New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-26

..,rbe present theatrical situation in New
,,rt IS had. There has got 10 come a
.h,rce in it. but don't know just how
,i. is going TO come about"
q,h,s r. the estimate of William 4.
mod, the theatrical manager. I'm II
Electrical season which has been strcwn
Ia, failures - much 80 that it is gen
or,u, accounted In" most disastrous in
,o.rs this statement is matter for scri-
ous considerations
There arc several causes for tho had
o,,lock." Nj Brady Informed an inter-
,iower few days ago 1T IS. not true
,bst thc theatregoug public is decreasing,
a. some pcSsimisis declare. think it is
probsplc that there has been an increase
AZ ~ per cent in attendance i'm Now York
theatres during the last year. In New
York home life is becoming more or less
= thing of the past. There arc lots of
neople here who have money. but they
uyc in apartments or hotels they have no
wide circle of friends and no society
in which to move. The only place they
have TO show off their clothes is in tho
restaurants or theatres.
But the trouble is the increase in first
class theatres has been greater than INC
increase i'm public to go To them. Where
there are so many first class theatres I"
he kept open plays have TO he hurriedll
mt into rchCarsal-very often without the
proper people i'm the cast-and rushed
into New York theatre 10 keep il open.
There have been times when play that
Ia failed could have been success II
tb, manager could have worked over it
II he could have given il time enough in
,rvoute on the road. and then heralded
it, coming properly into this city.
..i have had a share in some OF the big
acs; successes Of the present season, HE
Tho Whip and Little Women and. on
tho other hand. / have lad some OF the
seasons biggest failures. so called. Inc
reason they have been considered outright
failures i'm some cases has been because
4 .ealizo to-day that in shooting at the
,ar.ct OF public approval you've got TO
r.t Ire buU's-eye tair and square. There
was a time when you could nurse along
"a p.ay that 2nded on the edge of me
tdeact and make a air success OF H. But
inFt t4llt - past tli -N'N VI "a
TIL, New YORK theatregoirg pablo is
Ike so many sheep. They al! so in
atr.h to tie theatre. Let a play u
ranked as success here ana everybody
wants % go and see it. There are s."
many plays and theatres that they VIII
20 only to these that are counted sue
cesses That is why. when ! saw the re-
ccption tina, plays like 'Hindle Wakes
and The Drone' got here, | took them
OF. l didn't try TO force their runs.
ITS fact that in the last sX weeks J
have participated in losses that nave
amounted 10 $500. There was q time
when part Of that might have been re-
covered by nursing the play along, boost
ing it 10y publicity and getting the pubic
ia the habit OF going TO that play Eut
now IL costs too much money TO do that
sort Of thing. II is cheaper To take the
PLAY right of and stand the original loss.
The reason Tor that IS that II costs
80 much 10 produce a play these days.
Tire demands for scenery and costumes.
orchestra men and stage crews and, above
ali To- aCtors. make the producer
business nowadays one OF the biggest
CANDLES That wouldn't be SO much the
ease If a manager had time To- get ms
production into shape.
The absence of actors on the Amei-
can stage is one of the biggest difficulties
We have to overcome to-day. We haven't
good actors enough to act the plays that
20 10 the boards. The good actors We
nave here are so in demand that it's al
most impossible to get them, and 'espe-
cisl'y so when the competition for them
gives them a chance TO demand almost
impossible salaries.
Take the plays that have been sue
cesses this year. They are those whicn
have been well east and well produced,
because there has been months Oh
preparatlon for them. Take Belascos
Years of Discretion. That cast OF fne
players was engaged a year ago ana was
Prepared for months. The WHIPS cast
AZ the Manhattan Opera House was also
engaged a year before the opening ana
for six months before the play was put
on mere tho press representatives Of the
show were busy with details OF IL.
The production was prepared TOT ana
public interest and expectation were
aroused. The play was got ready 10Y
the audiences and at the same time the
audiences were got ready for the play
The critics made particular mention
Of The excellent work Of the players III
Little Women and of the fact that al
most without an exception they "ee
people who weren't known on Broad"a!'
That was simply another case whore Tue
players were engaged for the parts "heii
they were found suited TO them III so''''
cages a year in advance OF the ope"'"e'
The same care was given 10 'he
production, which has since peeh ~
for its perfection OF detail. Tine reaNo"
for tina, ie that the producer had u"ie
to exneyi.nent with his effects anu w
gpcud tj,nc enough on the play to &c, the
best effects. ua
Nov contrast that with some OF 'ho
failsrcs here III New YORK. VIM" -
has been engaged i'm three OF lou,
from lust what people were 10 pe
the time The play is hurried into rehea'
sal tried out for few nights Oh III.
road and then hurried into Ne" 'o'"
theatre. IL has to be done under cNist''s
conditions TO save the loss OF Darn '"v
atre and on the chance that the play WIN
get by But the bigger chance Is '""' 4"
will fail.
Something has got 10 bc done sooner
pr later 20 get producers together. III Ch'
cago for instance, the theatrical pus'"o"'
Is suffering from "A bad slump 1hfre "''
too many theatres. and unless the oppos-
ing forces can get together and agree 10