Evening star., 1903-11-16

patrons of the working class cannot afford
| to pay more than % cents for an evening s
| entertainment and theater managers can
/ not afford to give them more than an hour $
/ fun for that amount bf meNey.
! So unique custom has grown up, like
our continuous performances at home, and
| anybody who can raise % cents can have
| the privilege of seeing ,theT cleverest actors
| and singers in Spaigl for at least part of
| the evening, while. if they can afford to do
| so they can pay s0-cents-and stay ut the
| theater all night, and really all night 1t is,
| for the curtain seldom falls upon the last
play earlier than or 2:30 o'clock in the
morning. For single act or a fourth of
| an evening you can hire box seating four
people for a dollar, and for six people for a
| dollar and a half. For the entire evening
| the boxes cost 81 and 80
Tragedy and Grand Opera Prices.
The prices for grand opera and at two of
| the twenty-six theaters where heavy trag-
| edy is given are much higher, the entrance
| fee being from 81 to $3 for each person, and
| the boxes from $40 to $50 for the evening.
| At the Royal Opera House and at all of the
| better class of theaters the boxes are sold
| by subscription at the beginning of the
| season, and the opera house and one or
| two of the higher-class theaters are owned
by the nobility and ariStocracy and the
| wealthy element of society. The fact that
| man owns box. however, does not give
| him free admission to the theater He has
else and if he does not give notice of his
| intention to come at least two hours be-
| fore the beginning of the play seats in his
| box offered for sale to the public, un-
| less there be some definite understanding
| There are usually two tiers of boxes run
ming aground the theater in the place of the
| first and second galleries.
The box holders generally remain through
| the entire evening. or at least until mid
night. but the occupants of the parquet,
the orchestra circle and the galleries are
| almost totally changed at least three times
during the evening. While those who have
| witnessed the first act are pouring out of
| the exit on one side of the building, those
| who have bought tickets for the second act
| are crowding through the entrance on the
other side.
Beginning at $50 P. M.
The first act begins at $780, 1t lasts an
| hour or little more, and half an hour or
| so is necessary to change the audience and
| the scenery and allow the actors to make
! up for their new parts so that 1t Is 10
| o'clock before the second act begins; mid
| night before the third, and often O'Clock
| in the morning before the curtain rises on
! the fourth act. In order to fill the house
at that hour the last performance is uSu-
| ally of rather a risque character, some
| thing that the police would suppress II 1t
| were offered earlier In the evening. 1 sup
pose they go on the theory that people VINO
Will SIT until = o CLOCK III llle "
| see a nasty play do not need to have their
| morals looked after.
The second and third acts are always the
! best, and in them the popular actors and
actresses are brought out Hence fashiona-
| BILE and critical people seldom go to the
| theater before 10 o'clock and seldom stay
! until after u. The audiences for the last
| act are generally men and women of doubt
| full character.
Social Life in the Theater.
| The social life of Madrid is found at the
| theaters. Instead of exchanging calls at
| their homes, people visit from box to box
| during the plays and between the acts.
| There is a great deal of dressing. The
| theater is the only place that many women
have an opportunity to wear their good
clothes. and the young men and young wo-
men have greater freedom there for con-
verSation and Irritation than they can have
anywhere else. fA
It Is considered perfectly safe and good
form for young man to stroll up and down
the corridors of theater with his sweet
heart, when it would be improper for them
to be seen in the park or in the streets to-
gether, or even in the drawing room of their
own home. And If they, choose to withdraw
| their chairs back into the shadow. and miss
a part of the play, no one objects. These
conditions make the theater q popular place
of resort for young women, whose rela-
tfOnS with men are restricted by the old
fashioned etiquette; and, of course, where
the candle is the moth will follow.
Theater parties are the most popular
forms of entertainment. AS told you in a
former letter, what we call hospitality Is
unknown in Spain, Italy and other Latin
countries. The doors of the Spanish houses
seldom open to strangers and ordinary ac-
quaintances, and it costs little trouble and
expense to invite a friend two to your
box at the theater. They can make the ac-
quaintance of the wife and daughter under
very pleasant surroundings, and have an
Ice or bottle of wine with them between
each act.
The Opera Season.
The opera season brings the height of So
ciaI life in Madrid. 1t usually continues for
three months, performances being given
three evenings in the week Sunday even
ing is tn gala night The best operas are
given then, the best performers appear and
the finest dressing and the most brilliant
show of beauty may be seen. The toilets
and the diamonds are usually we'll worth
seeing. and everybody of social Importance
in Madrid is sure to be present. The queen
sometimes appears with the king and her
daughters. She always gives her patronage
10 the encouragement of new pieces and the
reception of famous singers.
The Teatro Espanol the leading theater
supported by the same class is the home of
the pure Spanish drama, which many critics
think Is superior to all others at the pres
ent day gentleman of high literary taste
his surprise that the plays of Spain were
not more frequently translated into English
and performed upon the English and
American stage He declared that new
pieces are produced in Madrid every season
which are worthy of any stage, and much
superior to any thing that is produced in
France at the present day. He asserts that
Benito Perez Galdos of this city is the
greatest living dramatist. although he never
heard of one of his plays being produced in
America or England.
The Bull Fight.
The bull fight is. of course. the great ma
tonal amusement. and every Sunday after
noon as long as the weather will permit A.
600 or 15,eO0 men and women. representing
every class of society. mothers and grand
mothers, priests and monks. assemble at the
| bright blade we mourned as lost" He put
out his other hand with CLEAN of pleas