The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-28
CLOSE OF THE MAJEsTIc's SEASON

! The appearance last night of Miss Christie
Macdonald and her company in the sprightly Her
bert operetta, Sweethearts, marked the close OF
the season in the Majestic theatre, Harrisburg S
only playhouse where the best productions are
staged ,-outside of the vaudeville and motion pie
/ ture fields. We have no information from the man,
agement to whether it was a successful year
financially but it can be stated positively that some
entertainment of the highest type was offered to
Harrisburg playgoers, notwithstanding the com-
plant sometimes heard that not enough good
plays are brought to the Majestic.
1t has been said in support of this complaint
that when of the finest players last season.
including Miss Barrymore, Miss Adams, David War
field and the William Gillette Blanche Bates Marie
Doro eombination,-we at the Majestic, the
Standing Room Only" sign was displayed at the
box office on each occasion. This fact has been
cited to uphold the argument that when the ''bes.
shows brought to Harrisburg the people will
patronize them.
1t must be recalled, however, that it is not poss
bic to obtain attractions OF the type referred to- two
or three times week for Harrisburg Moreover, if
1t were possible, the people would not patronize
them as well they do under present conditions
when such fine productions come only every two,
or three or four weeks The amount of money the
people will spend for amusement is limited just as
is the amount they will spend for clothing or fuel
or food for their tables We venture the prediction
that if the Majestic management were to present
Miss Barrymore, Miss Adams, Mr. Warield and the
GllletteBateS-Doro trio on four successive nights
the crowd on one of those nights would be suf-
hclently large to cover the expenses of bringing
those high-Salaried artists and their high-salared
fellow-players to this city.
theatre manager, in arranging his offerings
must be governed by the law of supply and demand
as applied to amusement, just as must the butcher
be governed by the law of supply and demand with
relation to the amount of meat with which he stocks
ms store. Both are IN business to make money but
neither can make money by overstockng his house
with the commodity in which he DISBURSEMENT
III the case of the theatre manager and meat in the
case of the butcher
While the big stars" who were here in the las,
season did always attract. an overflowing house
there were some very good plays at the Majestic
that did not attract paying crowds although they
deserved to- If half dozen more of the finest tvpe
artists had been presented during the season thew
mrght have attracted crowds as large as those of
the stars We have mentioned. On the otherhand
their addition to the list might have produced gut
on the local amusement market and have caused
the Majestic management to lose heavily on them
Making the supply just meet the demand in the
widely fluctuating and very tickle amusement mar
ket Is the task that confronts the successful man
ager OF a theatre, and we believe the Majestic s
manager came pretty close to accomplishing this
at least with relation to the highest class PLAYS
in the season just ended