The New York herald., 1921-10-30
So Top Scale for
Theatres, Predicts
William Harris, L.
If Not This Winter 1t Surely
Will Come Next Season,
Says Producer.
w yILLIAM HARRIS. Jr, offers

as O declaration to be remembered on
Thanksgiving Day by those who can
not afford to pay much for theatres in
these days Of hootch that's worth a
kings ransom. And Mr. Harris ought
10 know, for he's leading manager
himself.
"If not this season, then certainly
next season." said the producer IN his
Office in the Hudson Theatre the other
day, managers will have turned to-
ward the 50 scale as means of saliva
tion. That So bird is on the wing al
ready. II steel comes down. then it
stands to reason that prices will be
reduced in other commodities. such as
theatre tickets, which aren't exactly
/ necessary to keep the :lat!on on its
| legs.
"Tickets haven't come down to that
price yet this season, because managers
are still paying for the high cost Of
| production of the last two years The
theatre in this respect Is a great deal
like dry goods establishment, In which
the good old law of supply works In Its
wonderful way. That's a system that
no one has yet figured out how to beat.
The dry goods retailer, being over
stocked, cannot cut the prices on goods
he has bought from the wholesaler, be-
cause when he tries to pass his loss
along the line and cut the pay OF his
| help the help holler.
! 80 he marks time without selling any
Of those goods until he finally decides in
desperation that it's better to have so
cents on the dollar than nothing at all.
So he sells at q big cut. and then he
says to his help Now, I've taken my
loss; you'll have to take yours!' ).
better for Theatre.
! THE manager in the end will have TO
bear the loss probably. and bear it like
a little man. The So top Is better for
the theatre. anyhow. meaning q snappier
turnover. But after the banner boom
following the war managers are reluc-
tant to cut their scale, though business
with many of them isn't very good just
now, because they're afraid that pros
perity may come sweeping back and
then they'll be caught with their price
down. Actors salaries will come tum-
bling, too. They may not be dropping
much now, but there's flock of them
sitting over in the Lambs. and they'll
continue to sit until they can't hold out
any longer against an offer to eat--at Q
I lower salary. You'd be surprised how
| an actor will jump at a chance to eat !"
Mr.. Harris seems like very boyisl,
manager, with a habit Of occasionally
bursting right out with laundering
'gol darn it y That youthful geniality
| persuaded the interviewer to inquire IL
there was any winning system for pick
Ing plays. as they say there Is at Monte
Carlo.
The other night" he said, II was at
the theatre with Edward Milton Royle,
the playwright, and he started to say
| Now, there's one cure principle In writ
ing a play Then I laughed--and he
laughed--that lines always good for q
laugh. No. there no touchstone for sue
cess to be applied to play, because the
stage is an art that's miles away from
any other art In its nature. II q man
paints q picture he doesn't have To do It
| to please any one but himself--its favor
is unanimous. Should be want to get rid
OF that picture he has to fnd only one
solitary purchaser. But In the theatre
oh. my golly Even II play runs only
six weeks 1t can play In that time to
about $4,000 persons--which Is some-
| thing OF mob to please. And a play
that stays a whole year In New York
has to encounter $4,000 persons of diff
| ferent tastes which is quite a handful.
"A play. perhaps can bear UP better
with a good story. East Is West
caught my notice because 1t had that
end IL play has that good foundation
so much to Its credit. But every pieco
is law unto itself. like genius. heard
Sir Arthur Pinero. probably the greatest
craftsman Of the stage lecture at great
length on writing q play. and then when
| he wound UP by saying that each play
has it's own laws I thought to myself.
| Then why lecture on playwriting?' The
| fascinating part of this business Is that
| each production Is a new adventure. So
] shan't confine myself in the future to
farces like 'Bluebeard's Eighth Wife or
historical dramas like Abraham Lin
coin,' but shall simply present any type
OF play that can stand on it's own
merits--even taking flier In tragedy
| II worth IT,"
His News Of the Lost Leader.
As TO reviving "The Lost Leader" the
drama revolving about Charles Stewart
Parnell, which drew approving fire from
the critics but failed to get any warmth
from the populace. Mr.. Harris paused
and tried to be grave for a moment, az
he expressed his doubts about reslsci-
| tating II. With twinkle in his eyes. he
went on to tell how he had treated
| himself to this Irish play by Lenncx
Robinson. knowing II would fail, but
feeling. as II was inexpensive, he was
entitled 10 indulge himself with n theat-
rical whim just like ordinary theatre-
! goers.
| Tho trouble with that play" he re-
marked. twas that every one felt that
| the man supposed TO be Pprneil in the
last act. instead Of being XIII ~, should
have told how to clear up the irish situ-
alton. But that seems to be beyond the
power OF any cne man. IL you waited
| It'll the Irish question was settled and
then rewrote the play with this solution
put In that mans mouth. ycu might
have to wait 700 years before revving
IT,"
I As becomes n manager who has done
| much that Is artistic. he has great adj
4 miration for the work OF the Theatre
Guild. though he does not consider their
influence has reacted SO much on the
managers of upper Broadway, who. he
said. "you must admit have been doing
| pretty well, think you."
'They are important" he went on,
principally as an expression OF n hope
ful trend OF the times, and while they
n.sr not Ill UP the house every night
for Ambush still they will get enough
persons 20 see Il during n six weeks
| run TO make It clear that New York IL
pretty well insured against boneheaded-
| ness.