The San Francisco call., 1895-10-11

answer with an indignant mo" The va
rious managers look worried and say:
"They should not, but what can be doneP"
Meanwhile careless fashionables continue
TO annoy their fellow amusement seekers
by rustling in toward the end OF the first
act. With sublime Indifference to the
rights, not to say privileges, of stage and
house they distract the attention of one
and impede the view of the other. When
adjusted in their seats to their entire sat-
isfaction, which operation consumes time
that is dead loss to their neighbors, a
dialogue about the story ensues. If there
is no one of the party to give the required
Information there follows succession of
conjectures maddenlng to the enforced
listener. If, as is often the case, the
guesses deal with the beginning" of
Shakespearean play, the entertainment
they afford Is perhaps equal to that pre-
sented on the board. This is, indeed, the
only operation of the law of compensation
In the case.
In light opera such procedure is bad
enough. In high drama it is uncomfortable.
An appreciative lover of the players art is
driven to the border of Mysteries or pro-
family by it, this of course depending on
the sex. The habitual perpetrators of this
outrage Of all codes of amusement ethics
are of two classes-the thoughtless ones
and the calloused Doors. The first need
only an occasional reminder, the rest
rigid enforcement of rule for the protec-
tion of punctual seekers after the diver
sions of the boards. No consideration of
etiquette will restrain certain products of
republican simplicity from demanding a
privilege within the possibilities. To
reach this class the question of theatri-
cal combine is being agitated. Only mu-
tual distrust by rival managements pre-
vents an immediate consum nation of the
plan.
"If we commence refusing to permit
people TO take their seats during the first
act we shall make it a permanent rule"
said Alfred Bouvier, assistant general
manager of the Al Haylnan Company and
its resident representative. He is in con-
troll of the Baldwin and California thea
ters, and his management has extended
over period of several years.
81 have not thought ii wise to make so
radical a departure suddenly" Mr.. Bou-
vier said, "but the way was paved three
years ago, when we made. such require
ment during the Alabama engagement of
four weeks, also by our insisting that no
one shall take his seat while certain por-
tions, of the present attraction, 'Trilby,
are being rendered. -. = ,.
"We have had some, amusing expert
ences in that connection A well-known
middle-aged business man of this City,
whose wife is frequent entertainer and
gracious hostess, escorted his lady and two
OF her friends to the Baldwin for the Gala
bama" performance. The party was late
and the restraining orders were executed
as politely as possible, of course, but still
according to the letter of the order, for
the first act was in progress, and all late
corners were informed that they must re-
main IN the rear OF the theater until the
curtain fell.
1.-THE man was enraged. He parleved
angrily with the usher Tor few minutes
then rushed out, declaring he would never
enter the theater again. The ladies' fol-
lowed, but in disgust, for their vision was
clearer as to the justice of the matter than
was that OF their irate escort. He broke
his resolution, however, for within week
he brought party of eight, and has been
regular patron ever since.
He was In strong contrast to the gen.
tleman who brought two ladies, one of
whom was a semi-invalid and for whom a
chair was Immediately brought The party
was only few minutes late, and, consid-
ering the illness of the lady, the usher Of
fered to conduct them to their seats. Her
escort replied that he had too much re-
gard Tor the success of the play in every
detail to Interfere even in SO slight a de-
gree with its progles He had no finan-
cial interest, direct or indirect, in the per-
formance.
Mr.. Bouvier has a high regard for San
Francisco audiences, which. he says are
not surpassed in the etiquette of the play
house by assemblages in any CITY in the
United States. I'VE may inaugurate the
reform shortly" he continued, "and will
certainly do so if any of our coming at
fractions demand it, as is likely to be the
case with Richard Mansfield and Angus
tine Daily. When we once make the requi-
sltion we will continue 1t. Ninety-five per
cent of the people who compose our audi
ences are well bred. They are perfectly
amerable to any rule which the manage
ment may make for the good of the house.
The other per cent cause all the friction.
1t was on account of the small annoyances
caused by the per cent that the plan,
adopted as q temporary expedient at the
Baldwin and California three years ago,
was not pursued. Very few resented the