New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-12
THE COST OF SEEING PLAYS.
COMPARISONS BETWEEN LONDON AND
NETWORK.
EFFECT OF THE PIT-HOW THE EXPENSES
DIFFERENTLY SEATS ARE REALLY
WORTH MORE IN LONDON.

vance In rates two OF the New-York theatres have
reduced their prices the old scale, and some 9TH
ers have boosted that they never departed from
the $3.50 basis. What has been written and talked
on the subject would AL books in fine print. with
appendices and notes. One recent article on the
subject says that In Venice box at the opera can
be had for so cents and admission for II cents 1t
Is TO be answered, of course. that good many
other things cheaper in Venice than they are In
New-York, in almost equal rato-rents and labor
and wine and spaghetti and Opera OF
kind that NEWCOMERS would listen to could never
be given anywhere In the world at those prices. to
say nothing Of the Metropolitan, but the mention
OF Venice suggests the European side OF the ques-
ton, and that is worth considering in connection
with the American side.
London, being the foreign city that Is Electrically
most closely connected with New-York, Is the city
which is OF most interest In this matter. The fact
that orchestra stall in London theatre costs
81 so is always brought for the object Of stag
gering those who say that 81 is too much to pay in
New-York. The question be considered is
whether there circumstances conditions
which justify such price In London.
and which do not apply In New-York.
THE PEOPLE MUST HAVE THEIR PIT.
II these things and others ARE managed so much
better In France" they are likewise managed
much Queerer I'm England, There few English
institutions, perhaps that It takes an average
American longer to understand than the pit Of the
theatre. Why half Of the best space In the hous.
should be set aside and sold at so cents a seat,
while people with spend sent off into less
desirable places, Is one OF the many questions that
occur surely and constantly to the American mind,
but never to the English. Once an American built
a theatre in London. and the writer asked him II
he was going to have a pit to It. Certainly" he
answered They wouldn't stand It II We didn't.
They would pull the house down."
This Is the stand Of the great British public In
the matter You must have pit you can't have
any theatre 1t Is refinement OF democratic rule
that Is unknown In this protessedly democratic
country. Just In passing the architectural effect
Of this law Is interesting. The pit occupies the
lowest noor from the last OF the orchestra stalls
back to the wall 1t therefore blocks the way from
the street to the orchestra stalls. Now. although
the part OF the audience that sits In the pit IS
important and SO powerful that the manager would
not dare 10 disoblige IT, yet It must on no account
be permitted to touch the hem Of the garment OF
anybody who has the necessary ten and sixpence to
sit In orchestra stall. Accordingly the holder OF
the en-and-sxpenny ticket has to 30 up long
flight Of stairs on entering the theatre and
the pit and then down again on the other side to
the seats OF the blessed where only the rich and
the deadheads be.
DIFFERENCES TO BE CONSIDERED.
II anybody wants to be exclusive and thinks that
must go into the dress circle (the balcony OF an
American theatre). at a cost of shillings.
OF course. this is higher price than Is charged for
the similar part of American theatre. and again
the specous for high prices here is forth
coming.
To do at once all the justice t.at can be done TO
the other sde 1, Is argued that the London theatre
makes money on It's bar which tho New-York thea
tire lacks. that there Is need to make up for the
lack OF Income from this source by extra price
for seats. Moreover, actors get better pay In this
country than they do in England. and there is
other excuse for high prices here, On the
whole 1t will be readily that the managers
have far from n bad case.
ORCHESTRA STALLS MUST COME HIGH
The point. then. in the for the American peo-
pie is to show that after all there is not the
need on the part OF the managers charge
cessive prices here as in England. And first OF the
pit II takes up, usually least half OF the floor.
1t varies in different theatres. and 1t may vary even
in the same theatre. Sometimes there are not more
than six or seven rows of orchestra stalls, and
twelve is about many there But
special occasions such as high-priced benefits. 1t
is necessary only TO turn a carpenter into the
house. and he can sacrifice much OF the pit and
set up as many more orchestra stalls as may be
desired.
But general thing there only few OF
these expensive seats and the manager Is forced
to sell huge slice OF the best part Of his house
80 cents seat He does not look upon this as
loss because it has been submitted to ever since
there were theatres at all in England ana II Is Just
as much part OF the system paying the actors.
perhaps more. Yet 1t is a loss really. and he has
TO make 1t up IN some other part of the house.
Hence the excessive prices in the orchestra stalls
and the decidedly high prices in the dress circle.
re makes money on its bar. while the New-York
0eatre sells no liquors. But on the other hand the
London ones by the sale OF advertising space in
their programmes. There is advertising in the Lon
don programmes. too. but in very small quantity.
comparatively The usual programme OF London
theatre is card folded in three leaves, making six
little pages not over four inches wide and perhaps
eight ten long. At least two of these taken
up by the actual programme and the ornamental
sale to lease. The New-York programme,
everybody knows. often amounts pretty nearly to
newspaper. as far as the space in 1t ia concerned.
The letting OF advertising space in 1t is profitable
enough. so that two or three firms make the print
Ing OF programmes their chief business. and It is
reasonable suppose that the theatres themselves
get some share of the profit.
THE SUMMING Up OF THE CASE
The only genuinely important item Of expense
which New-York managers have to bear and Lon
don managers do not is the excess OF salaries that
have be paid to actors in this country. And this
1t would seem. could hardly be large enough TO
justify any marked advance in the prices OF seats
The average capacity as to money, OF London and
New-York theatres Is probably about the same The
real secret OF the matter probably Is that compare
tive expenses, or even superlatve expenses beyond
the obvious necessity of covering actual cost with
margin OF profit, have not much TO do with the
prices OF theatre seats, here or anywhere else The
managers are simply going 10 ask as much as they
think they get The remedy, as has been limited
In these columns before. Is In the hands OF the
theatre-goer themselves, II IL is anywhere. II
theatre-goers stop paying 81. Il will not take the
managers long TO stop asking it,
And just final word as TO the compari-
son between London and NewYork. to clinch the
whole matter. Whatever Is the real value OF
theatre seat In New-York. orchestra stall in
London is worth twice as much. For in the orches-
ira stalls in London the women do not wear hats.
As a matter of fact, the sale OF theatre tickets In
New-York ought TO be prohibited under the Lot
terry law, for when a man buys one or them he
pays his s. mis- 81 80 not to the play. but for
an even chance OF seeing 1t or not seeing 1t. and
that Is lottery In London, when a man pays his
ten and six to the play, he sees it, And he
the women. too between the acts or In the dull
parts OF the play. What pretty sight they make
those ranks and files of beautiful heads of golden
ILL. hair