The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-05

AUDIENCES SEATED UPON THE srAaE-PLAY HOUSE
CUSTOMS OF THE PAST.

For long time the spectators who were admit
I'D TO seats upon the stage seriously ncom-
NODDED the actors and affronted the less privileged
portion of the audience. In an early .Specta-
TORI kteele, describing visit to the Haymarket
Thester. makes mention of his surprise at seeing
. well dressed young fellow in q full-bottomed
wig appear in the midst Of the sea, aud, without
any visible concern, take snuff" The fine gen
tlemsn in Garrick's little comedy of Lethe "
describes to Esop his manner Of spending his
evenings: al dress and 60 generally behind the
scenes of both play houses-not. you may imag
inc. to be diverted with the play, but to intrigue
and show myself / stand upon the stage, talk
loud and stare about which confounds the actors
and disturbs the audience, upon which the gale
ries, who hate the appearance Of one Of US, begin
to hiss and cry, OF, off, while l. undaanted,
stamp my foot 80, loll with my shoulder thus,
take snuff with my right hand. and smile scorn.
they attack us with volleys of sucked oranges aud
bslf-eaten pippinsW i" And you retire ~ Esop
INQUIRIES. "Without doubt" replies the fne gen.
tlemsn, il am sober; for oranges will stain
silk, and an apple disfgure the features"
II was long custom in the London theaters, on
special occasions or particular benefits, to &C.
commodate an OVERLOOKING house by means lof
benches erected across the STAGE rising one above
the other, until sometimes the spectators were
perched up higher than the trees OF the scenery,
and hats and bonnets were behed fastened to the
clouds. The playful Of Garrick's benefit in l742
contains an announcement that The stage will be
formed into an amphitheater, where servants will
be allowed to keep plscesV In the following
year il was stated: I" The stage will be formed
into side boxes and seven rows of the pit will be
rallied into boxes.r The entrances were often-
times on these occasions 30 ohoked up by the
spectators that the players could hardly come
upon the scene; "and. !" says the authority, - the
feats of Bosworth Field, amidst drums, trumpets,
battle-axes. and spears. were enacted between
two audiences while Richard spoke his tent soilo.
guy and his dying lines upon carpet no bigger
than Q tablecloth." -
Tate wilkinson relates that he had seen Mrs.
Cibber, as Juliet, prostrating herself on an Old
couch covered with black cloth to represent the
tomb OF the Capuets, with at least 200 persons
behind her, and that when Quin returned to the
siege for one night to play falstaf for Ryan's
benefit Notwithstanding the impotence of the
audience to see their old favorite, it was severa
minutes before he could force his way 20 the
| stage through the numbers that hedged him in.
| But this arrangement, however remuneratiye tC
| the actor whose benefit was so literally patron
! ized was very unsatisfactory TO those among the
spectators who came TO the theater for entertain
| ment, and with an eye to scenic Illusion. More
| over, chickering's and jealousies ensued between
| the audiences before and behind the curtain
| Tbereupon arose practice. especially favored BY
| The less popular comedians, OF inserting At thu
bottom OF their Advertisements and play bills, By
| way OF an additional attraction, notice in thu
| following terms: IN. B.-There will be no build
| ing on the STAGE Thus, on the occasion of Mrs
! Bellany's benefit, in 1862 the bills of the nigh
announced, g. No part Of the pit will be rallied
| into boxes, nor any building on the STAGE"