The Washington times., 1906-12-16

Many heart appears to beat respon-
sIve TO last weeks plea for better man
ners on the part OF theatergoers- Any
numbers of kindly notes have been re-
ceived. and one who appears to have
suffered long in silence sends in the
following:
Dramatic Editor. The Washington
Times:
In view OF the good offices you have
recently done in bringing to public
notice the lax manners of local theateT-
goers may / beg space 10 call your at
Tention to a habit which has probably
ESCAPED your notice but which is prov
ing vastly annoying TO the temper of
rheater patrons and damaging to their
clothes.
Is there any way on earth by which
theater managers may compel their
patrons, particularly women. to keep
their feet OF the seats in front Of them ?
That sounds somewhat undignified,
but 1t is fact thai women in the thea
ter are indulging in a most pernicious
habit OF making dOOrmats OF the people
who sit in front OF them. The women,
who probably are not accustomed TO
having fOotstoOls provided for them in
their homes. manifestly look for such
provision on the part OF theater mana
gers, and when they md il has not been
made they promptly rest their feet on
the seat IN front The shoe protrudes
through the opening between the seat
and the back and not only affords
supreme discomfort to the person in
front but brings ruination 10 her clothes.
Last Monday night. as everyone will
remember. was a stormy night The
streets were wet. and with no regard
for anyones comfort but her own
woman behind me spent the evening
Wiping her feet all over my gown.
Now the theater managers of the
country have done away with the hat
evil Is there any escape from the other
extreme? In the interest or decency If
not that Of good clothes. Will the mana
gers not do something TO make people
keep their feet on the floor?
ONE OF THE WEEKLY VICTIMS.
That is a wall that should touch a
heart OF stone. and il reminds the writer
of one more bad habit-that OF bracing
ones knees against the seat in front.
Many people are made intensely uncom-
Portable by having anyone or anything
touch their chairs. An elderly lady at
the opening OF the Southern-M -Marlowe
engagement was annoyed throughout
TIC performances DN somebody Dtnlu0
her whose knees seemed to be burrow-
ing right through the chair into the
small OF her back. II was a well-dressed
somebody, too. who should have known
better. People who only pay for one
chair should confine themselves TO that
one, and keep both hands and feet of
the one in front.
The lesson OF the week, theatricaIly,
seems TO be that the cachet Of "a New
York success has a distinct CONNER
cial value. 4 year ago FTitzi Scheff
opened here In mile. Niodiste." and did
a decent average sort OF business. Then
she went To New York and registered
one OF the seasons hits. Now, on
return engagement. she packs her housL
at every performance. Oh. yes; It's
a good show. OF course; but why did
Washington have 10 walt for New York
70 find it out?
And one more why-why doesn't Mile.
AIOdiste'' work William Pruette harder?
He has a splendid voice and never was
singing better than he is now. and yet
he has but one song, II Want What /
Want When / Want It." through the
whole two acts of the lively little opera
He does some good comedy work, but
first. last and all the time, he's a singer,
and the public would like TO hear him
sing.
One more lesson was emphasized down
at the Academy-it doesn't pay to have
too good show. "BedfOrd's Hope" is
the best thing Manager Lyon has had
down there for year. and II drew the
worst houses II Is a good play, and IL
is we'll acted. It's big scene" the race
betw-SnI the auto and the locomotive. is
wonderfully effective, a triumph of stage
mechanics. But the Academy. which is
usually crowded. had rows OF vacant
seats at many Of the performances-tAe
sort OF audiences that would. perhaps,
be called good houses al some OF the
uptown theaters. but not at the Acad-
emy.