Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-04-25
The RIGHTS of Thea.er.s.o.~

MI. EdftoT:-Wlu not you be kind enough to
rlgnts OF persons who attend concerts, operas
ana other public performances, for admission to
we1ch they pay? II buy linen of dry goods
my property, and the law Furnishes any one
VINO either entirely deprives me OF its use by
SS. v IT, or who impatrs its usefulness to me
70 Iolt which makes 1t less valuable to me. When
guy ticket OF admission TO an opera 7 mr.
anss &c she dpryege OF listening to the perform
nave a right to recover the purchase-money of
Inc ticket OF admission; or, IL choose, I can IN
= Migrant case proceed crtminaly In fact.
noMsVer, the excellence Of the performance de-
penus, SO lar as the audience Is concerned on
~; ~ capficious thing as the taste of the major
wba prtSenC; rms majority may be pleased by
" VI Iepugnant to many OF those present. Nov
Tue practical question is this Have 1 the
a sn nerto 70 IN noo any manner interfere vita
a aes ooa majority OF the audience? l.
a ana eacn one OF those present, have the right
s ano onty the right which the ticket of adals
auiniSslon 10 what, for want of a better Term
ma may De called popular performance. Il -
tn u, advertised to be given to critics. or det
ouG SIMPLY TO the public; IT. mus linen or
course De adapted to the public and so long a.
nass a1plty OF those present are content to wit
nave no right to interfere with the en;ovme39t
1 na my ;Sss CRITICAL or fashionable ne:ghbor who
49, , p on JusC as nucn money as have TO w-
ness TINS same performance. The singers NAV
not please me. critic; very well, I can revenre
myse1 In the papers. The persons SitItnv ma ar
I me may De vulgar In appearance and dress ana
may cOnCamlnate me; very well. can ridtcule
mem az my club or get up a little cheap wit at
ihe1r expense among my fashionable ladv
friends II these methods Of revenge are insus-
fcient, can simply leave the theater. and Ia
future go only to entertainments EXPIRE SLY al
veftlSed Tor critics or for fashionable people
MY course Is plain in any view of the matter In
40 n fH4~o
with the enjoyment of those who have as much
right to be present and to have their individual
tastes as have. In this case, as In many 9th
erS, t1 the majority must rule; II by disorder of
what they have paid for, do an act watch is
only not illegal, because it Is in many cases
700 Intangible to be grasped; for that reason it
am led to these remarks by my own unfor-
tunate experience on Monday night attended
the performance OF Mariana at the National,
anu nad my abundance money stolen from me
Dy some persons, presume they would cali
themselves gentlemen and ladies, who sat near
me. Their chattering and jabbering were con
t Hnueo not only during the rectative, but
lutely destroyed the beautiful duo in the last
act. l, with other sufferers, looked apDealingiv
to them, but to no purpose. They still jabbered.
one gentleman, himself an artist OF no mean
order, Missed them, and then they looked indig
nant and-kept on.
Now, Mr.. Editor such conduct Is, In the first
pace, simply dishonest. It Is stealing from
some OF the audience the money which they
have paid for the privilege of listening to the
performance. In the second place 1t is highly
seflsh; the chatterers deprive others Of eniov-
pie to them. In the third place, it is most IL
pred and vulgar, because these chatterers mn
themselves most dlsagreeabiy conspicu1, 8
t unuel circumstances Which would induce any
true gentleman or lady to shun such unfayora-
bic public notice.
SO long as the police are not authorized to ar
rest Tor dtsOrderly conduct all persons. male
ana female, thus trespassing on the rights OF
tne pubic, let us hope that this abuse VIII be
condemned and put down. by the snobs of
90 DON sexes VINO practice it, nor by the shOddy,
the children who to-day blush at the vocations
OF tne1r fathers which created the fortunes on
t,n tnelf social position rests,-but by the
True men and women OF our capitol city, Wa0
Deneve gentleman to be man who respects
the rights OF others, and lady to be WON IN
deiicacy, not grossness, for refinement. not
vulgartty. SUFFERER