The New York herald., 1921-02-06

n TOW that there are to be few
new productions before the
musical plays of the summer
season the painters of scenery, the de-
signers of costumes and the rest of
the men and women who live from the.
frequency Of the new plays are COM
planning bitterly that so much success
for the managers does not after all
mean the same prosperity for them.
They are practically with nothing to
do just at time at which they are
usually most actively employed in
their specialties.
Happiness in every box office does
not necessarily mean that there is
happiness for the men who live by
the new plays" a scene painter
mourned last night. Indeed the more
frequently the theatres change their
offerings the more PROSPEROUS we are.
Nowadays the best we can hope for
until the work for the summer shows
begins Is to get a job here and there
for a road company. The dressmakers
are feeling the widespread theatre sue
cess just as much as we are and suf-
fering just the same"
Gallery Gods.
One New York manager listens with
out excitement to all the comment on
the subject Of the twenty-five cent gal
lery urged by the A E. A. He knows
something about that question from ex
perience. Three years ago he decided
to WOO back the gallery crowd. He laid
new carpets over that floor, arranged
a species OF foyer behind the seats. put
In new chairs and gave every spectator
a numbered seat so that It was unneces-
sary to arrive early In order to get a
good place. After all these preparations
TO get back his old patrons he sat down
and waited.
The attendance kept about as 1t had
been before the improvements There
were several plays that were fairly sue
cessful. Then came a failure followed
by a rafting success that is running
yet. Well. the attractions of the won
derful gallery were ignored during the
run Of the first two plays and IL was,
OF course. empty when the failure came.
But ever since the manager has had his
sensational SUCCESS the gallery Is sold
out every night although he has raised
the prices.
"The man In gallery audiences Is just
like everybody else that goes to a thea
tre," he told the reporter Of THE New
YoRK HERALD. He wants thing when
he wants IT, II he doesn't want 1t moth
ing in the world is going 70 make him
pretend to. There Is no special senti-
ment about the gallery. Any man would
rather sit in an orchestra chair. But
II the play Is so good that he just must
zee II and he cannot afford any more ex4
pepsive parts of the house then he will
gosto the gallery. But he Is not going
there just to sit and watch play he
doesn't care anything about merely be-
cause the price Is only twenty-five cents"
The gallery used TO be reckoned an
important part of a managers assets
In this city since II always meant ''vel
vet" The other parts of the theatre
we're considered 10 pay for the produc-I I
tion and the ixed charges. II was then
that the gallery signified clear profit to
the manager of the theatre. OF course,
the abolition of the gallery In 30 many
new theatres has made II necessary TO
arrange otherwise for the distribution OF
expenses. But the gallery is as much as
Il ever was the sure barometer OF sue
cess. II is true to this day that the
theatre with the really impelling guo-
cess still sells out, as the managers say.
from the top" The gallery II the first
part OF the theatre that Is sold when n
is fortunate enough 20 have a
play that the public must see