The Washington times., 1905-07-02
Fitting Out a Company.
What It Costs to Put an Organization
Out on the Road.

Not less than four hundred theatrical
companies are organized and sent out
from New York at the beginning of each
season. Many of these companies open
their tours in August, and that means
that the preliminary work is now al
ready under way, and that in a month
from now things will be seething in
theatrical circles. Outwardly the the
aters up and down Broadway are closed,
but within each one 1t is probable that
in another week or two a hundred peo-
pie or more will be rehearsing in relays
Every available public hall within a mile
OF Long Acre square will boast of its
group of Thespiaps. and from early
morning until toward midnight the at
mosphere will be charged with dramatic
electricity.
To rehearse, fit out, and start four
hundred theatrical companies involves a
great deal Of work and much expense
Few organizations go cut now with a
| working force of less than twenty-five
persons; the ajority of them will have
nearly double that number OF names on
the payroll. To costume this great num-
Der of people Is in Itself a business of
ma gnitude; out besides the costuming
must be reckoned the scenery and prop
critics. For most of the larger produc-
/ lions preparations have been going on
| for three months. and in the case of
some of the exceptionally elaborate en-
terprises work on the production is be-
gun full year before the opening night
| Thus there is scarcely any slack
time for the scene painters. and little
for the manufacturers of costumes, and
these two branches of the business profit
/ J, 49, Cot I,r-r
Almot every detail of a theatrical pro-
duction is wholly taken care of in New
York The one Notable exception Is the
printing There are several large es-
Establishments in the city whose entire
plants are devoted to theatrical work,
but some of the most extensive estab-
llishments in the country are located out
of town. Buffalo, Detroit, Cincinnati
and Chicago aaye enormous capital in
vested in this line of work, and there are
several also in some of the smaller
towns. These places all have branch
offices in the theatrical district, how
ever, and most of the orders are booked
I in New York.
Such seemingly minor details as pho
tographs, trunks, travelling bags. etc
In the aggregate represent a heavy out
lay The half dozen theatrical photog
lraphers in Kew York. however. are sup
plemented by a score of others in va.
rious cities who make speciality of pos
ing stage subjects. Nevertheless, there
is an enormous business done in the
city by the men who make business
of catering to the needs of the stage
and 1t would be safe to estimate this
particular item as amounting TO pretty
nearly 5000, 900 year, for it is no secre'
that the Thespian is extremely generous
In the matter of photographs. Withoui
exaggerating, in the least, the average
total expense of lifting out each of thes'
400 companies may be estimated at $500
Thus we have a grand total of sl.OOO,Goo
which is spent before single dollar Il
taken in for the reason that the lin'
of credit is compa ratively small. A verI
small proportion OF the road Offering
ara unsuccessful, and the company i
disbanded, but the capital has been In
vested, and little of that which 1t ha
bought is again available.