Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-08

Men ushers e not known to LON
don. The duty of seating the audience
still falls to young women, survivals of
the orange women of the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries. These take
the reserved seat coupons and point
out the location of the chairs as best
they can from the aisles. They are not
averse to taking tip, and they always
exact sixpence az cents) for each
program No stated number of girls
is employed. but instead the force is
increased or cut down In accordance
with the volume of the patronage.
There are no head ushers.
Each Theater Has Bar
Every theater in London has its
bar, where all kinds of drinks are sold.
but Few theater managers are in con-
troll of this department. of the play
house. The privilege is sold to outside
persons on an annual or lease basis.
The revenue 1T furnishes each theater.
however, is a considerable item, rang
ing from $3.50 to $500 weekly.
I'm the case of the music halls this
revenue is nearly doubled, and 1t often
pays all the running expenses of such
playhouses, excepting, of course, the
stage. The proprietors of the bars also
control the program privileges, and
pay llt uSHcINs anu lHGy are 1GSDOnS1-
BILE for the serving of tea and the sale
of candies between the acts.
Many managers would prefer to
supply patrons with programs free of
charge, but the system is so we'll estab-
lished and bar proprietors cling with
such tenacity to the program privilege,
that the theater managers are pow
erless against them, except on the
opening nights of the plays, when by
common consent programs are supplied
free of charge.
Also Have mPackers"
"There is another individual in the
London theaters who is unknown in
similar places of amusement in this
country. He is called packer His
business is to watch over the pit and
see that its occupants are crowded into
the smallest possible space. He is an
official of responsibility, for at all we'll
attended performances the skillful dis
charge of his duty will add $50 night
to the box office receipts.
London safeguards its theater aud
fences as well as we do, but unlike
ours here the cost falls upon the thea
ter manager. In each playhouse fire.
man with absolute authority is sta
toned. His salary is paid by the thea
ter, though it does not control his
actions. He must make regular in
spection of the auditorium and stage,
examine MIGRANTS and other fire ex-
tinguishing apparatus at intervals and
see that the passages are kept clear,
and particularly that the fire curtain is
dropped and raised once during each
performance, so that the audience can
see it is In working order. The police
mems duties are the same as here. ex-
cept that they also assist in handling
the carriage rush when the audience Is
dismissed.
Scenery is Fireproof
every piece of scenery, drapery and
fixtures used on the London stage Is
fireproofed, and this law is rigidly en-
forced, but the use of lighted lamps,
candles and other open flames on the
stage is quite prevalent.
ut is generally believed that English
theaters were originally built below the
street level for reasons of safety.
Theatrical architects deny the efficacy
of this plan and urge building play
houses entirely above the ground. Such
a revolution in theatrical architecture
Is not likely to be brought about, how
ever One reason Is that the ground
rents are exorbitant, almost to the
point of making theater building pro-
hibitory unless part of the rental can
be met by office hire. Another is that
the ancient light privileges of neigh
boring property prohibit the construc-
ton of theaters in most localities high
enough to accommodate an orchestra
floor and two or three balconies above
the street level.
American actors who appear in Lon
don invariably find that they must
change their method slightly to suit
the demands of English audiences. On
opening nights, for instance. they muse
play to- the pit and galleries. in order
to win a cordial response. In America
their chief concern is to suit the taste
OF the occupants of the seats in the
orchestra.
ACTORS from abroad are also an
noyed by the persistency of audiences
in refusing to come to their seats until
about $3.50 O'Clock. Owing to their tar
diness nearly every play In London is
preceded by a curtain raiser, although
Grace George had what is known as an
entertainer precede ''Divorcons."