The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-08-23
"fFEAfERs Of LoNDoN..


4. 1.srr.~ b~sAnss-rA, Eo~A CIR.
bsdata's .Auascr.tao Powers.
There are thirty-six theaters in Lon
don. They represent an investment
in land of over 500. 900, 900! They
employ at least 10000 persons-actors,
stage hands, and people in front Of the
house. These are in direct and con-
t;nual service. The seating capacity is
1900. The average attendance is
$1,000. The average admission is Is
lid, OF 80 cents. The average return,
then, il about $4,000. This is for
every performance, and including
matinees. Most of the theaters give
matinees-some of them two, and even
three, o week. The Lord Chamber
laln's play-reader revises plays, exer-
cises an autocratic authority over thea
tiers, bullyrags managers, and is decent
or not as the spirit moves him. Let
me say he is usually decent. His name
IS Mr.. Pigot, an e%x-barrister. He has
an Office down near st. James Palace.
His duties are to license plays, and
when he has said q play cannot be put
on, that settles it; there is no appeal.
Salmi Morse appealed from one court
to another in New York, but had he
applied to the Lord Chamberlain and
received an adverse answer that would
have ended the matter then and there.
and he would have saved considerable
money. Not that the Lord Chamber
lain ever NEEDLES with plays; he is too
important an official for that, and the
nVrnorv1c10n of %h1c l~cool ~ L. lA:.-
is perfunctory, quite. He has charge
OF public buildings and palaces; has
on Office at Westminster, and is a very
high and mighty man all round; but
the ~play-reader is q retiring little chap,
with o literary turn of mind and a stern
sense OF duty. Whenever a play is to
be produced it is sent to HIM with q fee
OF one guinea for each act. He imme-
diately sends . receipt for the guineas,
and that is the last you hear Of them.
Within . week you get notice whether
you can play the piece or not, or if
anything has got to be ex purga-
ted 1t is not necessary for him
to indicate why he will not
allow any play or part of it; he only
says yes or no, and there an end. A
short time ago a Canadian friend Of
mine sent in q melodrama, in seven
acts, to put before a London manager.
The manager jumped at it and mode
preparation for its production, saying:
"Oh, the license is all right; be won't in
terfere." But he did. The play was
sent around to him as soon as the parts
were copied, and with them the neces-
seven guineas. In a few days
notice was sent to the manager that
the piece could not be played. We
went to see him, and asked to make
He said that he didn't
mind telling us that the Irish scene
was the Objectionable feature, and if
had a mind to cut that out and
the time of action, so that it
would not deal with the Government of
to-day, he would permit its production.
Now the play had only one Irish scene,
and it dealt with a peaceful village
where there was q comparative
perity. but out of which there snbse-
quently came the thread Of a plot. In
the troubles of the hero led to
an appeal being made to the Home
oN0y "AO3 ~ eAC way, ~ uOC
only referred to, and then
not by name, and his refusal to inter-
[ere calls forth an effort to escape, and
naturally enough leads to his being
called "a hard-hearted man." Beyond
this there is no reference to him, but
that was the ground upon which the
time of the action must be shifted.
Can I put it into the period of the
Government: said the
manager.
THAT I can't say until I have e e
what you make it there"
Cant I take it to a time when the
Il can't tell you. This You can do,
however. You % take il out of the
'eign of Queen Victoria"
But. bless you, that would spoil the
play altogether. It of a necessity
1eals with the present"
Well, the play was not produced,
md won't be.-New York World.
Lecture in the Lime Kiln Club.