, turned their
backs upon the playhouses for nearly
two seasons. with serious financial losses
TO the managers. Now a new cause has
arisen to worry them.
Some successful New York plays which
were considered worth spending money
on here have recently been taken to other
cities in the West, and have met with no
financial success whatever. This failure
Is explained by the existence Of large
number Of theatres, or so-called theatres,
in the Western cities which charge only ten
cents admission.
Tho extent TO which these theatres exist
now in the Far West may be gathered
from the fact that there are twenty-eight
of them In San Francisco, eleven in Port
land, seventeen In Tacoma, thirteen In
Seattle, four in Helena twelve in Butte.
six in Salt Lake City, seven in Denver,
twelve in Los Angeles nine In ST Paul
and eleven in Minneapolis
these places are said a manager who
returned from the West yesterday, lit is
necessary to free your mind Of nearly
every feature of theatre as it is under
stood ordinarily. They come into exis-
tence in these Western cities because some
owner Of real estate has on his hands
store which he cannot rent for the ordinary
commercial purposes he intended 1t for.
tn5 with oD1v fhA
lowest forms Of theatrical performances
comes to him and offers TO rent the place
IL he will transform it into a theatre. At
the end of the building he puts up
diminutive stage with a canvas drop cur
tain and fills the place with rows Of chairs
He covers the walls with mirrors and silver
paper and supplies plenty Of electric hghtS-
In one corner be puts up a Cubby-hole Of
box Office, and in colured glass letters
names tie place 'Bi!or,' or Novelty or
Vaudeville theatre.
The lessee gets his money back because
ne can seat from 1oJ to 200 people in the
theatre, charging 10 cents admission and
20 cents for reserved eeats- he gives three
performances in the afternoon and three at
night, and so great is The popularity Of this
style Of entertainment now in the West
that he nearly always has big houses.
The entertainment provided Is the
cheapest variety performance conceivable
Members Of stranded companies. which
| have been frequent enough in the West
/ this year local talent and cheap variety
actors make up the five or six turns that
! each performance offers
There is rarely a change Of scene, al
] though some of these places are supplied
/ with two or three back drops A piano
| provides all the music
In some places the humor OF these shows
| is very broad but "a rule they are IN
! Objectionable on this score, How long
their popularity win last it is not possible
| 10 say, but Il is certain they are at present
Eerious rivals 20 the regular theatres, affect
! ing especially the cheaper priced seats,
such theatres could not exist IN New
! York. ga the Fire Department would soon
see that they were closed They are tie
worst kind OF fire traps az a rule, With only
/ the redeeming grace that there Is no gal
! lery.
/ tect themselves in these Western citins
/ Eeerns plain enough, although as Yet they
/ have made no move in the matter. Thev
/ could appeal unitedly TO the rnunicpai
| authorities and see that these shacls, which
! laws, are closed up. / think that the spread
! of these theatres in the East has been Pre-
/ vented only by the fact that the authorities
! would not allow them to exist.
| As a matter OF fact such theatre dorS
exist in New York city. Uptown an enter
! prising manager year ago took n Large
| empty store in an Office building, changed
/ IL into a theatre and began TO give perform
anoes. - ~
He never advertises in newspapers, aid
! attracts practically nobody outside Of the
teeming region in which his playhouse Is
situated. He gives three Performance N
! the afternoon and three In the evening,
and never fails to pack his house at ev"rJ
performance.
Performances similar TO those given n
the West are 20 he seen here in some Of ne
! dime museums, but. az a rule the line O.!
! these places that used 70 be stretched q ns
each side Of the Bowery have disappeand
An indication that these theatres II no
! West may be permanent Ia the fact al.
! several fms Of managers with circuit ~
theatres where cheaper priced attrac N
| ARE Offered have become connected wit me
10 cent theatres In the effort TO get some q
: their profts.