The record-union., 1898-10-11
GOOD MANNERS IN AUDIENCES

A San Francisco theatrical manager
has started in to break down a vulgar
custom-that of a portion of the au-
dience rising and leaving the house dur
ing the concluding lines Of the play, not
only to the discomfort and annoyance
of those who wish to remain in their
seats to the fall Of the curtain, but to
the confusion of the actors and often
to the absolute injury of people who
are crowded and trodden upon by the
early goers.
We very much hope that the mana
ger will succeed, at the same time we
very much fear that he will not. 1t is
just as vulgar, selfish and unmannerly
to rise and retire in the closing lines Of
a play as it would be to rise and crowd
ones way out during the peroration of
a sermon in church, yet no ordinarily
well-bred person would for a moment
think Of doing that
But there is an offense in the theater
that is even worse than the other
named-the late coming Of people, who
thus miss the keynote of the introduce
ton, and at the same time disturb
those who have gained their seats and
become interested in the story Of the
play, and in nine cases out of ten, be
it noted, the opening lines are essential
to a clear understanding of the whole
piece.
They q n q 7iI~1f1 tn
rope of preventing this nuisance Of
crowding to place while the curtain is
up. Those who come late are forbid
den to leave the lobby for their seats,
until the curtain descends upon the
act. When will American managers
have the courage to establish and en-
force such a rule on this side Of the
water? Now and then auditors them
selves protest, but rarely with sue
cess. We witnessed such a protest a
few years ago, when a seated auditor
refused to permit a late conner to
crowd in front of him to reach his seat
until the curtain fell. The incident
raised a commotion at the time, and
the protestant in the case received Wig
orous tongue lashing. Yet he was
right, unquestionably. He had the
right to remain undisturbed. witness
the play and hear every word daliv-
cred He had paid for that right and
could no more be lawfully dispossessed
Of 1t than he could have been rightfully
elected from his seat without cause
There is a class of people who make
il a point to enter theaters, churches
and lecture-rooms late. With some Of
these the cause is vanity, the desire to
be noticed even If with scowls. With
others the thought is that it is an evil
dence Of exalted Indifference and indi-
cative Of a lofty patronizing spirit
With still others the vulgarity is prac-
ticed under the impression that 1t is
fashionable
All these should be severely rebuked
by the managers, ushers and directors
Of all houses Of public entertainment
Of the order named It can be done by
closing the auditorium doors until the
proper opportunity presents for permit
ting the seats to be taken. There
should be no fear about enforcing this
rule. No punishment can possibly fol-
low the manager or director of the
auditorium. On the contrary, people
will applaud the action, and the more
fill the houses. Those who are checked
in their Ill manners will themselves ac-
knowledge the justice of the rule
though they may grumble at first, but
rarely will they offend the second time.
It win be recalled that a few years ago
when the Record Union" took up the
battle against the wearing Of hats in
auditoriums, there was a protest all
along the female line. Women would
not be driven, we were told. Fash
ion would have it's way. Custom,
hoary with age, could not be broken
down, and so on. But persistence and
reason won. and to-day the woman
who wears her hat in the theater makes
her vulgarity conspicuous and labels
herself as unmannered and Ill bred
Very few women now dare to invite the
scorn and criticism of the public by
braving the new custom, for it has be-
come a custom despite the objections