The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-16
Issues Warm Defiance
Leading theatrical Producer Declares He Win Not Take
Dictation from the big Little Managers

New York. July 16-In an interview
this week, Charles Frohman for the
time exactly defined his position
upon the present theatrical situation.
Throughout the various changes that
taken place Mr.. Frohman has
thus far remained silent. Barely four
since his return from London.
he now asserts that the so-called in
movement is nothing but
the self interested attempt of a group
of small town managers to dictate to
the play producers whose stars and at
existence of the very theaters that
wish to control the theatrical business
In America. BY the possession OF a
new combination portable stage, Mr..
Frohman mean to play his attrac-
tons and stars wherever he wishes. In
his interview last week Charles Froh-
man said:
In the present so-called situation
all l find that there is to talk about are
some little towns where there are
some big little managers who foolish
ly believe that it is a great thing to
tell the producing managers that un-
less they come to their prayer meet
ing gatherings and walk along their
streets, there amt going to be no
more opry houses for them
Now, in what l have to say / speak
only because / like the publics OF these
little towns. l am bored with the big
ones. They can only give you long
runs and great successes. But just
see what a fine thing it is for the
actors of this country to be able to
travel day by day and night by night
through the heat or through billiards.
to reach these towns. How much bet
ter his must be than having comfort
able homes in the large cities with the
surety of a long success. But. the
big little managers of these towns
don't understand the joke. They think
that We all come to their towns to
visit them personally. But that is
not the fact. l will explain it for them.
We do not visit the managers of these
towns. We visit the publics Of these
little towns. OF course, the real cause
behind these associations of little man.
| ayers is that they give the little man
ayers an opportunity to come to New
York every month or two and have a
great deal of fun, after getting away
by telling their families that they
must go to New York to meet import
ant managers and for the good of the
great u AS long as they can hold
meetings in New York they a ACT
like managers. and they a go or
doing this indefinitely because they
are always issuing postal cards to one
another announcing meetings. I have
seen one Of these postal cards and
notice that all the little managers are
all officers of their associations.
Warns Little Managers.
"All this activity has been goon fur
for the big little managers of the
towns during the summer time. Bul
they must not forget the winter tins
when they need successes. Hence m,
only remark on the present theatrica
condition is that the big little manag
ers of these towns would do we'll t.
have an understanding with the pro
ducers who make 1t financially posi-
BILE for them to take another trip t,
New York another summer.
LAS far as l am concerned l do no
care anything about these small tow
managers. Unless they a bring thei
audience to these meetings in New
York what they do does not in tn,
least interest me; what l am going t,
do must interest them. l conside
them all my servants. just exactly q
I am the servant of. their publics, AM
we going right on to play in thei
towns when and where we like, be
cause we are not going to have thei
publics, through the foolishness Q
some big little managers, lose the fin,
entertainments we have to give them
Public 10 the Client.
The real recompense that comes t
our actors from travelling to thos
towns. Is the great response that the,
get from the wonderful audiences Il
them, and they are wonderful. Tn
little managers OF these towns do no
know how wonderful their audience
are. for they know nothing about tn
performances. They " see them
They take no interest in either be
cause they are busy all evening looi
ing at and counting the large money
our entertainments bring them. Blu
we do know these audiences and d
believe in actors and in plays, mus
step in and protect these pnblics. No,
as a matter Of fact there isn't an
theatrical situation or any trouble q