The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-05-15

With This Small Beginning He Lived
to Dominate All Contemporaries.
Work Was His Only Pleasure, ard to
This is Due His Unparalleled Sue
cess In His Chosen Field.
Ii was said of Charles Frohman. lost
when the Lusitania vas sunk. that
he had the refusal of every American
play, and II was regarded AS IA fact
that every foreign play coming to this
country was offered to him before any
other manager had n chance tO loo AT
1t. Such a statement perhaIS expresses
more wildly TO the public than 10 say
that he was the proprietor ana mai
ager OF a dozen theaters In New York.
of about seventy of the first lass
throughout the United States and eight
In London and managed thirteen tour
Ing companies In the United Kingdom
Besides this hundreds of theaters were
more or less directly controlled through
the booking operations of the 'syndi
cate in the minor cities of America.
Charles Frohman was born In san
dusky. o.. June II. 1860. and g TO
New York with his parents al the age
of ten His home was OF The east size
While attending school he worked In
the evenings in a newspaper office. AT
the age OF seventeen he organized q
minstrel show. He was manager.
treasurer, secretary, ticket seller. tick
ct puncher. ticket taker. prompter and
interlocutor of the company. Admis-
sion to the show was / cent. and for
three coppers a spectator might become
IN actor. A more serious theatrical
pursuit was selling tickets.
Began With Minstrels.
In 1880 he went to Minnesota TO Join
the Chicago Dramatic company. Short
~ after he toured the United States
and Europe as treasurer of Haveriy's
Forty Ministries. and with this troupe
he marched through many o provincial
town. the band at his back. Business
was good. and he came back manager
The true beginning of his theatrical
success was when in 1887 he obtained
control of Bronson Towards play,
Shenandoah" His brother. Daniel
Frohman. had been associated with
the Mallory brothers at the Madison
Square theater. Charles FrohmaI
went in with him and began to or
ganize road companies under a new
system. The ideas that he developed
have influenced the course of the the
atrical business since that time.
Shenandoah" first appeared in Bos
ton. when no manager felt interested
I'm il after the first appearance
Charles Frohman saw Ii. liked Ii anC
~telegraphed TO AL Hayman to come OF
to Boston at ono Together they
made a contract with the author Of
the play. Under their management
Shenandoah" was a great success.
The next play Frohman took up was
also a great success. "All the Com
forts of Home was adapted from til,
German by Gillette.
That the Charles Frohman theate
al Broadway and Fortieth street. New
York city, might have an auspiciou'
opening Mr.. Frohman went to Europ'
10 see Sardou. He gave the famous
Frenchman $4,000 TO write a pla.
worthy OF the finest stock compan.
and theater In the United States
While on the other side he made con
tracts with Alexander Bison and 9th
or French writer's for their next plays
In London he obtained ''Gloriana" am
Jane" both popular favorites. From
Jane" he made $4,000 In the frs
season.
Made Theatrical Stars.
Such was the start of the man who's
nervous vitality and force swept ev
erythlng before him In the theatrica
business, unconguerably and ineyita
bly,. He stamped his personal trait
and characteristics upon half q hun
dred separate organizations. job
Drew. Maude Adams and other lead
ing actors and actress have stated tina
much of their success was due to Frol
mans suggestions and instructions Civ
en- In directing rehearsals.
There was little allowance for res
In Frohman's manner of life. Life wa
nothing but work to him. Four hour
amply served him for sleep, 1t was
marvel to see him In his office, turn
ing his hand from n thing TO another
Up and at 1t betimes In the mornin
his day was carefully appointed int
hours and half hours for the Oversize
needs OF the business. But he woul
do nothing that he could hire any on
else to do. always saving himself 70
those things which he alone could do.
Work was Frohman's only play an
he had practically nc time for socis
pleasures. The song. II Am a Frien
of q Friend OF Frohman." had a p,
culiar significance. That was as nea
as any one could get to him. He ha
few or no close personal friends. III
was almost never seen on the streets