The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-15
THE ENTRANCE BARRED.
GOING BEHIND THE SCENES FOR
Ridden.
The Green.Room Myth OF the Past
Outsiders Not Allowed to Go Within
the Stage Door-Rules of tho Washing
ton Theatres-what tho Different Mana
gers say About tho Matter.

The attractive pictures of the green
room, drawn by Charles Rcade and other
novelists of his day, are myths to the
present age. The scenes in the Peg
Wellington arc unknown in 1888. No
theatre has green room where the
friends OF the manager and the favorites
Of the actresses assemble 'and discuss
the performance between the acts. A
number Of the leading theatres in New
York and other of the leading cities have
their wine rooms, where, after the fall
ing of the curtain, o select few gather
and the popping of corhs is heard, but
entrance there is as difficult as entree TO
McAllister's famous "Four Hundred"
The practice is unknown in this city.
When you hear n young man about
town Boosting of his ability to Ego be-
hind .. c., to meet Che fairies of the
footlights on their native heath, so to
speak, put him down as u liar, or at least
an unprinciplcd and untrammeled roc
mancer. lie cannot do i. The nearest
he has ever been to the stage is tho stage
door. The dates he lain would make
with the bewitching beauties whom he
| imagines he has "mashed" across the
footlights, are only in the calendar of his
own mind. The notes he has sent her
are resting in the waste basket of the box
office, or have lighted the cigar of the
| manager.
An EVENING Posi- representative took
the pains recently to ascertain the rules
of the different theatres about going be-
hind" Every house Is memorable in its
regulations against it.
Manager Fisk of Albaugh's said that
during the summer season of light opera,
and whenever spectacle is presented,
he is besieged with applications. They
are all refused. Even the most urgent
personal appeals have to he disregarded.
Men are stationed at the stage door,
with orders to admit no one. Not note
can be sent behind during performance.
The dudes who fancy that they have
"caught on have to cool their heels on
the E-strcet curbstone while waiting for
their friends. He did not mention that
any fines were imposed on employees who
disobeyed orders, but let it be surmised
that it would not be advantageous TO al
employee to be caught breaking the rules
Manager Rapley at the National Is
equally strong in his opposition to al
lowing any one to visit his acquaintance
behind the curtain. As he remarked
I'VE don't allow anything that IS dis
posed to queer the performance" Let
ters and notes are not sent behind A
telegram, of course, is imperative and il
allowed to so through the lines unchal
lenged. A guard is stationed at every
door and no loophole is allowed to let in
an outsider That the applications anC
desire are not small can be seen from
the string of young men who line tn,
curb east of the stage entrance every
night after spectacular performance.
81 have just put up sign saying, five
dollars fine for any employe allowing
anyone on the stage, said Manage
Roof of the Globe Theatre. at wouldn'
do to allow anyone to go behind. 1
shall not be done at this house. | believ
that will double the fine"
At Kernan's it was stated that !
,, would cost an employee just $40 to ALLOW
anyone on the stage. A repetition of tn
offense would probably endanger his sit
uatiOn.
1--WE do'not allow it under any circum
Stances" it was said at the Bijou The
atre. "There are rigid rules against il
=. No one is ever allowed to go benin
' here"