Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-03-11
TRICKS or THE DEADHEADs.
Prcscxts Of Men and Women 20 So
cure Free Theatcr Seats.

Prctcxts Of Men and Women 20 So
cure Free Theatcr Seats.
Every pretext under the sun is re-
sorted TO by both men and women to
procure seats without payment for
them. says q writer In Leslie's Week.
~ Many cards are sent in with a
request for seats, the cards repre-
senting papers which have long
ceased to live. other applicants bear
cards from prominent publications,
but upon being investigated. they
are found 10 be outsiders entirely
and. as rule, absolutely unknown
to the papers which they profess to
represent. At the New York Hippo
drome, some time ago. a respectable
looking. middle-aged woman called
at the press department and explain
ed that she was writing book about
animals, and she requested the privi-
lege OF studying the Hippodrome
animals behind the scenes. To the
question OF why she did not choose a
larger field, that OF Central or Bronx
Park, for her nature study, she made
an evasiye reply. but went on to say
that in the proposed book she would
make mention of the Hippodrome,
end she wound up with an additional
request for two seats for that even
ing's performance.
Another story is of a man who
called with q request that he be given
the privilege of the theater back of
the scenes for a stated time, that
he might gather studies for q
picture he contemplated painting.
His request also ended by asking for
two seats. When the press agent
wished to know upon what ground
he expected seats without paying for
them. he replied that the proposed
painting would advertise the thea
ter Another and this time a rather
pompous-looking man, called at the
press Office of a prominent theater
and asked for four seats. He said
that he lived in Albany, and his sole
claim upon free tickets lay in the
fact that he had a friend a captain
on one OF the steamers plying be-
tween New York and Albany. This
captain friend allowed his to fur
nish scenic views for the books which
usually lie upon the saloon tables of
river and coast steamers. In several
of these books the man, acting upon
his own judgment. had pasted views
OF the plan which he wished seats
for. Upon being refused by the
agent the man replied: Well, you
and your theater viii never make
cent out of me for will not pay to
see your show"
A good-looking young woman rep
resenting a prominent newspaper In
Savannah, Ca, and bearing a letter
of Identification from the editor,
formed the habit of collecting ex-
tensive theatrical news, including in
terviews, etc, for her paper. For a
considerable time she continued to
apply for and to receive tickets on
faith, but when after year had
passed and not a line appeared in
the paper which she represented, she
was put on the black list. A favorite
scheme OF women is to call upon
theatrical celebrity under the guise
OF representing some publication,
and to proceed with an interview,
and to finally end the visit with re-
quest for tickets, and ten chances to
one they receive orders for seats un-
less the matter comes to the ears OF
the manager, or OF someone who lis
wise to the game"
Not long ago such a case occurred
ut the Madison Square Theater, New
York. A woman, well-dressed and
with engaging manners, called on a
popular actress, and claiming to rep
resent prominent local daily, tried
to interview the actress. Having
given a representative of the same
paper an interview only a short time
before. she did not care to go over
the ground again. The young woman
caioled, pleaded, and threatened, and
finally wound up by asking the
actress to give her an order on the
boxofFlce for seats that she might
take her mother to sec the perform
ance. BY telephoning to tie editorial
rooms 1t was found that the young
woman was entirely unknown there.
The cases of getting tickets by
forging the name of some actor or
actress of prominence while they do
not come under the jurisdiction OF
the press agents, are also of interest
in the list OF fakirs. The name Of
Olive Berkeley, an ex-actress, is a
fair example of the workers in that
particular line. Her method was to
send a messenger with a note con-
tanning request for tickets, and
these notes were always signed with
some well-known and influential
name. Just to vary the method, she
called several times in person, al
ways representing the maid of some
well-known actress, a ruse which
never failed to bring results until she
came to grief sby OVERRIDING the
graft" as the association expresses 1t.