The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
Playhouse About to Disappear Was
Scene Of First Triumphs of Many
Men Now Famous.

/ Mr.. Bradford was deputed to see what
! the visitor wanted.
As he tells the story, he looked at
the stranger, saw he had "A manuscript,
! talked to him few minutes and then
/ went inside TO the inner office.
Say, Charlie" he said to Evans,
there's seedy looking guy out here
with n play"
I'VE haven't time to read plays" re-
/ piled Evans, lighting fresh cigar.
"He 49, this Is a great war drama"
/ replied Bradford. land II you produce II
/ you Will make a fortune"
Evans laughed and Mann then broke
| In.
There's a picture dealer over on Fifth
avenue who wants TO back a show" he
| interrupted. only the other night he
was asking me to put him on to some-
/ thing good in the show business. Wait
a minute until | find his card
He rummaged through some papers
/ found the card. gave It to Bradford and
the incident was closed. Bradford took
| the card out to tho stranger, who still
had his precious manuscript. The
| stranger took the card to the picture
/ dealer and a fortune wake ed away from
the office OF Evans and Mann.
The stranger was David Belasco then
at the turning point OF his career. Up
70 that time he had been a stage man
ager and author, but never a producing
manager on his own account. Bradford
| didn't recognize him, or ne might have
read the play. Evans and Mann didn't
even SEQ him. The play was THE
Heart OF Maryland" and the picture
| dealer was Max Bleiman. the man who
put up the money for Belasco to pro-
/ duce tho play II made over a million
dollars for Bleiman and Belasco and put
/ Belasco solidly on his feet financially.
1t ran at the Herald Square Theatre,
for OF course Bleiman insisted on book
ing II there, for almost a year.
Louis Mann got his first start in the
Herald Square Theatre. Edward f.
Rice was about 20 produce THE Girl
I From Paris and wanted n comedian
No one up to that time had heard OF
Louis Mann, who had appeared in bur
lesque and vaudeville. Rice gave him
! the chance. and Louis Mann started on
a career which carried him from low
comedy to the highest AMI best form of
dramatic character acting.
: The Herald Square Theatre saw the
/ rise to fame in 1897 Of Marguerite Sylvia
and within "A year. her romantic mar
. =
Of the playhouse. Miss sylvia had come
, to America as a dramatic actress with
Beerbohm Tree. His play. produced up
/ the street, at the Knickerbocker. was
The Seats OF the Mighty" and II had
been failure. Miss sylvia remained in
America to study for opera. She sang
in The French Maid" at the Herald
Square, followed this UP by singing the
title role In princess Chic" at the same
theatre and capped the climax by
marrying the manager OF the theatre.
But the most amazing period OF the
( theatres existence was now about 10
dawn. This was In the fall OF 1900 and
| the fortunes OF at least half dozen
, different people centre around the mem
orable production OF Arizona"
For two or three years business had
been bad at the Herald Square Theatre.
Evans and Mann had produced several
costly failures. Everything they booked
from the outside seemed destined to
failure. THE Mandarin" was costly
opera Edward f. Rice produced Monte
Garcia failure. Fred Whitney came
TO tho front with "A Normandy We'd
ding'-a failure. In despair Evans and
Mann saw themselves In little over
one season lose nearly $4,000.
Bradford. their general manager. was
called in as first aid and his advice
sought. He began to tell them OF play
he had seen out In Chicago which
would make a hit in New York 1t was
by Gus Thomas. who hadn't done any,
thing notable since Alabama" half
dozen years before, and Evans was
afraid OF II. Both Evans and Mann
voted down a proposal to bring this
| play. Arizona" to the Herald Square,
because the house was devoted TO
musical comedy and not TO drama.
I'm so disguised with producing
musical shows" declared Evans. that
I'd sell the theatre first"
"All right then. sell III" replied Mann.
And they agreed then and there to dis
pose OF their lease II they could.
The news got around Broadway that
Evans and Mann were ready to get out
! A few days later a slender. dark haired
young chap OF % called on the man
ayers. He was Sam Shubert. formerly
treasurer OF the Wietlng Opera House
in Syracuse.
money to invest" he said, "and we
| thought we might lease your theatre"
Evans and Mann were dumfounded.
| no nerve una duuuClly OF the young
man seemed unlimited. They began TO
ask questions.
| They learned that young Mr.. shu-
bert with his brother Lee-then en-
| ployed as clerk in a store In Syracuse
! had sent show on tour the previous
| season. 1t was a road company playing
The Belle OF New York. and they had
cleared a profit OF some thousands. But
their energy and industry and thrift
| had won them friends In Syracuse and
they were able to augment their small
capital by Interesting certain persons in
! Syracuse in their ventures.
When the bank references were found
to be satisfactory the lease was signed
and Evans and Mann gave way grace
| fully to the new firm OF Sam S. and
Lee Shubert. The firm was later in
creased to three when j. ]. Shubert was
taken into partnership.
The first thing the Shuberts did when
they leased the Herald Square Theatre
was to book Arizona" as their opening
attraction, The play made genuine
sensation. packed the playhouse for
months and not only made such for
tune for the Shuberts that their rent
was assured for severed years in ad-
vance, but brought enormous prosperity
| to tho late Kirk La Shelle. who lin TO