Palmer's Theatre 1888-1893 EJ Phillips

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Palmer's Theatre

"Often spoken of as the leading theatre in America; partly because it is the playhouse of which the name of Lester Wallack was most recently associated, and partly because of the prestige of the present manager, Albert M. Palmer, who had achieved distinct success at the Union-Square and Madison-Square Theatres before he took charge of this house...Mr. Palmer took possession as manager in Sept 1888 ...The auditorium is handsomely decorated in dark tints, relieved with gold." Seats 1200. Kings NYC

AM Palmer assumed control of Wallack's Theatre in 1888 and tried to establish another stock company based there. He produced plays in New York through 1896. Arthur Hornblow, theatre historian and the manager's assistant play reader (1892-1894) thought Alabama (1891-1892) was the high-water mark of Palmer's managerial success. "After that he lost ground rapidly and never regained it".

Palmer's Theatre 1892 Wikimedia Commons

In March 1891 EJ Phillips wrote to Albert that she was playing in the Pharisee next week at the Madison Square. This week at Palmers in Wealth "a very bad part indeed."

Odell reports that on Nov 2, 1891 Palmer "brought to this stage the splendid stock company which we had admired for so many years at the Madison Square Theatre. We remember that, after his successful seasons there with Jim the Penman, Captain Swift and Aunt Jack, the season of 1890-1891 had been for the manager almost disastrous, till, toward it s close Augustus Thomas's charming play Alabama brought a return of prosperity which he was forced to cut short because of previous engagements. He now signalised the passing from the former theatre to the new with a revival of the Thomas comedy, and with Sarah Bernhardt in the first-night audience.

"A faithful follower of the Palmer company, I [Odell] attended one of their earliest performances of Alabama in their newer home. The reader knows that the lovely comedy lost something in its journey six blocks northward to the larger house. A sense of intimacy, possible and delightful in the Madison Square Theatre, could never be attained at Palmer's; even the Wallack company had never seemed so near and dear at Thirtieth Street as at Thirteenth Street. The fact is that no one ever felt quite at home in the house just across Broadway from Daly's cozy drawing room auditorium. It seemed larger than it really was; and I always felt that I must strain to arrive, in imagination, among the actors on the stage.

In December 1891 Palmer produced Margaret Fleming by James A. Herne, advertised as "never before seen on the stage of a theatre" (though actually it had been acted in Lynn and Boston). Odell notes that the Herald review found the play "monotonous and talky" and suggests that it was like "certain Ibsen dramas, more stimulating to read than to see in action on the stage."

Jim the Penman was revived in Jan 1892. In Feb. Palmer produced Sydney Grundy's Broken Seal.

Palmer's season opened on Oct. 3, 1892 with John Drew (so long a leading man at Daly's) in The Masked Ball ("an amusing, if non-essential farce" according to Odell). This ran until Charles Frohman brought in Bronson Howard's Aristocracy on Nov. 14th.

Then on Feb. 6, 1893 came Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, first produced in Boston. After AM Palmer gave up Palmer's Theatre he managed road tours for Richard Mansfield for some years. Dictionary of American Biography

Palmer's Theatre was opened as Wallack's Theatre in 1882. Lester Wallack retired in 1887 and died in Sept 1888. AM Palmer ran the theater as Palmer's Theatre from October 1888 to November 1896, relinquishing his lease two years early. The theater was renamed Wallacks in Dec 1896. Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallack%27s_Theatre#30th_Street_and_Broadway

Bibliography
New York Times Theater Reviews, New York: New York Times, 1975. Vol. 1. 1870-1885, Vol. 2 1886-1895. It became Wallack's Theatre again in 1895. http://www.playbill.com/venue/palmers-theatre-vault-0000000290
Odell, George Clinton Densmore, Annals of the New York Stage, New York : Columbia University Press, 1927.
Strang, Lewis C., Players and Plays of the Last Quarter Century, Boston : L. C. Page & Co., 1902.

Last revised January 5, 2019

1891 1 6 sickly piece New York NY Palmer's Mad Square Theatre Esther Sandraz Mme Fourcanade Lilly Langtry played in

1891 1 20 New York NY Palmers Theatre rehearsals of new play tomorrow Social Fiction?

1891 2 5 New York NY Palmers Theatre business matters so unsettled makes the Governor cross I do not like to get off and dare not go without asking

1891 2 13 New York NY Palmers Theatre Alabama reading of new play by Gus Thomas not yet for rehearsal

1891 3 8 to Mar 11 New York NY Palmers Theatre Wealth Mrs Palfreyman EJP replaced lady inwho was not up the requirements

1890 10 27 "so bad" New York NY Palmers Theatre Middleman return from 5 months touring received part in after return

1890 12 5 New York NY Palmers Theatre Judah will take place of Middleman Dec 29th

1892 1 10 New York NY Palmer's Theatre rehearing new play tomorrow Broken Seal

1892 1 17 New York NY Palmer's Theatre begin work Wed 8 months and 4 days since I last appeared Buffalo May 16th Adelina Patti concert

1892 1 20 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Jim the Penman revival Lady Dunscombe Maurice Barrymore

1892 2 3 to Mar 5 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Broken Seal gloomy Madelaine French peasant housekeeper

1891 3 22 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Dinner at Eight curtain raiser Death of Lawrence Barrett "ambitious struggles at an end"

1893 9 15 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Lady Windermere's Fan Duchess of Berwick

1893 9 18 2 weeks New York NY Palmer's Theatre Lady Windermere/s Fan rehearsal Sept 9 dressmakers shoemaker milliners

1894 10 15 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Transgressor Mrs Woodville

1891 10 18 New York NY Palmer's Theatre season top opens with Alabama

1894 10 29 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Camille Madame Prudence

1891 11 10 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Middleman EJP not in Mrs Chandler?

1891 11 13 New York NY Palmer's Theatre Mrs Scott Siddons matinée over rehearsals for new play begin at once I expect to be wanted

1891 11 23 New York NY Palmer's Theatre New plays for Wed matinees EJP in AM Palmer no longer mgr Madi Square

1891 11 27 New York NY Palmer's Theatre have not had pleasant experience with my mgr do not like to ask for favors would not do me to be absent

1891 12 16 New York NY Palmer's Theatre still doing nothing and very tired ot it. Makes me feel old and useless

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1891	1	6	sickly piece	New York NY	Palmer's Mad Square Theatre	Esther Sandraz		Mme Fourcanade			Lilly Langtry played in
1891	1	20		New York NY	Palmers Theatre	rehearsals of new play tomorrow			Social Fiction?
1891	2	5		New York NY	Palmers Theatre	business matters so unsettled makes the Governor cross I do not like to get off and dare not go without asking
1891	2	13		New York NY	Palmers Theatre	Alabama reading of new play by Gus Thomas not yet for rehearsal
1891	3	8	to Mar 11	New York NY	Palmers Theatre	Wealth		Mrs Palfreyman EJP replaced lady inwho was not up the requirements
1890	10	27	"so bad"	New York NY	Palmers Theatre	Middleman	return from 5 months touring			received part in after return
1890	12	5		New York NY	Palmers Theatre	Judah will take place of Middleman Dec 29th
1892	1	10		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	rehearing new play tomorrow Broken Seal
1892	1	17		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	begin work Wed 8 months and 4 days since I last appeared Buffalo May 16th Adelina Patti concert
1892	1	20		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Jim the Penman revival		Lady Dunscombe			Maurice Barrymore
1892	2	3	to Mar 5	New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Broken Seal	gloomy	Madelaine French peasant housekeeper
1891	3	22		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Dinner at Eight curtain raiser			Death of Lawrence Barrett "ambitious struggles at an end"
1893	9	15		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Lady Windermere's Fan		Duchess of Berwick
1893	9	18	2 weeks	New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Lady Windermere/s Fan rehearsal				Sept 9 dressmakers shoemaker milliners
1894	10	15		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Transgressor		Mrs Woodville
1891	10	18		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	season top opens with Alabama
1894	10	29		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Camille	Madame Prudence
1891	11	10		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Middleman		EJP not in Mrs Chandler?
1891	11	13		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	Mrs Scott Siddons matinée over rehearsals for new play begin at once I expect to be wanted
1891	11	23		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	New plays for Wed matinees EJP in			AM Palmer no longer mgr Madi Square
1891	11	27		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	have not had pleasant experience with my mgr do not like to ask for favors would not do me to be absent
1891	12	16		New York NY	Palmer's Theatre	still doing nothing and very tired ot it. Makes me feel old and useless