The sun., 1906-02-08
TALK up FOR THEATRE TRUST
COMMERCIALISH DEFENDED AT
MANAGERS YEARLY FEAST.
II Has Not Harmed the Stage. Prcsident
Burnham Says-F1ins ut Dyspept'c
Criticism-Ex-Goy. Odell wrote That
lie Was Too III to Attend the Dinner.


He Was Too III to Attend the Dinner.
The Association OF Theatre Managers
gave it's second annual dinner last night
at the Hotel Astor. The managers and
their guests talked mostly about CONNER
calism on the stage. Many boosted and
few knocked
Among the guests we're Admiral Joseph
B. Coghlan, D-Cady Herrick. Senator
Grady, Corporation Counsel Delany, Re
corder Goff, Col. George Harvey, Edward
Lauterbach, A. j. Dittenhoefer. Health
Commissioner Darlington, Champe 81 An
drews, Senator Patrick Fl. McCarren and
Fire Chief Croker.
Fifteen hundred theatres were repre-
sented around the oval shaped tables at
which the managers and their friends sat,
from the Metropolitan Opera House, by
Herr Direktor Conried, to the ten-twent
and5thirt' Grand Opera House way out
West.
The president Of the association, Charles
Burnham, presided. He started the speeoh
making by reading a letter Of regret from
B. B. Odell, Jr. Mr.. Odell wrote to the
managers that he had been sick two days,
under doctors care, and couldn't possibly
leave his home in Newburgh.
President Burnham had this to say;
I'VE have passed through a somewhat
strenuous year, but feel that we have
played our parts successfully. We would
no. know this by reading the verdict OF those
self-appointed and self-anointed critics who
represent neither the consensus OF public
opinion or the average belief of the press.
From these dwellers in highly rarefed
atmosphere of criticism you may have
learned to your amazement that the spirit
of commerciasm has polluted the theatres
Of to-day.
"On behalf OF our business I am willing
to plead guilty to the charge that 1t is COM
mercial enterprise we are engaged upon.
but deny that commercialism has harmed
the stage, and assert what Is easily proved
that the prosperity Of the theatre, which
was never greater than it is to-day, is due
mainly to the intelligent commercialism
that has been in jected into our business by
those that stand at it's head.
This country has grown since the Rlato
had its centre at Fourteenth street, but
you cannot deny that the stage has kept
pace with the march Of progress.
"Augustin DAILY said that the plays OF a
great writer often were good for flattering
notices, but that they fattened the mana ger.
His experience proved it. Booth lost a
fortune in his own theatre. Barrett died
poor man DAILY was on the brink of ruin
more than once. Irving frittered away
fortunes in efforts to elevate the a,Tis.lc
1t is the public that selects the quality and
character Of the play. 49,
"The commercial spirit that governs the
theatrical business is not cowardly' and u is
ambitious
r. ~ II ,Nly caiI in
part 1T is common expression that the
stage has fallen on evil times, that the
play and actors are not what they were in
the early days. | hear of theatrical syndi.
Gates; they are criticised, fault is found
with them, but everything to-day goes
and means of a number of men have taken
the place Of individual effort. You are
producing what the public demands-no
better, no worse. Suppose you produced
the old plays Of Beaumont and Fletcher,
Why Mrs. Warren's Profession would
pale into insignifcance You have got
cleaner, better stage than ever before,
and YOU We got better actors, too.
I'm getting tired hearing that talk about
commercialism. l realize that some kinds
of commerciallsm oul,t are PAD, bu. &c CON- l.
one of the great things of the world, With
YOU it is to accumulate money and prop
erty, not for your own sake, but 10 hand it
down to those you love. 1t is also with
you desire to do big things and make
Senator Thomas F. Grady said: "McCar-
rem and have come down from Albany
to hunt little business II We can. There
isn't much doing at Albany now. have
heard of commercialism in theatrical mat
ters, but have never experienced as much
me it has never gone beyond the, talking
point. When l give you to understand
that there are several movements on de-
signed to give you fellows trouble your com,
mercial spirit should suggest having ms good
Iiaughter and applause,l If you, don't
like me, suggest my friend McCarren
Senator Grady said that the only man
aeer in active business to-day who was
running theatre when he was a. ooS S,stas was
Tony Pastor, The diners gave Mr. fastor
a round cheer.
Col. Harvey said that he agreed with
everything that had been, said by judge
Herrick and Senator Grady. Now, take
the plays of New York said Col Harvey.
There never has been time when n there
not only in New York but in any city.
cat nv information from your own ad-
Refreshments. Laughter, After all. the
American people will settle eventually this
question Of commercialisn in the drama
The American iiahS
They will always grant the reward OF sue
cessful achievement to earnest endeavor.'
'HS CORPORATION Counsel Delany said that in
his Opinion the managers II not directly
addressing themselves to the higher ele-
ments of the mind, were probably reaching
it anyway through beautiful pictures and
music. There we're many respects, he
said, in which plays could be improved.
but the theatre of to-day is doing good.
In the great average it is an elevating,
humanizing and cvilizing influence. The
age of to-day is doing the work OF to-day,
said Mr.. Delany. 1T is appealing to the
people of to-day as they can understand It.
This talk about elevation OF the stage
said Admiral Coghlan, reminds me Of the
old woman's way Of distinguishing mush-
room from a toadstool You can eat it.
If YOU live it's a mushroom, If you die it's
a toadstool. II you go to see good play
you see it, If you go to see a bad one you
find it. Managers are like sailors. You have
to trim your sails to the wind Mrs. War
ren's Profession is a case in point.
Max Steuer said he thought that all the
problems nowadays were solved on the
stage, that people were looking 70 the
stage instead OF Congress. Senator McCar-
rem who followed, said:
Il take exception with the last speaker.
From my own personal knowledge might
say some problems find solution at the
primarie in Brooklyn. Applause and
iaughter.l see my friend, T. D. Sullivan's
name among the list of managers. That