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Show has to mmm The Lights and Shades of a Theatrical Advance Agent's Life Flying Leapi From One Plaoe to Another WHAT ONE NIGHT STANDS MEAN The Grmt Burden of Work and the Small Amount of Glory to the Advance Agent. One of the most important factors in the success of a dramatic enterprise "on the road" is good management. A shrewd manager in fact counts mora than the play or tho company. He is not, as rule, tifllicted with itny great love fur art, and tho "elevation of the dramatic taste of the people," which eionally lead him into disputes with local managers, or leas conscientious agents. He may refuse to take undue advantage of a competing attraction, and scorn the methods of minstrel lithographers, whu frequently destroy tho "window work" of other companies to make a better display dis-play of their own paper. But he is always alive to every legitimate legiti-mate aid to success, and often devises original modes of advertising which lead i to substantial results in tho box office. As a rule he is engaged fur uitf newspaper news-paper ability and influence with the country press. Tho ordinary udvauce j agent carries with him sheets of reprint press notices, which he loaves with local ' managers, who promise to work them into the newspapers of their towns. He seldom calls upon tho dramatic critics, trusting to luck und their good nature under tlio manipulation of the local manager man-ager for the appearance of Ins advance notices. Now the agent whu lias had a journalistic journal-istic training works on an entirely different dif-ferent plan. One of his fust moves on reaching a town is to strike up an acquaintance ac-quaintance with tho local newspaper men, with whom he in soon on the best of terniH. He has kept his eyes and ears open on Ins journey, and is usually good for a readable ilem apart from theatrical theatric-al affairs. If tho reporters uro pushed for time, which is a common thing on the country press, he sils down aud writes something acceptable for the news columns. In this way a feeling of rood fellowship is established, which results in capital notices for his company. NewspajMT men like to help one another, and as a rule will do more for tho agent who has graduated from t!n-ir ranks than for one who has no professional claim on their attention. Jt must not be inferred, however, that tho journalistic agent finds his path Btrewed with roses. The very fact that advance notices coino ea.-icr to him brings trouble in its wake. Managers ' and stars exist largely on adulation, and i continually cry for more. They demand i original notices at every stand. They seem unable to comprehend that uows- IIEM'IMI THK BILL POSTER, gives tin? critics so much concern, cuts little or no figure in his calculations. His business first of all is to make money. If in tho course of that delightful delight-ful occupation he can manage to persuade per-suade the public, that his aspirations are of a loftier kind, so much tlio better for his real object. Barnum, the greatest bowman of tlm age, knew tho potency of humbug, and almost every theatrical manager copies Barnum. Each has the "greatest attraction of the time," each is an adept in the employment of extravagant ex-travagant adjectives for advertising purposes, pur-poses, and each sends out an emissary in advance to plaster the walls with excessive excess-ive promises and blazon forth the glories glo-ries of tho coming show. Advance work, as it is called, is regarded re-garded by many professionals as tha touchstone of financial success. The ligent, however, is the general scapegoat of the business. Should a company meet with bad luck in any town the blame is invariably thrown upon the shoulders of the advance agent, lie is accused of imperfect "billing," of neglecting tho newspapers and general carelessness. On the other hand, such is the perversity of theatrical nature, should the company play to packed houses tho stars appropriate appro-priate all the credit to themselves. The advance agent is then completely forgotten. forgot-ten. They care not whether his work was well or ill done. The artists plume themselves upon their "drawing" powers, while the manager chuckles over tha dollars in the treasury and prides himself him-self on the shrewdness of his "booking." Sometimes, however, the director of a tour combines in himself tho duties of manager and advance agent. In such cases misfortune is ascribed to the "rottenness" "rot-tenness" of the stand; the theatregoers are accused of lack of appreciation, and the local management of almost criminal crimi-nal incompetency. The advance manager man-ager cannot consistently "roast" himself, while the company, however much they are disposed to make faces behind his back, are compelled for prudential reasons rea-sons to accept the situation as gracefully as t hey can. It will be readily understood that the advance agent lias a hard row to hoe. His duties are of a miscellaneous character. Ha litis to see that local managers man-agers live up to the terms of their contracts, con-tracts, to watch that they do not shirk their quota of advertising or prove delinquent de-linquent in' the matter of billing. He has to jostle the bill poster, make friends with the newspapers, procure hotel rates for tho company and contract with the transfer ieople for tho transportation o. eenery and baggage to and from tho theatre and hotels. Then ho has to make himself a walking advertisement of the attraction. On no occasion must he neglect to sound its praises. In the liotel lobbies, on the cars, everywhere NO FVNPS IK PIOHT. papers have other liesides theatrical matters mat-ters to attend to. Many of them have a deep rooted conviction that tho eyes of the universe are centered upon them, and that it is the duty of all iiewspaperdom to fall down and worship them. When he has this class to cater to the journalistic journal-istic agent speedily rinds theatrical life a burden and a suaro. His former training train-ing leads him to respect newspaper rules, some of which are stringent in regard to advance notices; but the manager in the rear keeps clamoring for free and original orig-inal advertising, and when it is lacking lays the blaino entirely on the agent in advance. These are a few of tho annoyances of the agent on the road. There are others, however, which are not so easily borne. Not infrequently ho is blamed for the shortcomings of lx'l managers. For instance, in-stance, he has left sufficient paper to profusely bill a certain town, and "laid it out" carefully for the poster. Tho company com-pany arrives to find little paper on the walls, and tho manager swears it was the fault of the agent, who is not there to defend himself. Tho message then hurled at the innocent man in advance is not always conducive to his piety. But the worst evil he has to contend against is tho failure of the manager or treasurer to send him funds on the road. Ho arrives at a town where his stipend and expenses are to meet him without a cent after paying railway fare. A visit to tho express ollice results in the cheerful information that no money package has been scut. He strikes the local manager for a loan, and receives sometimes a flat refusal and sometimes only half tho amount ho needs. He makes tho wires groan with invective, and receives no reply. He goes tn to tho next town and has a similar experience. experi-ence. It is then he realizes the uncertainty uncer-tainty of things theatrical. John W. Postoate. G ETTi:? AROt-'NT) THE, EDITOR. where men congivgs-tn, lie is expected to talk shop. His whole being must be permeated with the grandeur of the organization or-ganization he represents; his life on tho road consecrated to extolling its merits in the aggregate, aud expatiating on the superlative ability of its individual members. All this requires tact and resources of no mean order. At times it demands uncommon energy to work one night stands. In remote sections railroad connections are often perverse and aggravating. ag-gravating. The udv;ice agent cannot make his destination until late in the afternoon, and must leave early the following fol-lowing morning so as not to slur the next stand. This calls for hustling iu ( the most laliorions sense of the term , an unusual expenditure of physical and i mental energy. ! Of lite years there has been a growing i disposition on tho part of managers to j employ newspaper men aa advance agents. The competent journalist often possesses bright business qualifications-lie qualifications-lie is, moreover, never without tact, and Lis knowledge of men and affairs makes liim invaluable on tho road. The routine of advance work is easily learued; a day or two suffices to initiate him into the mysteries of show printing and bill pe.-1-'ing, and there is nothing very occult it) the so called tricks of the trade. His crofesHional sense of justice nuivocc.v. |