The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-23
THEATRE AUDIENCES.
HOW THEY DIFFER IN CHARACTER
ON CERTAIN NIGHTS.
Roston's Six Distinct Classes OF Theatre
FREDERICKSBURG Observations of AN TX
perienced MaDager-saturdsy Night he
Rest of the Week.

perienced Msnager-saturday Night the
Best Of the Week.
Probably few theatre gOers o. this city
realize, rs do the theatrical managers.
that there are in Boston six distinct
audiences OF amusement seekers, and that
they have special nights upon which they
attend the theatres. So marked are the
audiences on different nights of the week
that one manager in this city has a name
for each night, which he has given TO IL
mainly on account OF the character OF the
audience which he expects on that day
to see in his house. For instance, Mon
day IS Autograph night; Tuesday, de-
Gliding night, or assistant critics Hight;
Wednesday, train night; Ihursday,
might OUT night, Friday, society
night, saturday, eyerybody's night.
Asked 10 give his reasons for thus naming
the nights, he said: ION Monday, unless
there has been a large advance sale or the
indications are that there will be a good
sized audience drawn by the special merit
Of the performances, We give out what
are known a. lithograph tickets. These
entitle the holder to admission TO the the
utre in return for the privilege he has
given us OF hanging in his shop window
or in h, store our Autographs and small
bills. or, perhaps. are for the use Of a
bill board in a good location.
on MONDAY EyTSING.
1T is on Monday evening. usually, that
the theatres change their bills. and $50
the opposition on that night is generally
felt more than ON any other, and II there
is room it is desirable 20 pay or the lth-
ocraph or advertising debts ON that night
i'm preference 20 auy other. There are more
of these tickets issued than managers
would care 10 acknowledge, and they are
generally well represented on Monday
night. and SO ! call that night Autograph
night or course. on Monday So get the
regular critics and the first nighters, who
are always on hand 10 pass Judgment ON
every new actor or play, but the dead
head j.. plentiful ou that night, and /
recognize him iu my nomenclature.
ION Tuesday night we can generally
tell from the receipts how the business d.,
going to be for the week. II the house is
larger 10 money than 10 was on Monday,
we assume thgt the performance has
pleased the public, d has been well
spoken Of. and that the receipts Will I'M
] fAFf~- NI-MNNf fDA AMf N'"N NA AN' NNrh
Therefore | c1ll DO deciding night. Gs 10
generally decides the business ON that
ri.It. TOO. wc got those vino never attend
the theatre until they have lead their
fav0r.tc daily paper. n learned the opln-
ion of the newspaper critic concerning the
play and players. These are the assist
ant critics. and they are influential ms 70
class. Wednesday night is train night.
because on that night the late trains
especially designed for theatre parties
were ram and brought INFO the city theatres
crowds Of persons living in the surround
ing towns. This uaIne is not So peril
nent rs 10 used 10 lee. as now on nearly
all the roads out Of the city there are
trains Il late enough TO permit Of our
Of town people visiting the theatre, and
reaching home at a fairly reasonable
hour.
THE "NIGHT OUT" NIGH
why do / call Thursday night out
uight> Well do not want 20 dlsparaEc
Thursday night. for VI get "A strangely
mixed audience on that night. but we are
always certain 10 have a large contingent
OF servants on that evening, rs that, By
some unWritten law. seems % be tie even
ing when the help have their night out.
The upper tiers are always well filled ou
Thursday evening by stout, healthy look
Ing Young girls. accompanied by their
swecthearts. and tell You they make %
spendid audience for the ordinary attrac-
ton. as the illusions OF the stage are to
them realities. An actress who cannot
make them CRY or q comedian who cannot
make them laugh should speedily retire
.- ell limo I'm. ffrrH4Fr FHa .AXnlnr
to see the more fashionable persouages- rs
OH that day. tuc supersutous reason, or
for other reasons. there are are fewer we'd
ding receptions, balls and social events
than ON any other night or the Week On
Friday night We also expect 10 see . great
many Of our Hebrew patrons. more than
Oh any other might Of the week. although
they are great theatre goers, ana are
found Ia g00dly uupers On every hlghf
saturday night Is the best night ot the
week for many reasons, and tile audience
is more mixed on that evening than on
any other u the week. The gallery IS iuii
Of working people who have been paid
their weeks wages and are seeking en-
ioyment. the clerks and =LOpkeepers are
there with their sweethearts and wives.
knowing that they can rest Oh Sunday,
and the front rows are full OF Harvard
students, more especially II there are
heather g0ddesses On tie stage. The
nearer the representatives II the heather
godde,ses approach the originals IN form
aud ralmeut. The nearer the students yet
10 the stage. You mustn't ask me why
thi, is. / only state facts An expert
eucci theatrical man, acquainted with the
civ. could tell you what night u the
week 1T was by just looking al the audi
euce. If be had no other means Of know
ing boston Herald.
The Best window Dressers.