New-York tribune., 1885-07-19
THE AIR AND THE AUDIENCE
.ruospurR1c INFLUENCE OF THEATRES.
Mr.. wILxIx COLLINS OK THE REGULATIONS oF
sUFRoCArJON.
Copyright. 1885.

=
in the first place.
Ia Il IN tho pecuniary interests of n manager TO
oonsuit tho health and comfort OF his audience oy
improying the atmosphere of his theatrc' VI 10
mt II in palmer language still: II the announce
mcnts OF two theatres-one OF which Is copi ah"
clean and the other hot and dirty-happeh 10 pro-
sent nearly equal dramatic attractions now many
persons, in doubt which place OF amusement 70 pro-
fer will allow the consideration of sitting at case.
in breathable air. to influence tnoir ooo''i" WV
one in q hundred.
On thu 9th of April last. Mr.. Steele Mackaye,
author of the most popular play thus far written by
an American dramatist'l" Hazel Klrke y, opened
new theate Q ia New-York. Already indebted 10 th's
rentlemans exertiops, not only as writer put as
an actor his countrymcn have now to tnanK ni'n
for a public service of another kind lie is oniioer
and manager of the most luxurious place OF amuse-
ment in the world. Among other ingenious inVeh-
tions which it is not necessary to mention IN ths
place he has contrivcd to associate an evening AZ
tba tbeatre with the sanitary results OF visit to
the seaside His lucky audience breathe ozoneu
airr: and are helped to enjoy it by means OF iolo
fno chairs arranged for them in groups OF three ana
four 40 that they cannot DO troubled by persons
pushing by on the way to vacant SEATS Have bheSo
novelties and many more. all directly contribusing
TO public health. public comfort and puoiic pleas
ure beiped TO draw large audiences on ther own
meritsf The last accounts which have reacncd
England state that the new play, written oS WI.
Mackayc for the opening Of his new theatre mas not
met with the appreciation which it deserves. what
has the new ventilation mot forgetting the comfort
able seats and the beautiful theatre) done toward
tempting the public to judge for themselves Oh tue
merits of the play Little or nothing. Pure air
has aot as it seems, sufficiently Interested tho
audience to make them talk about it The friends
of the manager urge h.m to increase the number OF
his advertisements, and TO mention particularly
that ho is tho author of Hazel Kirke." In short.
he appears to be in just much need OF getting all
the help to notoriety that money can buy, as If he
were proprietor of tho hottest ana dntlest
theatre on the face of the civilized earth.
In n CITY on the other side of the Atlantic-let me
not saw particularly in what part OF Europe that
city NAV bo fouud-is theatre which makes no
new concessions of any sort to the public comfort.
This place of amusement has been crammed from
floor to ceiling for hundreds OF nights past ana
will be crammed for hundreds oil nights more. NO
body who wants to see the popular play OF the
moment is kept away by tho horrid atmosphere or
the uncomfortable seats. No cries for more air or
moro room rise from the perspirng aud aching
audience While they have got what they want
on the stage the manager is at perfect liberty to
fenrve them of the blessings of ventilation in the
theatre.
And what is the moral of thsf
The moral is that we must consider the existing
case Of our lungs and our skins lin the air OF the
thcatre) without much hope of any general change
for the better The truth Is that we offer no encour-
agemcnt to reform Do the two or three theatres IN
London which have generously given us the pure
electric light, empty the other theatres which
economically persist In poisoning with gasi Only
let those other theatres provide us with our
fayorite laugh and our delightful vnlgarity an
fbey may give us any air air just as they Ike
ii.
The prospects of improvement in ventilation being
now disposed of, consideration OF the theatrical
atmosphere 1t is at present claims Its turn next
Sensible iuvalds who have to take dose OF
physic never add to the errors OF the prospect by
dalIyng with the bottle. and thinkinghow nasty
It looks. They spare themselves an interval of use
less disgust and swallow the detestaoie mixture
before they have time to feel sick.
What scientific knowledge has to say about the
air that we breathe in theatres is our moral dose OF
physic at the present moment. Let Is get rid OF 1t
at once ms pleasantly US possible.
You and are at the theatre. Toward the latter
part of the performances we wipe our streaming
faces; and you say to me. Hot isn't 1T =" and
cordially agree with you. IL we wore not two
ignorant pllygoers we shond express ourselves
more accurately. You would remind me that we
want q certain quantity of oxygen in the air that
W
friend. For the ,ast two hours We have been en-
gayel assisted by the gasghts) in madiy exhaust
Ing our oxygen and in supplying its place with
vile infusion of carbon. which would end in sutfo
eating Us if the performance only lasted long
enough" Aud if--appalled by the prospect-I hap
pened to stop there. who would be happier to re-
fresh the scientific side OF nv memory than my COM
panon aDon't forget" this intelligent person
would add. " that there is another and more hor-
!. Il. 4 IL
for ourselves Minute PARTICLES dear boy. are being
given Of by us and by onr perspiring fellow
creature, We are inhaling each others particles.
And. worse still. if there happen to be any play
coers of consumptive tendency present. ueir par
ticles may be actually charged with disease, and
may SOW the seeds of results in the future on which
(as we are here for pleasnre we had better not
dwell. Shall We stay for the last piecef Or shall
". aljourn-y"
i take my friends arm ami hurry away with him
before he has finished his sentence | know what
he means.
I. The system of Nature Is system of compensa-
tions All mortal evils have their attendant REM
eiies In the horrd tropics the venonous serpent
Qliies to attack us the very herbs which pre-
serve our lives from the poison of his fangs In our
happier temperate zone, the theatre land its de-
structive a.nospherc) is the near ncighbor OF the
prcssryatiye shell fish shop and the remedial pub
lie house Does the man live who can honestly say
that be has enjoyed oysters and stout as he en-
ioys item after leaving the tieatre How does the
great master OF fiction write Of his visit to his friend
Ierry at the old Adephi Il was glad to see
j,an theatre rs fnl seemingly MS it co aid hold The
heat was dreadful We had rare good porter
nn,, oysters after the play" Rare and good Walter
Scott! Eappy, thrice happy provision OF Nature.
which poisons us the theatre and brings rs To life
again by the genial agency Of al oyster-kniic and
pewter pot!
Is this fippanti In that case. let us go to tho
e<ter EXTREME ard make lew sensible remarks.
Exnerlerlced playgoers have often observed the