The broad ax., 1912-01-06
National and Local Theatrical
and Stage Notes
Ealisd BY The staTsr Or BY ths Man On The ConsT

al Cincinnati by consent OF Mr.. Motifs,
Savannah. Ca. Mrs. Josephine Stiles.
Throughout the South and West are
innumerable small theatres, but the
name has reached other points only a,
few weeks ago, they opened a new
Cabaret Theatre. in New York city,
and :, is called the Pekin. There was
some surprises in Negro Theatres. the
first came with the failure of the
Howard theatre at Washington. ID. {,
this was a great surprise. With
population of over 100000 TO draw
from. one could hardly imagine that
il could fail. but it looks like the
theatre goers OF that city are very
spasmodic and are soon exhausted. For
instance the Howard opened its doors
to the public on the 22d day OF Aug
ust. 1910 to the entire capacity.
which Is 1900 receipts $500 for the
opening night, then the remainder OF
the entire week the gross did MOI
reach $4,000 for performances.
winding up on Saturday night with
5000 house. No improvement came
until the week of Sept. 5, when 8. H..
Dudley opened in the Black Politician.
They had banner week playing close
on TO $4,000. The following week
with a splendid bill and high class
vaudeville casting. 81 400. and giving
& performances. the gross receipts
were less than $4,000. Don't you
think the word spasmodic Is all right
for the Westinghouse, afterwards
the house was dark for ABOUT }
weeks. then came a change OF man
agement from Black TO white. every
thing was changed, former prices
were 25. 50 and 75cts. $l.0O. One
show a night with 4 change of mana
gers came a change OF policy. 2
shows night. all seats 10 cts. that
sounded like joke to think that by
far the most pretentious theatre III
the district going into the cheap show
game. They would not think of such
a thing and in more than one occasion
the attendance was so small. that they
refunded the money and dismissed the
Performers Closed again. was on the
doors. Then another white manager
was engaged. 4 few weeks of the
Black Patti. Dandie Dixie Ministries
and the return of the Dudley show,
had the effect OF stimulating matters,
but the end soon came and the house
was closed during all this tfme, the
owners Rosenthal and Benedict of
Baltimore. Md, were trying every way
TO unload the theatre on any one. at
any price. but no one wanted the res
sponsibility of managing the white
Elephant" which name the theatre is
now known to be. At the opening OF
the present season the owners came
to the conclusion. that II the theatre
had a possible chance that they would
have 10 restore it to Colored man
agement. which they did. but mp 10
the present time the Howard is still
a lemon and Rosenthal and Benedict.
now fully realize what a mistake they
have made IN trying to colOnize the
Colored people Of the District of Col
umbia at the expenditure Of $4,000.
Another bubble on the theatrical
waves was at Cincinnati. o.. where
Mr.. Ed. Hart and Son at a cost Of
$4,000. renodeiIed the Old Lyceum
Theatre into the largest and most
beautiful theatre devoted 20 Negroes.
This failed on Sentiment. 1t was an
established fact that me Harris we're
operating two theatres m that city.
that did not allow Negroes to enter
any Section OF their theatres, so when
the Magnolia opened it was an
nounced as exclusively for "Colored"
that proved to be fatal mistake. had
the Magnolia opened as any theatre
should, catering to the general public,
It would no doubt have been a sue
cess, so a number Of Negroes backed
by small weekly paper said so many
unkind thiags. concerning the Harris.
that they concladed to quit after oper-
ating two weeks of encouraging bust
ReSs.