Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-30
IF AL Hayman, he of the theatric'


syndicate which dictates the amuse-
ments Of the benighted east for its
own proht-the syndlcate's-not the
east's-and doles out a few so-called
FIRST class" attractions to us, had spent
his few hours while here last week in
Los Angeles at the Belasco, the Bur-
bank. the Hotchkiss or the other stock
houses. he would have learned some
thing to his advantage. Especially at
the Belasco.
This Mr. Hayman would have found
there a stock company which has only
one rival in the United States-and that
rival is right here in Los Angeles. He
would have seen there produced play
which was one of the few most lavishly
done by syndicate actors, in the most
expensive houses of the east, at 50 and
up per head with it's very best
comedian in the leading role. He would
have witnessed its depletion here by a
troupe of artists such-and this is said
with full knowledge-such as almost
never are assembled on one stage in his
syndicate houses, even in Broadway,
and on the few occasions when this is
done for advertising. are billed as "all
star" casts He would have witnessed
a leading actor do Cranes old part bet
ter than Mr.. Crane dared do it, be-
cause the syndicate wouldn't have let
Crane do 1t thus for fear of contrast
with other stars" of it's enlistment. He
would have seen supporting company,
every one of whom fitted his or her part
to the last degree, yet who had re-
hearsed 1t only week, and had another
play at that very time under rehearsal
for a week thence He would have found
scenic environment up to- If not ahead
of, that he provides for his own shows.
and every detail perfect. And he would
have paid so cents for his seat-provided
he paid at all.
This would have been quite jar to
Mr.. AL. Hayman. 1t would have shocked |
his monetary nsibilities-artistic, the
syndicate doesn't claim to have. He
would have thrown UP both hands, and
exclaimed:
For why? You could get s2"
Then, had Mr.. AL. Hayman strayed to
the Burbank, or the other houses, he
would have Witnessed much the same
thing; the Belasco is mentioned here
because its Offering last week was one
which the syndicate had done only the
season before, and thus it more plainly
points a moral and adorns tale 1t is
not either uncommon or unprecedented,
this presented success at the house
named; others do the same thing, in
varying degree, week after week.
That would be the real jar to Mr.. AL.
Hayman-that this thing goes on here
every week in the year. He couldn't
understand this; no syndicate magnate
can They all think that every city on
he ie fiad n their leading
strings and is utterly dependent upon
the syndicate for it's amusementS.
The fact is true. in almost every one;
Los Angeles is the most notable excep-
tion in the United States today Here,
we make our own amusements. We
draw on the east for its best players,
who are stars there in their own right
vide Mary Van Buren-and we pro-
duce not only plays that are still sue
cesses there, but we do few things of
our own that they never see. We have
companies that would have been well
coined by Augustin DAILY in his best
days to his own exclusive haunts, and
we give productions that even he could
not attempt.
Los Angeles is not a town highly in
favor with the theatrical trust. This ag-
gregation doesn't like the independent
Los Angeles way. Other cities bow
down and kowtow to the syndicate be-
cause from 1t must come their all In
the way of heatrical offerings, and they
humbly take what is given them. with
thanks for being remembered at all.
Here we accept or leave alone the
syndicate shows, according to their
merit, and when we don't like them, we
find ample compensation in the very ex
cellent-often better-production our
own companies give. And that is rank
heresy to the syndicate, y'know
ThaGa foa cfnNlx n k0WaUar
have given Los Angeles great reputa-
tion among actors and with the theater
going public everywhere The thou
sands of visitors here every year take
away marvellous tales of what the stock
people do, and the reputation of these
companies extends over the entire. east.
Los Angeles is recognized as a center of
theatricals quite apart from any con-
nection with any other city, and of an
independence which other cities dare
not dream.