Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
Organization Of Big Theatrical
Syndicate.
Of Advantage to Managers, Players
and the Public Generally-How
Scheme Was Worked Out.
BY MARC KLAW.

One bright winters day in February,
1875, at an accidental luncheon in the
Holland House, New York, the gentlemen
composing what is known as the Theatre
cal Syndicate" were discussing the business
conditions of the theaters In New York and
throughout the country, following the three
years Of depression occasioned by the sill
yer panic of '93. At that time Klaw & Err
LANCER, two Of the men present, had car
ried on successfully what is known in the
atricals as booking agency" in % West
3Gth street. Mr. Charles Frohman, ten
blocks further UP on Broadway, was rep
resenting a chain of theaters extending
westward. with headquarters in the En-
ptre Theater building Messrs. Nixon &
Zimmerman were the leading managers OF
Philadelphia. operating nearly all the first
class houses in that city. Mr.. AL Hayman
was the owner of the Empire Theater
building. A business alliance was proposed
between the six men here mentioned by
which the booking of attractions could be
conferred in one establishment; and before
I go any further I should like to explain
what booking agency" Is. and to do SO
will have to go back some years to show
the condition of the theater in the United
States before these comprehensive booking
agencies were established.
Less than twenty years ago formidable
percentage of the business Of the theater
was conducted on the sidewalk, in hotel
Offices. cafes, and, / regret to say. In bar
rooms. In those days managers of theaters
far and near would come to New York after
their seasons we've over-usually In June,
July and AuguSt-and inaugurate catch
as-catch-can meeting with the managers OF
what are called troupes or combinations.
It is difficult within the limits OF q news
paper article to get the technicalities Of
the theatrical business intelligently before
the reader, but the local, or theater man
ager. is the man who leases or operates
~ r. r. to, I'D
Is an entirely separate and distinct individ-
ual from the manager of travelling COM
pany, or what is sometimes known as
producing manager"
The theater manager in those days had
an expensive establishment on his hands.
When his season was over he usually found
his following seasons time untitled. with
the exception of a few weeks booked in ad-
vance by some astute travelling manager
who probably was holding the same time
in several theaters until he could see-saw
these local managers into giving him terms
upon which the local managers could not
live. This was the necessity which created
the booking agencies. The booking agent
acts as the representative of these theater
managers for payment agreed upon be-
tween them. under which agreement the
agent keeps their vacant time on his books
in New York and deals with the managers
of the travelling companies to fill that time:
and, Notwithstanding all assertions to the
contrary. he takes nothing from the control
Or the local manager SO lar as bookings
are concerned, because after all is said and
done he is merely the agent of the local
and cannot make contracts except
with the approval Of the local manager.
The time and terms are always submitted
to the local manager before contracts are
signed.
Distinct Benefits.
Now. this arrangement Immediately pro-
duced the following distinct benefits for the
business of the theater:
First. 1t made the management of
theatrical business generally a dignifed
calling instead of the haphazard plan con-
Quoted upon the streets and in cafes.
Second. 1t prevented the cunning travel
ing manager on the one hand from book
ing the same date in two cities. while on
the other hand the local manager could
not arbitrarily throw out a date after 1t
had been booked, as was too often the case.
because once the booking agent established
the date and contracts were signed there
was no such thing as destroying the evil
dence of an agreement.
Third. 1t made it possible, in the event
OF, disaster by conflagration. epidemic or
any other cause, to 'rearrange the routes of
SO that they would not have to
lie idle, thus preventing thousands of en-
ployes, including artists, mechanics, trans
fer men and others from being thrown out
Of temporary employment, and has demon
strated its efficacy in this regard many
times since, notably during the yellow
fever period in the south. when rigid quar-
antines were suddenly established entaiIing
the Encouragement of many tours.
Fourth. It compelled the carrying out
by managers of their tours as booked. thus
giving the artists and artisans employed
in theatrical companies continuous en-
ployment. which was almost impossible I'M
der the old regime.
Fifth. 1t prevented useless and ruinous
by companies of the same cali
L.,
to avoid each other, or to unnecessarily pit
themselves against each other in some
given point that was not able to support
two attractions of the same kind or of
equal strength.
Sixth 1t was distinct betterment of the
profession as well as the business of the
theater, and / want to make myself clear
that there is a profession as well as a
business in theatricals.
These two elements are as distinct, yet as
to each other, as the business
department. and the editorial department of
a newspaper. The profession was bettered
In this way, that irresponsible managers,
either local or travelling, could not spread
false reports about their receipts or. about
the business they were doing, as the book
Ing agents kept In close touch with them.
AS consequence, artists were surer OF
their engagements, surer of the payment of
salaries and surer of an avoidance of the
many difficulties and annoyances which
ordinarily interfered with their stage work.
A manager who showed himself irresponsi-
BILE and unreliable In his contracts and
agreements could not carry his schemes
very far without detection.
Large Booking Agency.
The formation of the syndicate meant
Of two booking agencies into one, and the
syndicate has never been anything more
nor less than large booking agency. Its
ho Inn Of bo f1oo<