The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-30
Manager of Show and House
Alike Blame Him.
ALWAYS is KEPT BUSY
Floods and Strikes Anywhere
Affect His Routing.
Often He Is Kept in Office Far
After Midnight.
SUNDAY.

If there is any one man in any one
business who is the "fall-guy' for eV-
erything it is the theatrical booking
agent. Whether the proposition is good
had or indifferent it is the same. He Is
looked upon as a czar-capable OF any
thing-and if anything goes wrong he
is the one who gets the blame. He is
blamed by the manager of the house
If the show goes wrong; he is blamed
ty the manager of the show If the
house go wrong. and he is blamed by
them both if things in general go
wrong.
Any booking agent will bear attest.
He has to figure whether show
can be moved; railroad connections
must be considered; floods and strikes
wherever they may be have their eff
feet upon his bookings; then he Is both
cred with amateurs who want opinions
ask him to write acts for them, and
then ask booking for an act that could
rot be a success; besides that every act
or performer in vaudeville thinks his
is the best in the world. Regardless OF
how busy the booking agent may be
he insists upon telling how good his act
IS. and there is a supposition that often
acts are booked simply because the
booking agent cannot get rid of them
in any other way.
Frequently the booking agent is in
his Office as late as 3 o'clock In the
morning, routing acts and attending to
other details of his work which makes
this imperative. Telephone and tele-
graph communications are received ev-
cry day from all over the country. For
this reason it is necessary that the
booking agent be versed in acts over
all the circuits at all times.
One OF the ardships which comes in
the lot of the booking agent is the
ruses used by players to get out Of play
ing some town. Usually 1t Is the trick
Of the manager to sell the show, or
IN the case Of vaudeville player, to
plead sickness. Usually no notifications
IS made until on Saturday, giving the
booking agent no opportunity to re-
place the bill or act.
Only recently it was necessary for the
Crawford, Kearney & Wells Amusement
company, with headquarters in Topeka,
to get a show into Lawton, Ok. They
secured the country for one that would
fill their requirements and finally loca-
ted the Edmonds Stock company at
Wheeling, w. Va. After a days work
sending and receiving kilograms the
repertoire company was started from
Wheeling on Saturday night, making q
jump of LASS miles and arriving in Law
,.ton on Tuesday night.
Another example Of what booking
agents sometimes do for their acts is
shown in this instance:
Lee & Miller, a Hebrew comedy act,
then playing on vaudeville time, but
now with the Typewriter Girls Comedy
company, which is playing at the Air
dome this week, were In Wichita. Mon
ey was advanced them by the manager
at Goodland and they went there. The
act played two nights and still were
without funds, their railroad fare and
board having taken what they had
earned. Booking was wired for in To-
peka. The act was instructed to go
to Garden City. Soon a telegram was
received asking an advance of fare. They
we're notified to wire the manager at
Garden City. He refused to advance
the act. The booking agents took this
to mean that the manager there had