Sherman, Robert L. (Robert Lowery), 1867-

Robert L. Sherman was a Chicago theater manager who bought the holdings of the Chicago Manuscript Company after the owner's death. The Chicago Manuscript Company was a printing business that sold and rented play scripts to theater companies in the United States from 1895 until 1922.

From the description of Collection of play scripts, ca. 1860-1920. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 155864972

Robert L. Sherman was a theater manager who bought the holdings of the Chicago Manuscript Company after the owner's death. The Chicago Theater Company had been owned and managed for many years by Alexander Byers who acquired most of the plays he published by pirating them outright. Most of the thievery was accomplished by making minimal changes to plays. Sherman, given the opportunity to acquire the holdings, recognized the significance of these plays very early in the twentieth century. Born in 1866, Sherman began his acting career in a touring production of his own play My Friend from Arkansas. He later became a manager of tent repertoire companies, president of the Midwest Manager's Association, and a director of the United Manger's Association. He also authored and printed three books, (Actors and Authors, Drama Cyclodedia, and History of the Chicago Stage, Vol. 1) wrote dozens of plays and radio and television scripts, and purchased Byer's plays which he tried to sell to every major University library in the country. He also tried to market the scripts to the major movie studios in Hollywood during the 1930's and 40's.

From the description of Sherman Theater photograph collection. (Southern Illinois University). WorldCat record id: 319861579

From the description of Sherman theatre collection, 1871-1938. (Southern Illinois University). WorldCat record id: 312111515