The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-11
LADY USHERS.
Success of the Experiment in New York
How the Girls Like the Work.

"Will you let me have your coupon sir, that
| may show you to your seatE
That request was uttered in a soft low voice
as a World reporter entered the lobby of Nc
Kee Rankns Third avenue Theater. and being
so totally different from the Check" CHECK.
with which one is greeted at the other theaters,
caused him to turn, and for the first time he be
held one Of the lady ushers. She was a tail,
slender blonde, whose hair, as it fell from under
her jaunty lace cap. was gathered behind,
braided and then allowed to fall down her back,
showing plain contrast to the dark blue dress;
| whose sombreness was only otherwise renewed
by small bouquet at the breast and a neat
apron, from of the pockets of which the ends
of small lace handkerchief protruded.
With gracious smile she took the coupon,
| led the way down the aisle in an easy, dlgnlhed
| and self-pOSsessed manner, gently let down the
seat, and then retraced her steps to the rear of
the theater. The whole proceeding was in such
strong contrast to the manner of the male usher
| who takes your coupon with jerk, and, after
a hasty glance at it, rushes hurriedly away with
heavy footsteps and extended coat-tails, necessi-
tatng doublequick march on the unfortunate
purchaser of the ticket in order to keep up with
the Official VINO throws down the seat with a
noise which reverberates throughout the house
that one involuntarily felt it would be pleasure
to leave the seat and to be shown to it innumer-
able times during the evening by the new-style
usher.
How do you like your new postion" swas
asked of one of the ushers by the reporter.
oh, she answered smilingly, Il think it's
just too nice for anything. Why, its really just
as good as going to the theater every night for
pleasure, for our duties do not last much longer
than an hour each evening-from about 1:30-
and, as far as l am concerned | can not say
that find the seating of people much work.
| Did you enjoy yourself on the first few
nights of your engagement
Il must say that | awfully embarrassed
and confused | did not mind very much show
ing the people their seats, but when | turued
around to return to the rear of the theater |
pt ham To all md
| directed at me, and when | made one or two
mistakes about the location of the seats felt as
though would faint, and | know my face must
have become frightfully red. l thought l could
not possibly stand this but on each succeeding
night my embarrassment wore Off and now
don't mind it in the least In fact, as said be-
fore | rather like it"
DO you have any trouble with any of the
people YOU seat2'
Very seldom at the beginning we were
bothered by some gentlemen who were under
the influence of heavy dinners or the many
cloves they had eaten during the lnterrnissons,
but these cases were always reported to the male
usher who had charge of US, and word from
him generally quieted the demonstrative indi-
vidual. or if otherwise, they were elected. But,
as general rule we are treated with much re
spect and have but little cause to complain"
Would you rather see an audience of ladies
or gentlemenl"
1T is altogether immaterial to me- the young
lady answered, who / seat as long as they do
! not insult me. VI course, laQ1eS are inclined TO
be more particular than gentlemen and to re
quire more attention, which | suppose they re-
ceive at the hands of male ushers, but as rule
they do no ult-fnding. l find it harder to
bear the stares of the ladies, because and here
| a rogush CLEAN lit up her eyes, lit is not alto
gether dispeasing to a girl to be locked at by
gentlemen And think it only right if ladies
| receive more attention from male ushers, that
gentlemen should be shown little favor at our
hands. Don't you think that's fairl"
After emnhaticallV acQuieScng in this declara
ton of principles, the young lady was asked if
she had been annoyed at all by that class of
mankind Familiarity known as Washers"
''Mashersw she exclaimed well you should
just have seen them flock here the first week we
were here, after you newspaper men had an
noupced the change. My! but they made me
tired. They would stand in the lobby watch US
! and Smirk as they tYiPled the few hairs on
their upper lips and try to look sweet as pie.
| But when they found we would take no notice
of them, they soon began to drop off. l settled
one of them one evening He had been grinning
| at me- and when he finally handed me his
coupon he caught my hand in his and squeezed
it, l looked at hun, and then, so that every one
around me could hear, told him that if he in
suited me again in that manner l would report
| him to the male usher / then walked down to
! where his seat was, but when | found it he was
not to be seen. He had evidently lost all desire
to see the pay, and had left the house My lit
tie brother came to the theater that night, and
| gave him the dudes seat. 1t was good one
| too, down in the third row."
At this moment the lady was called away by
the head lady usher, who volunteered to give the
reporter some information When asked if she
was at all embarrassed the first night, she eX-
claimed:
Embarrassed l ehess not. There was no
| fear of my being embarrassed, for | have been
an usher in the old country. Yes, L occupied
the same position in the Gayety Theater, in Lon
don, and therefore you see | have had some eX-
perence. One of the other ladies here had also
been an usher on the other side, and when some
of the other girls felt somewhat discouraged we
| gave them the benefit of our advice"
DESTROYS of ascertaining how the tastes of
the ladies went regards the play presented
at the theater since their advent she was asked
| oh she said, for my part | most admired
Joe Murphy in Kerry Cow, but l think that
the other girls are divided between the Rankins
in 40 and Clara Morris in Miss Mutton. The lat
| ter does not affect me in the least, although
nearly all the ladies in the audience are in tears
| and notice that the other lady ushers have
| brought an unusual number of handkerchiefs
with them each night this week, all of which
they take home wet. Did you notice how red
| that other lady's eyes were"
A talk with the manager of the theater showed
that the employment of ladies is locked upon as
| a great success. There are five of them-three
| upon the orchestra floor and two on the first
balcony. Over each of these divisions male
usher is in charge, to direct and facilitate the
| work
Il think it is grand drawing card said one
| of the gentlemen connected with the theater.
AT first many OF lady patrons did not like
the idea, as they thought the girls might pay more
| attention to flirting than to their duties, but,
| upon seeing how nicely and easily everything
worked, without any of the hustle or excitement
which male ushers invariably create, they at
once admitted that the girls were far superior to
male ushers, and that is an opinion in which
| everybody comedies These are the same ladies
who were with us the first night, there having
been no changes. Another improvement is that
they cannot be used as clacquers, which is one
of the ignoble uses to which male usher is put.
You have often seen that the only persons APP
plauding in the house are the ushers. This is
something which the general employment of
lady ushers would altogether do away with, as,
of course, everyone knows il is little noise a
lady can make with her hands"