Frank Vance Strauss
Encyclopedia
Frank Vance Strauss was an Ohio
business man who was the first to specialize in printing the theatre programme
in New York City
. He began by collecting ads for the Madison Square
Theatre and transformed the programme from a four page leaflet into a magazine playbill
that included advertisements along with the credits. Strauss began his work in 1884, and a year later recruited companies like Caswell Massey, Runkel Brothers Cocoa, and Schirmer Pianos to be advertised in his programs.
In 1891, Strauss merged with his main competitor and, by 1905, standardized the "design and layout of the programs so that the makeup would be easier and the sizes of advertising space uniform."
Because the programs were made of such a higher quality, audiences were collecting them as souvenirs. Strauss, along with other publishers, started to create albums and leather-bound volumes specifically for collecting programs. In 1918, Strauss sold the company to his nephew, Richard M. Huber. Under Huber the company's name changed to The Magazine Theater Program and, by 1924, was printing 16,000,000 playbills for over 60 theatres. This was the beginning of Huber's monopoly
over program printing for Broadway theatre
s.
Although Strauss founded the idea for the magazine playbill, Huber is given credit for starting the New York Theater Program Corporation, which in 1934-35 titled its magazines The Playbill.
The Playbill layout varied during this time. The more successful a show the more pages The Playbill contained. Anything Goes
was 48 pages while the Post Road was only 12 pages. Advertisements could also subscribe to a specific show and not a whole season. This was evident when advertisements contained the show's title within their ads. During the production of Rain or Shine Rogers Peet Company clothing store placed an ad that read “Rain or shine Scotch Mists are fine. Handsome, stylish overcoats that are wetproof too!” Advertisements were not the only additions to the playbill, but also short articles that discussed fashion, car care, book reviews, interviews, and even jokes.
In 1956, after 70 years as a family company, Huber sold The Playbill to producer and real estate magnate Roger L. Stevens
. Stevens changed the name simply to Playbill
and no longer allowed a production's image to dominate the cover. Instead, the cover was a generic design with the play's information located inside the Playbill. Public outcry forced Stevens to allow a colorful band to strip across the top of the Playbill with the show's information printed underneath. Over time the colorful band generalized into the yellow strip that is still common in today's Playbill.
Theatre playbills have become very valuable articles of information to a city or nation’s cultural history. The current Playbill collects samples of all their publications, which helps researchers understand what genre of theatre was being produced during a particular decade. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed all of Playbill’s theatre listings prior to 1924.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
business man who was the first to specialize in printing the theatre programme
Programme (booklet)
A programme or program is a booklet available for patrons attending a live event such as theatre performances, fêtes, sports events, etc. It is a printed leaflet outlining the parts of the event scheduled to take place, principal performers and background information. In the case of theatrical...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He began by collecting ads for the Madison Square
Madison Square
Madison Square is formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States and the principal author of the United States Constitution.The focus of the square is...
Theatre and transformed the programme from a four page leaflet into a magazine playbill
Playbill
Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door...
that included advertisements along with the credits. Strauss began his work in 1884, and a year later recruited companies like Caswell Massey, Runkel Brothers Cocoa, and Schirmer Pianos to be advertised in his programs.
In 1891, Strauss merged with his main competitor and, by 1905, standardized the "design and layout of the programs so that the makeup would be easier and the sizes of advertising space uniform."
Because the programs were made of such a higher quality, audiences were collecting them as souvenirs. Strauss, along with other publishers, started to create albums and leather-bound volumes specifically for collecting programs. In 1918, Strauss sold the company to his nephew, Richard M. Huber. Under Huber the company's name changed to The Magazine Theater Program and, by 1924, was printing 16,000,000 playbills for over 60 theatres. This was the beginning of Huber's monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over program printing for Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
s.
Although Strauss founded the idea for the magazine playbill, Huber is given credit for starting the New York Theater Program Corporation, which in 1934-35 titled its magazines The Playbill.
The Playbill layout varied during this time. The more successful a show the more pages The Playbill contained. Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
was 48 pages while the Post Road was only 12 pages. Advertisements could also subscribe to a specific show and not a whole season. This was evident when advertisements contained the show's title within their ads. During the production of Rain or Shine Rogers Peet Company clothing store placed an ad that read “Rain or shine Scotch Mists are fine. Handsome, stylish overcoats that are wetproof too!” Advertisements were not the only additions to the playbill, but also short articles that discussed fashion, car care, book reviews, interviews, and even jokes.
In 1956, after 70 years as a family company, Huber sold The Playbill to producer and real estate magnate Roger L. Stevens
Roger L. Stevens
Roger Lacey Stevens was an American theatrical producer, arts administrator, and a real estate executive. He is the founding Chairman of both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts , and National Endowment for the Arts .Born in Detroit, Michigan, Stevens was educated at The Choate School in...
. Stevens changed the name simply to Playbill
Playbill
Playbill is a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for particular shows to be distributed at the door...
and no longer allowed a production's image to dominate the cover. Instead, the cover was a generic design with the play's information located inside the Playbill. Public outcry forced Stevens to allow a colorful band to strip across the top of the Playbill with the show's information printed underneath. Over time the colorful band generalized into the yellow strip that is still common in today's Playbill.
Theatre playbills have become very valuable articles of information to a city or nation’s cultural history. The current Playbill collects samples of all their publications, which helps researchers understand what genre of theatre was being produced during a particular decade. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed all of Playbill’s theatre listings prior to 1924.