The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1894-11-09
NO. 3F7.
GALLERY aons


A playhouse without eallssy or spea-
nut roost,n as it Is sometimes called,
would be like dwelling without door.
Every theatre hes its galiery. ANA every
gallery ita characters. There We find the
artisan, theshahby genseel, The boosblack,
tlle newsboy and fhe street Arab iii
inmbled up together
No oonventionality Is observed, no such
thing az .'placo aux damesg recognized.
Everything il free and easy. Ii the tenn.
perature Ii high, and ii generally Il
among 'the gods. Without ceremony
these patrons Of the house dof their
coats, and not infrequontly more indis-
pensable garments.
Andthese Boheniiansare critlea-seyere
ones at that, They possess keen sense
Of appreciation, and while ID would be
well nigh impossible for one 81 then Is
give hls reason for Kissing or jeering
player, yet you are forced to recognise
that this exhibition Of disgust wss made
at the right moment
Ofcourse the gallery god has his pref.
erence and shows Il BY filling tho s'roost'
when border dramaaand sensational plays
are on tho bilia, on such nights the
gods begin to assemble III tho side on
trance before O'Clock, and when tho
doors are thrown open mad rush il
made for front seats just such charge
as wc imagine is made when the govern
ment opens q reservation to squatters
In the struggle for place as The race
horse worshippeF terms the frat row Of
tue gallery, not 4 few handfala of hair
are removed from ambitious rushers by
their less sfortuuatso soompetitors, and blood
occasionally sparts from an unfortunate
nose which chaneed to come la contact
with pugllistio bieepa.
But finally the goal IA reached, seats
secured and auperhuous wearing apparel
removed. twill be an hour and quar-
ter hefore the curtain rises. How while
away these moments The wag of tho
occasion surveys his surroundings critic
ally and finally selects d mark. Alb this
unfortunate juncture, ho hurls his biting
sarcasm, and one by one the others take
up the cudgel and hit the 'chnmp'' baF-
der and harder. This ID called 'ijoahin.n
Presently the "swells,r aa they are
viewed from above, begin 70 iill tha pit,
and II the officer ia charge Of tho gallery
Is not too yigilaut, an occasional peanut
or paper ball is sent after the bald pate
Of some benedict, and as the missile
strikes the arid seat Of intellect, shout
Of delight wells from the throats of the
gratifed "gods.n
The curtain has been Fung up, Not
sound Is henrd ln the gallery, and tho
one who would even whisper would fare
badly, But when the hero has the viii
lain BY the throat, excitement knows no
bounds, aud shouts of nKill him ~ edo
him while yer got ohaneen 90 out to
the aetars. Polioemen's clubs have no
etiect-they are not felt. Every muscle
is distcnded and The ear strained to sateh
every word, And when virtuo triumphs,
as It always does, aud the Villains dark
schemes are frustrated, mighty yell is-
sues from the gallery, and the gods are
completely frensied
All suoh plays arc alike in olimRxes,
vet II Is the same enthusiasm, the same
aversion for the Villain, and venture
to say that If the actor who assumes that
role were to walk M In tbs gallery IN bis
stage trappings, he would he set upon hy
the goods" and his funeral would take
place on the following day H., J.R