The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-06
The Drama.

San Francisco, Aug. ., 1S99.-There
are two particularly noticeable features
about San Francisco audiences. they
are very demonstrative when pleased,
and very rude about their comings and
goings. Curtain calls, six or seven times
repeated, are ordinary occurrences,
and an unusually good hit will call
forth chorus of .,bravos," In regard
TO the second characteristic, every per-
Torrance / have attended here has
been greatly marred by late corners
who are shown to their seats all during
the first act, and by most inconsiderate
people who begin to hustle into their
wraps and even leave the theatre be-
fore the last act is half over. This last
may sound a trifie over-drawn, but it
is absolutely true. that one can scarce
J. hear, much less see. the ending of a
play or opera, on account of the people
who regularly hurry out before the
curtain falls. The reason for this Is
hard to find, for the number of beer
halls, and restaurants testify to the
fact that San FranciscoanS do not
make a practice of Fastening home
after the theatre. Thirst, then would
seem to be the only solution, but even
this may be satisfied on the premises
during the course Of the performance
at some of the theatres. The Salt Lake
theatre rule Of not seating late Corners
until the fall of the curtain Is an Ca
ceilent one; it places the management
far ahead of these on the coast
An oddly of the cheap theatres here
IS the sign curtains. These take the
place of the regular drops" and are
covered with advertisements of the
gaudiest description They are neither
soothing to the soul nor restful to the
eye and the word artistic belongs on
another planet. The figures and other
displays are simply atrocities. These
curtains are used here at the Grand.
the Tivoli, and the Orpheum, and while
the patch quilt effect is bad enough at
any time, il is not so homogeneous in
a vaudeville theatre where the bill is
rather in keeping with it than other
wise. But when ii comes to seeing a
nightmare like that descend on an act
of grand opera, it is about time to
draw the line. 1 was annoyed by it at
the Grand, where Faust was being
given as grand opera. Il thought it "a
burieSque until / was Informed to the
contrary) But at the Tivoli. where
real grand opera is now being sung.
] was positively offended by it.
Imagine having flamboyant informa-
ton as to soap, pills, whisky, shoes and
eyes after the magnificent climax at
the end of the second act of Lucia. 3"
or the close of the mad scene" Talk
about going from the sublime to the
ridiculous. Here surely is incongruity
persOnified. l suppose one doesn't feel
so bitter about it when he gets used to
it. but unfortunately for me, my train
ing was not in that direction. So
must take my grand opera, pill signs
and all, if l would have any Of it.
Speaking of grand opera at the
Tivoli, a really remarkable engage
ment is now in progress at that theatre.
The house itself is just about what any
bOdy's barn would be with rows of
chairs in il, and smoking and drinking
during the performance are regular
parts of the evenings entertainment.
The prices range downward from 80
cents. The grand opera season COM
menced on Monday of this week. with
a company partly composed of foreign