The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-02
THE LADIES MUST PAY
A DOLLAR FOR SEATS AT The
MATINEES.
" Michael StrOgOfr" Last Night and
TOday-LiEzie Evaus-Rar-
nuns Circus.

The New York management Of the
Memphis Thea,er has made an in.
crease in prices without a CORE spond-
ing increase in the value of their A.
fractions. They demsnd night prices
Tor the matineee. For years they
h, we been in the habit OF charging
fun, rates for attractions which could
not SCI rure dates with any excspt so
cent no uses in the East and in New
Orleans. and doubling their prices
whenever a. attraction Appeared
which wss rally worth dollar, as
theatrlcals 90. lor years the public
had to be conte.1t with weather
stained walls, a rsggNd curtain, IN
comfortable Eeats and b,attered Seen
cry. Forbeaiance at last ceased 10 be
a virtue, a new theater was about 10
be built, and thus compelled, they spent
few Thousand in iefitting and re-
modelling the interior, putting it into
very attractive shape. Having thus
cheated the oppC sition, they bstrayed
a desire to get their money back oil at
once by increasing the price OF all the
desirable family circle seats from 80 to
10
at n aiiness, and by that means OBJ
tanned an advance OF 25 cents over the
old price. The reason given was that
confusion would be prevented, but they
forgot that there would he no more
confusion gif the old 80 cent price
was adhered 10 ami reserved seats
given in The bargain. The manage
ment continued its practice of chsrS.
ng from % to so cents above these
prices whenever good dollar attrac-
ton appeared. And now they de-
mand 81 admission of women and
children at matinees. This ia to be
the rule, Tot the exception. II ex-
ceptions are made it will be ia the
other direction. As matter
OF fact, it is not denied that
more than 81 will be demanded
for seats at several Wednesday and
Saturday afternoon performances
during the season. There are not half
a dozen companies on the list whose
agents would have the assurance to
ask it. The management complains
that all the trouble lies in this demand
Of the few, aud that to prevent the
periodical kicking done at such timer,
it was decided 10 make the thing uni.
form the season through, matt
nee and night prices the
same for negro MINISTRIES, Clara
Monis, Humpty Dumpty, Edwin
Booth, Lizzie Evans, Dsvil's Auction,
Emma Abbott and all. This does not
carry with 1t promise not to charge
more than ST. wherever they zee fit,
but the announcement simply is,
matinee and night the same. The
afternoon performances here have
always been popular, When the
weather is fair aud the attraction
good, the house il crowded. Many q
company having poor houses at night
has been saved from less by the
matinees. The management msy
claim tina! it makes as much
money by having smaller houses
at advarced rates as it formerly
did with big houses at low
rates, but they cannot escape criticism
in that way. They owe duty ID the
pub ic, and will learn sooner or later
that place of amusement cannot be
anything like so profitable to proprie-
tors who deliberately announce their
intention TO gouge their patrons for
every cent they viii stand
as to those who pursue 9
more popular, policy. The local
management here should be exon
Grated from censure in the matter.
Manager Gray is simply an employee
He must oh ~ orders. II matters not
whether he approves the course Of his
superiors or not, they must bear the
blame, and from little things picked
up by the APPEAL they are utterly
uncou cerned as to what the mass o.
the public thinks, so long as the re-
Ct ips at the box office are satisfactory