The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-31
THfATfR GOING M

.. 49,. u' happen a ". B,
att cunt. social positionr ~. n
brtes Of mundane cozIness Va
ter going In London q trias A..
Will realize the crimina,nr
# your artistic soul revels Tor !, .s
irving. Alexander or Tree w. - sI
it surreptitiously. furtiyelv ~ ~ -
Although we talk good deal 4 .s's
prevail OF the pit" and ,bs .0 NJ
gallery" the London mauas.. .su' N Il
little attention to his poor.s ~ m
gives them a pen in which "a s s
selves, allows them room In ~, uus 4
fortably stewed. and then be ny ny = Z
ton to the bare backs ana ~. ~. ~
CHESTS that grace the stalls and Il. ~ " y
~ there were no pathos n ~ ~ ~
would De really funny "a con.' w Vsefx1
pcrate eHorts mace by Loudna "
cause tneir poorer patrons to ~, n.ia>le|
poN erty. Inc PIT" Ia that pos, t Ics NJ
chtstia winch occurs unorr ~ s.u N
~ not 80 alarminsiy cheap. IN ns , s..ishs
~ h.vnasn tneasers the pit costs ss,sg n
w. cents,. None OF the seas ~ a
LOU lou pay your money blindly ~ II issa
. .i,,,s AS All the gallery Is pru a ~
n n you are extremely IlkeIy ~ n
n;' paiu your b. cents, 10 md ys.s w
SAl one pillar and directly beS,sa
IN wntch case you see nothing sn1 W
fooled for your pains. anu IN 4
But IL is the poverty OF thc
me. The London manager il s shsa ~ ~
mined that you shan't zeal sssouttly
sell The pit entrance "a slw.su va n
the other entran ,es. You ar. ptu
down side street and az Avn . asue
.iNoid a piilcr) stand ia e,,. .s,.v ND
doors open, Reserve the plt sss sts,ue xe,sl
wotld necessitate the expenss :. Ndu
pioyes. so you go to the sIds ,, y, m :
yoh are an enthusiast--you Wal, 's1l NJ
line moves slowly on, when In. y ~
TO open the doors, and you "a ~ e \
prison-like, stony, gloomy srs ~ !
passage, very dark and cayernov. u'ssd
possessing. You are forced IN s.a. ~ N
dow in'o which you throw VIM. Ky ~
In return you get brass ticLs, ~ n. a
of brass because DASHBOARD ~a., "
know. and that would be rid,,wlarn. ou
sive. Still YOU are pushed ON Mi,
all its darkness Is before you' Ana "
pit II is. In front OF you are ths ,s.n nsl
liantly lighted. downily cushionsa' ~. ~
derfully decorated. You may mi 4. y, ~
from the stalls--you rarely are~ss. "
might be another world. The dseo,s,..
the house stop suddenly short vh,n Nv.
to the pit. Even the wall paper NV. w
may be white and gold In the sts i =.
as u gets to the pit 1t becomes vbass.
greasy whitewash, with finger ms,Is
me seats are plain wooden benches MAI
into individual seats, and absolutely n,
Toned. There is nothing to remind N,
you are out for pleasure and that IN m
paid for that pleasure. You might 4 N
mate OF nome for. imbeciles admitted \,
protest-as though they were rather mi
might make an unpleasant exhibtlop Il
self.
You see the people coming lnto A.
ana seating themselves leisurely In N
fiery. If you have been broushi m !
horrid classification of the thing. you
them in reverence not unmixed with ~,
say "Ah!' and "Oh!" as you see n. ",
III, costumes-as though they were Inn
ard you were looking at them being u
II you have not been brought Tn ID h
can't help feeling a slight contempt h,
very evident appreciation of the osteutaa,
rank and station" You resent III M
oeing rallied off from 1t all, as thcuri
we're an absolutely inferior sort Of c;eit
md 1t spoils your amusement fol As NJ
he evening.
Even the programmes In the pit ue y
mt from those used in the stalls. III
)arous idea OF paying for programmes
Exists In most of the London thsatsn
hough you have paid heavily Tor your Ia
the managers are deternlra
I you want to know the names Of III ID
IL the cast you shall pay more. IN b.
| stiff programme costs sixpenss III %
I there are two OF you, and you each
he luxury of a programme, you pi
quarter. In the pit the manager illrn
} know the names of the play and 4
otors for twopence "a cents). You an
'ct the stiff programme Of the stalls
heap, flimsy. damp sheet that again ~,
tics the poverty of your surrounding
in caps and aprons sell ID
ut has happened to me when
'pitted" it,, and then you 20 through u
yening either dependent upon your I'd
eiehbor or absolutely unable to kneS
hing at all about the details Of NhI
ave paid to see.
Most of the London pittites take nst
aGation stolidIy. They are used 70 Il
nay even grow to like 1t. But II you W
eel thoroughly cheap and out Of sIt1
o to the pit. If you want to expsrtls
ensation of being looked down upou,
D the pit. AS an experience II : dsHll'
1t would be something Gun
D Americans. And II you find that f@
ae--as it frequently happens thai yaa
Dr. the pit is perfectly fiat end hats "
18th impunity--you can generally nla
ody who for n "tip" OF g or Glu
lueeze you into some more dssfa'A
on. You have probably spent . ee,a
our pit seat, and you have been furusss
lifted to see show from GRIM,
nd disagreeable locality. No matter ~
eous theater may be, 1t always IN
lme from the pit. You can't w
ou are at Her Majesty's or the kols.
afy's or the Surrey. All theaters ~
, you--from a pit seat. All auafla Z
lie same, as well. You see IN esah y
lme collection of respectfully sueuss
reverent folks, eana!
ties from paper bags and occasonag
q in cups OF hot coffee. wnien ~
-ound between the acts. for nea. a - ~
on. How they can stand It oolv =,
n a theatrical enthusiastic EW ,si
mt to the theater and breakfast on III
ater-but / could not go. year y ~
1t, to the pit, unless ] became anih'
Id morbid. Ian, N
or course, the best places IN Lo1u ..,,,.
arkably expensive. A couple =. ~
.25: you can reckon dollar ioI LINN
,ur feminine associate must 80 hss
sul6er blades, and buses ave w
hen come your two programmes -
+, and your companions wrap s.sss-
left in the cloak room for snFA"
la In advance II YOU please,