The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1893-11-04
PARTISAN TheATERS.
Flayhouscs IN the Gay Capital navC Very
MANY PecnliRrltIos.

Many Peculiarltlos,
Plays In Paris generally begin az s
o'clock and never finish until about mid.
night II they were over earlier the audi.
ence would think that they had not re-
ceiycd their moneys worth OF bad air and
good acting Sitting four hours in such
an atmosphere would ho uncomfortable to
an American were IL not for the long waits
botwoou the acts, when ono can walk Tor
twenty minutes In tho large foyer" or 40
out and got n little fresh air The orchrs
ira never plays between the acts, SO there
Is no inducement 20 remain in the hot gar.
lie scented air during that time
IL is a matter of some formality to yet
into a Fronch theator, Don't think that
you can do as In FREQ America, throw down
afew silver car wheels, with u goddess of
| liberty ON one side and a loudly screaming
! American eagle ON the other, and enter
the thcator aud take your stIts No, there
! is good deal of red tape to bc unravelcd
before that II YOU wish good place YOU
must 20 to the thwtcr few days in ad.
vance, politely take or your hat To the
! ugly and cross old female in the box Office
| and humhly ask tor the seats You wish.
| When she has finished discussing the latest
styles from Russia with her assistant, she
| will gruflly eNclaim. "Commcntw You
must not reply, ~ n friend OF mine did
| who was not we'll up in French; Come on,
yourself but say your polite sentence all
| over again.
| II the spectators and the ugly old WON
ans friends have not reserved all the
| places, she will write out document ON Il
large sheet of green or red paper (tor they
never have printed theatcr tickets hercl.
stating your name, the title uf the play.
the chief actors name, the date aud official
number Of the performance, and after dust
ing it well with sand (for they are too con
servative 10 use blotting paper, and de
manding two cents extra for the govern.
ment stamp she will hand it over to YOU
In exchange for French gold. On the even
ing of the performance you purchase a
programme of man at the door, and walk
up to the desk where three Frrnchmeu in
dress suits preside.
Your troubles then hcgin. These
judges act as ticket takers. One Of
them examines the green or red document
that you procured with so much trouble,
to see that it is not II forgery, and that the
date, etc, is all right, and then passes il
on TO one Of his associate judges in this su
preme court of united French red tape. |
who looks il all over and tears OIL one cor
ner ana cries in loud voice "Dcux per |
sonnes Couch" or words 10 that effect. |
Perhaps you think YOU are in the theatcr /
then. Oh no! You have yet to pass the |
Cerberus who guards the inner door This |
is an ugly old hag, with white cap. who |
takes your ticket and insists on your leav.
ing your coat with her II il is summer
and you have nothing to leave Of that kind /
she will then ask you for her little bent,-
tit, rs she calls il. in advance, before she
will let you go to your seat You must
pay up or fight, and advise every one to
pay cash, rs it is cheaper in the end.
These ugly old women, who are known
as "ouvreuses' (openersl, and who keep an
eye well open for half franc pieces (or whole
ones II you have pretty girl with YOU,
really run the theater or ut least all that
portion of it in front of the fOotiights. II
you 80 often TO the same thcater it is best
TO fee them well, no matter how much you
may dislike the custom. They always in
sist on furnishing dirty little footstool
(Which is always in the way to the sweet
girl who is with you, but they call her
Madame" in such n natural way that you
conclude it is worth an extra half franc
piece. Finally, when you have uncondi-
tionally SURRENDERED to the "ouvreusc,
she will permit you to occupy the cushioned
board for which you have paid dearly, and
will only occasionally disturb you to ask il
you wish an official programme or an
opera glass.
Although the theaters here are very un-
the entertainments are always
The acting here is the best in
the world. Paris Cor. Boston Journal!