The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-16
Observation-Disclosures
People Who Had Free Admission
to Old English Theatres.
Rules That Prevailed During
Shakespeare's Time Corresponds
ence Between Murphy and Garrick
Days When the Stage Was
More Powerful Than journalism.

When, in theatrical matters, we speak
of paper house, 1t is we'll understood
that the term means an audience whose
admittance has been secured by passes or
orders. Impecunious managers have
sometimes used this paper as a method
of settling troublesome accounts: Gnsuc-
cessful managers have resorted to it for
the sake Of procuring fairly numerous at
tendance. Orders, in the present day, are
by no means used SO extensively as they
once were, though they still play not I'M
important part. They are the reward Of
those publicans and shopkeepers who dis
play the stage bills of fare in their win
dogs; while all others who enjoy any COM
mercial connection with the management
OF theatre, particularly in provincial
towns look for the occasional gratuity of
a pass to the circle of boxes. Human ma
ture certainly delights in getting orders
for the play. 1t is not so much the mere
saving Of expense that gives satisfaction;
it is the proud and superior feeling Of
going in for nothing while your friends and
neighbors are strugglig at the pay box.
orders. Whether the Greeks ever took
paper, or Its equivalent, for the usual
obolus that was demanded at the entrances
of their vast theatres cannot be said; but
we know that Pericles arranged for the adj
mission to be practically gratuitous by first
causing the oboli to be distributed to the
people. In Shakespeare's time it would
a.
, a right to free admission by professional
| etiquette: which might have been possible
In days when authors were few, but would
! be difficult now. Doubtless, personal
| friends of the manager or chief actors
frequently enjoyed the same privilege, but
whether they used paper. or whether their
i appearance was sufficient passport does
I not seem clear. We read that KiI,igrew
| in his bOyhood would go land be a devil
on the stage in order to see the play for
| nothing; from which we may infer that
nothing like paper ever came his way, and
also that devils were considerably in de-
mand at that time.
Comforting the freedom of the play
house" on playwrights and men of letters
was common in Garrick's day and without
doubt the good-natured manager was often
pestered for the same favor by persons
who had no such claim. 1t was evidently
Garricks custom to give tickets of admis-
sion, permanent orders, to those whom he
desired to honor. 1t is recorded that the
Irish writer, Murphy, annoyed at what he
thought ill-treatment or neglect, returned
the ticket with the words, LAS DO not
foresee any further occasion for this
oblig1ng passport, am not willing to tres
pass too long upon your civility.' Gar
rick's answer was such as to reflect the
greatest possible credit upon himself 'If
you choose to re1inquish your right to the
freedom of Drury Lane playhouse you GER
| tainly will do as you please. But without
the ticket. imagine, Mr.. Murphy will find
the doors open to him as usual: and be it
further known to you, sir, that as 1
thought you were above an undue influence
never meant the ticket as the least tie
upon the liberty Of your pen or CONVERSE
tion 1t may be safely inferred that Gar
ricR presented the same permanent pass
port to his gruf but faithful friend Dr. |
Johnson 1t is hardly too much to say that |
the great players generosity was as nota- /
BILE as his acting: and his acting was ,
probably such as the world has never sur |
passed.
A considerable amount in these DAYS
falls to the share of those who are con- |
nected with the newspaper press. The i
stage critics, OF course, have their psrma- |
nent right OF entry; and many others~con-
nected with the press in different ways en-
joy frequent. II not continuous adm ss;ons |
But whereas the stage now courts the 1
press the press formerly seems TO have
courted the stage. Just as shopkeepe rs
used to pay for the privilege of exhibiting
bills. SO the papers paid for the privilege I
OF announcing plays and programmes !
Every theatre now pays large sum for /
advertising; it used to be the reverse-the |
newspapers paid for being allowed to insert
the advertisements. Those were days when /
the stage was clearly more powerful than /
journalism.
The papers were grateful even to be
allowed to pay for stage news. They had |
indeed, a difficulty in filling their columns. /
A free press did not then exist They
were perpetually in danger If they dealt
openly with political or even social news.
and the delight of being able to treat
freely all matters connected with the stage
was privilege worth paying for In those
times there must have been dearth of /
press orders. When the papers increased |
in Importance ant gradually become the |
ruling power, the theatres began to WOO
them with paper. The press began to
claim such as its right, and the claim |
proved serious diminution OF theatrical /
profits. Albert Smith once complained that /
IL every newspaper presented its orders, |
all the seats in. his hoOuse at the lime
would be taken by paper Macready |
though as manager he tried to oppose too |
promiscuous issue OF orders made free
use of them himself when only player.
He liked TO have at least two seats, and |
sometimes a private box, at his disposal. /
when he was appearing on the boards and |
even this did not meet the demands of his
friends. and of those who, with any or no
excuse worried him for paper
Thus there was the constant claim OF the
of the players themselves. Very frequently
half house would be paper. Charles
Mathews, then managing the Lyceum
complained that his house lost as much as
g25 night through press orders only
and Webster. of the Haymarket and Adel-
phi calculated that during three years the
newspapers had secured the admission Of
10000 people into three theatres alone.
Not uunaturally. some Of the managers
and performers thought that so liberal
treatment of the papers merited constan,
favorable notices. and adverse criticism
was resented This alone proved the ill
effects of the custom. In Dickens day the
bill sticker also came in for liberal share
Of paper, and, indeed claimed it. THE
man who would give the most orders came
off best. '-Londcn Globe.
Drawn Into Machinery by Her Hair.
READING, Pa. July 15.-While operat-
ing knitting machine in Node & Horst's
hosiery mill yesterday Miss Annie Horn
berger had her hair caught by The ma
scream, and when her cries were heard
!, bar. erirtc tnkt of tha o.,