The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-01
ART AND THE STAGE TRUST.

Following the indictment of the the
atrical trust in New York on presenta-
ton by District Attorney Jerome.
comes the announcement that the in
dependent managers are making rapid
Roadway in their plans for competition
throughout the country with the trust
houses The day of the theatrical mo-
nopoly seems TO grow DINNER, and it
would be blessing for art if the COM
bination could be forced into dissolu-
tioA.
Salt Lake could present some counts
in the indictment of the syndicate if
it would It could charge that unholy
aggregation with advertising shows
here in New York casts and at New
York prices that ought never to have
come further west than Hoboken. 1t
could charge that few. very few. OF the
really great artists ever come here;
AMI that when they do they seldom
have competent companies in support.
1t could charge the monopolists with
barring really great artists from ap-
pearing in Salt Lake. or if they sp-
peared at all they were forced to en-
gage second-class houses. where a
proper setting was impossible. 1t
could recall Mrs. Fiske's brave and
successful effort to defy the trust in her
engagement at the Grand. and her later
failure TO secure any place for a per-
Torrance because trust influence pre-
vented. Sarah Bernhardt's coming. her
pitifully inadequate stage and setting
at Saltair and the remarkable reception
she had in spite of her embarrassments
might be added to the indictment.
Nor is this all: Some one has low
cred the tone of the American stage
| throughout: some one has instituted
the vulgar bunco game dignifed by the
name of speculation in tickets in the
great cities. Some one has forced real
" great artists TO accept terms and
conditions that we're a degradation to
them ard their art. Some one has
brought the stage TO the lowest level
OF the conlmonest. pawnbrol1ing com
mercialism. The dollar has been made
TIE sole measure of stage success. the
box Office the test OF stage art. Author
and actor and manager alike have beer
driven TO pander to these standards or
starve Only few there have been who
would not surrender, few who held
independence. high standards and r4ali-
cation of life's best possibilities as
dearer thar tie understanding bounty
OF the trust or the sleek prosperity of
ar ahjeet. slave TO its commands.
Through devious ways the trust has
concealed from the general public the
fall extent Of its control in this country
and thrived on the complacancy OF the
American people: but there has never
been any question as to popular opinion
where the truth was known. Slowly but
surely the facts have come out. and
swiftly but surely the power of an
aroused people is being felt. Texas
and Indiana have laws under consider
ation to abate the syndicate's power:
Massachusetts is getting interested:
managers are regainiRg their courage
and breaking away from the combina-
ton: actors of repute are venturinS
into the independent field, ara bookings
are possible now for attractions outside
the trusts control.
II may take some time yet to break
down the combination ard extinguish
its arrogance. but the prospects for
that happy contamination are bright,
and there is come hope of real inde-
pendence or the stage once more
--
The army euoinaare xrho ara r., h,,iIs
The Panarn< canal have one recon-