Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-02

New York earlier in the month
IA which will have a potent effect
upon the theatrical business of the
country. Perhaps its Importance, even
now. a fortnight after articles Of in
corporation were filed, is not fully APP
preciated. The New York papers
called it a "play trust" In measure
this is true, but the American Play
company is moro than that. Tt not
only aims to control the best output
of both native and foreign dramatists
and playwrights but it purposes also
to establish a chain of stock theaters
which, in time. may include every city
of Importance in the country. The I'M
portance of so far reaching plan can
be realized only by those who are
familiar with conditions as they now
obtain in the theatrical affairs Of the
country. Certainly it would be diff
cult to magnify that importance.
Miss Elizabeth Marbury, a "play
broker" is president of the new or
ganization; Edgar Selwyn, until iatcly
Miss Marbury's foremost business
competitor, is vice president; Archibald
Selwyn, associated in business with ms
brother, is the treasurer and X. Z.
Nesrue, for several years general man
ager of Miss Marburys interests Is
secretary. Mr.. Archibald Selwyn now
is in Los Angeles having come here TO
witness the try outs of five new plays
in which the American Play company
is interested and which are to have
THEIR first production at the Belasco
theater here.
Great Power for Good
AS Mr.. Selwyn outlines the company's
plans. the organization. rightly man.
aged, will be a potent influence for
good in the theatrical world. Like all
big institutions it has also large pos
sibilities for harm, as it will be in
position eventually to dictate both to
writer's and to stock managers. Mr..
Selwyn believes and says that his COM
pany viii prove boon to playwrights
and to managers. He admits that 1t
will, in large measure, do away with
competition. but he argues, and rightly,
that this will prove a good thing. Ger
tainly there never was a greater fallacy
than the old axiom, Competition is
the life of trade" as our Socialist
friends stand ready to prove to US.
Beginning with next September the
American Play company will open ten
stock houses under its own manage
ment. These theaters will be located
in Pittsburg st. Louis. Kansas City,
Milwaukee, Rochester, Buffalo. Brook
Ign. Omaha, Cincinnati and Toronto.
With this chain of theaters as a
nucleus the company will at once be in
a position to go to dramatist and
say:
"Here, we will take your play for
ten weeks in our own houses. Then,
after that, through our clients who
control stock houses in other cities, we
can give you, say, twenty weeks ad-
ditional. What are your figures?' 1t
goes without saying that royalties
will be reduced, but at the same time
the playwright will get more time for
his plays and consequently more mon
ey despite the reduction.
Theatergoers Will Gain
Moreover this reduction in royalties
will operate to put the better plays
within the reach of managers who
heretofore have not dared to use them
because of the heavy expense involved.
Therefore the organization will operate
TO raise the standard of plays in stock
houses throughout the country, and
patrons of those houses will be the
gamers by so much.
AS a general proposition the Ameri-
can Play company will rent plays to
only one stock house in each city. In
the larger cities, however, two or even
three houses will be served In Los
Angeles. for instance, Managers Black
wood, Ferris and Morosco will all get
their plays from this company. but
there will be no competition. This was
made very plain to the three managers
upon Mr.. Selwyn's arrival in the city.
following which meeting Of the stock
managers was held and an organiza-
tion erected, as already detailed in
the papers. After hat meeting it was
announced that the managers had