Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-06
THeAIER GOING IN LONDON.
An kmerIean's First View ofan English
Audience.

AnRmerIcan'sF First View ofan English
Audience.
London Letter, Ne'r York S,'1-
went TO a London theater i'll the same
spirit that i go to New York theater.
| fancied that my experience here
would enable me TO secure good seat
and see good play without trouble. a
small poster in the rOtunda OF the COM
mprcial Hotel announced the play OF
The Colonel at the Prince OF Wales
ROYAL ThCatcr. 1t was to BE- preceded
by a farce i'm which the daughter OF the
hate r. 4. Sothern was 10 appear. LII
was q misty, rainy night. drifted into
the vcstibule along with the current. III
was very small, and contained but one
box Office. Iasked for an orchestra seat
rs near the stage a possible, Two anu
sixpence, sir was the response. on
passing i'm the coin ! received dlnSy
pastebOard card, but no coupon Inc
agent. however, assured me that the
ticket called for desirable seat, anu L
was directed 10 the first entrance on the
left. On surrendering my ticket i was
turned over TO \ female usher whoWore
a white apron and French cap. She
assigned me seat. 1t was on 4 bench
without back, about Il foot wide, anu
covered with red leather. IL was away
back under the dress circle, at least
dozen rows from the railing enclosing
the orchestra chairs. 1t commanded no
view of the theater, and only fair view
Ofth lower bali of the stage. Inc
curtain was up, and SOthern's daughter
was already deep in the merits OF the
farce. All the orchestra chairs We're
empty, | pointed To them, and asked
the Young lady whether | could not
secure one Of them. She said she
thought that they were all taken, and
advised me to keep my seat, rs 1t was
the hest that was to be had. | replied
that 1 should leave the theater If could
not buy an orchestra seat. why, sir, y
said he, they are half u guinea l
expressed an entire willingness to pay II,
and she hesitatingly suggested that
gentlemen who occupied that part OF
the house usually appeared IN tuH dress.
| asked whether all others We're eXclud-
cd. She thought not. BY this time L
found myself the center Of interest IN
the Dit, for it seems that | was i'll the
Dit. Its occupants were straining their
ears To hear the farce, and they were
ANNOYED at my efforts to secure better
seat. a broad-shOuldered man, with
heavy black eyebrows gave me villa
nous scOwl, and ruddy-faced English
lad loosely advised me 10 pay the girl
and let her go. Acting on the hint, l
apolOgetically rendered her shilling
threw nv ovcrcoat over my arm, and
moved toward the door with Il flushed
face. The girl kept at my side, and in
duced an attendant TO go to the box Of
fee with me and assist me in securing
a seat in the parquet. Receiving y
check representing the sum OF two ana
sixpence, was ushered into the street
and shown a second entrance to the
theater, which had previously escaped
nv attention. The check was presented
at the box office, and l asked for an
orchestra chair. The agent replied that
he had nothing but box stalls. Under
the vague impression that box stau
was a private box, asked the price.
''Half guinea" was the answer, ana u
flashed through my head that a box stalI
was an orchestra seat under another
name.
SQUADS of ladies and gentlemen in full
evening dress poured down the carpeted
stsirways thanking the stage. The ladies
wore low bodices andno bonnets. They
were not overdressed. There were no
stunning displays of jewelry, and no
elaborate cOitfures. The hair was neat
Iy cOiled on the back of the head and
held in place with the simplest pins and
combs. Some young ladies wore plain
velvet ribbons around their necSS. The
gentlemen were gloveleSs. The ladies
wore white kid gloves. Canes, over
coats, and wraps were invariably left nj
the cloak room. All acted as though
they were i'm drawing room. The
finest acting and the tersest of hits drew
no applause from the boN-StallS. III
seemed 10 be mark of ill-breedlng to
either appland or to laugh heartily. Inc
Dit and gallery, however, were III
eestasies. Ladies' in both sections wore
their hats or took them off, as they
pleased. Between the acts refreshments
were served. Many Ofthe ladies in the
orchestra seats ate ice cream, and the
ponpinp of beer bottles was heard in the
nil. Gentlemen visited the refresh
ment saloon near the entrance, wnere
three pretty barmaids sold coffee
liquors and cigarets. Those who deslr-
ed visited saloons outside going anu re-
turning without checks.
NV experience in other London
theaters was a repetition of my eXper-,
fence at the Prince of Wales Royal
Theater. All the plays were cast much
stronger than in America. Spectacular
dramas were produced with the closest
attention to the most minute details. Al
tbe Drury Lane saw battle scene IN
south Africa 30 perfect that l could
hardly realize that it was sham fight:
The It. James is the swell theater at
London. Its actors spoke the English
Language as it is spoken in America;
and without the British drawl affected
-. -, American actors,