The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-09-08
PAPERINC THE HOUSE
When a Weak Play Appears i
a New York lheater.
PROPPED BY FREE TICKETS,

| The Judicious Distribution of "Conn
p!imentaries" by the Manager s.
cures Wei! Dressed Audiences ant
Saves the Appearance of "Frost."
Long before the curtain GUpS doW!.
manager has decided. nine times III
| ten, whether he has success or not.
| But he does not mean to be caught
mapping III either event. If he believe
the play is IL frost" or even a semi
| success the house for the next few
nights must bear every Out ward evi.
| dence of prosperity.
| In other words. he must buck tn
| line of adverse criticism by ''paperin&
| the house. For week at least h
must make front" in the orchestra
! chairs, no matter if there is deS0latlon
| in the box office. Let him make the
| public believe the new piece has at
tracted a large number of patrons for
six or eight performances and there is
chance of enough business to prop
up forced run of Il few weeks, which
! may help things on the road. This
means that paper or free tickets
must be judiciouSly distributed.
Every manager of a theater has a
large circle Of friends. This may be
due partly TO his possession of Il genial
personality. but undoubtedly the bust
ness he is in has III itself an attraction
for many. a majority of these people
will accept passes when they are Of
fered; some are not above asking for
them, while still others but these are
rare-wiII buy tickets when compli-
mentarieS are not rendered.
When the manager has ii play that is
in danger Of going 10 pieces for lack
of patronage he sends tickets to all
sible obtains promise that they will
be used by the persons to whom II"
gives them 1t is not difficult to ex~
tract such a pledge. Being on terms
of more or less intimacy with the man.
ager. the favored ones know he will
be likely TO see them in the theater or
| if they are not there that he will take
note of those who do not use the tick
| cts. He keeps a record of the seat
numbers opposite the names of those
who should occupy those particular
chairs and can tell at once when his
hospitality has been abused.
Another class which sees many plays
in New York city gratis is to be found
| in department stores. Nearly every
director of theatrical company as
distinct from a theatPr managers on
cordial terms with the heads of de
partments in large retail mercantile
establishments. Each of these heads
will accept from six to dozen pairs
of tickets occasionally to distribute
among his subordinates.
Often it is possible to get rid of 2OI
tickets or more in Il day in this way
and when this is repeated in four or
five stores the manager is sure Of the
attendance of an appreciate numbei
of well dressed young women III the
newest millinery and style of coiffure.
each with respectfully attired cava-
lier and all on their best behavior
| These people may not be ultra fashion
able, but they will not disgrace their
environment.
Unless the theatrical man is &C
quainted with the department heads
however. it is not an easy matter to
| give away tickets in such All cStab-
lishment The average clerk in 4
large store. especially of the feminine
gender is suspicious. She does not
understand such open handed gancrasi-
ty. and there must be lot Of cXpla-
nation to convince her that in offering
something for nothing the manager
has not some sinister design. AS for
the male clerks if he gives them any
directly they are sure to tell every one
what a pull they have with the man
ager and poster him for tickets ever
afterward. particularly when he has q
success. with 1.-The free list absolutely
suspended"
1t is far less of an undertaking to
buy a hundred dollars worth Of low
| priced goods than to make q present
of two tickets apiece to Il dozen per
sons behind the counter. The tcle.
| phone girls, stenographers and mani
curists look askance at free tickets
from a stranger. although when their
confidence is won they will generally
| accept them with due gratitude
| Theater Magazine.