January 21, 1915
Dear Miss Addams:
In continuance of our conversation with reference to the suggestion that the Chicago Little Theatre Company should tour in America in the "Trojan Women of Euripedes" (Gilbert Murray's translation) under the auspices and for the benefit of the Woman's Peace Party, I beg to submit the following considerations and tentative proposal:
To give reasonable opportunity for adequate results ensuing, a minimum period of ten weeks should be allowed for the tour:
The maximum cost of such a ten weeks tour, apart from railroad expenses, would be (in accordance with attached estimate) $7350, viz., $1350 preliminary expenses and $6000 running expenses;
It seems to me fair that the Woman's Peace Party should bear the entire preliminary expenses (viz. $1350) and the risk of half the running expenses (viz. $3000) i.e. $4350 total risk.
In return for a subsidy of $4350, payable $1350 on the signing of the contract, and the remainder on demand, I am prepared, at four weeks' notice to take the Little Chicago Theatre Company on tour in the Trojan Women as suggested, the tour to last till such a time as the subsidy is exhausted;
I will hand over to the Woman's Peace Party the entire net profits of the tour, that is to say the entire gross receipts less 5% over and above $650 weekly running expenses (in accordance with attached estimate);
I am prepared to handle the entire organization of the tour personally, provided of course that the Woman's Peace Party affords me all necessary information;
I have suggested above a deduction of 5% from the gross receipts; such percentage would be applied solely to the overhead expenses of the Chicago Little Theatre during the period -- and in view -- of the company's absence from the theatre; should it exceed an average of $50. weekly, I would refund the difference to the Woman's Peace Party.
I enclose a rough draft of a proposed circular, giving suggested terms for bookings.
With regard to the translator's royalties, I have assumed that Gilbert Murray would, under the circumstances, allow us to use his translation free; otherwise, by the terms of my existing agreement with him, you would have to pay in addition to the estimates given, $50. a week for the first eight weeks, $75 a week for the next four weeks, $100 a week for the fourth four weeks, and so on to a maximum of $200 a week. [page 2]
Please accept the warmest assurances of my profound sympathy with the objects of the Woman's Peace Party and my sincere desire to serve them in any way possible.
Yours very truly,
(sgn) Maurice Browne
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