New-York tribune., 1909-07-04
TIE PARIS THEATRES
Managers TO Raise Prices Of Tickets
Recent Plays.

par1s theatre managers complain u1 Ha'u
times" and after plotting in secret nave M
rrnon an ingenious method 10 increase ''9 PM
Of tickets by 10 per cent. The average Prl0e VI
an orchestra stall in Paris Is s. Al the oPel~
.he mice is s. at the Theatre Francals - V''
e, IN. Th4atre Antoine-Ci4 4Tnier 81 and al the
C,s,.k sn cents When there are exceptional at
,,sc+ions the prices Of the tickets are usuaiiy
increased. For instance. at the Chatelet. "hsre
tb. ,.crlar urice OF an orchestra stall is 3
,,r.r rat,en nj the door and s. 20 when taken at
,b. theatre in advance Zen location). the prices
we're raised during the representations OF '!le
Russian Imperial Opera Company 10 ;" ana 80
r.su-otiveIv By virtue OF law ehsc'ed IN
1877 10 per cent Of the gross receipts OF every
theatrical performance IS each night turned over
70 the municipal charity bureau Cth" Ass's-
tsncs PubIique'p. whose inspectors fauit'sss'S
at;ired IN evening dress and white cravats are
ALWAYS to be found seated behind high counter
bsstae tie ticket receiver. The theatrical poor
,ar during the year 1893 reached over 5000
ono by \ sor1 OF coup d'etat the managers Of
the TWENTY-FIVE tlleatres that belong 70 the
directors syndicate-a syndicate that comprises
all the important theatres Of Paris except the
Opera and the Theatre Francais-haFe diverted
this 81 OO0O Oo0 into their pockets by simply
compelling the public 20 pay the ]" per cent
stamp tax on each ticket They are legally en-
ADOPT
ss AGENTS OF the Assistance Publique. The tax
has hitherto been concealed BY being Included
in the price Of the ticket. and theatregoers
now complain that they virtually pay ing the
10 Der cent poor tax twice over. because the
theatre managers DO not reduce their pr1ces ~
per cent In compensation for the new poor
stamp tax Paul Souday. dramatic critic OF the
'Eclair," is the mouthpiece OF the public in the
matter. He says that it is the managers
own fault IL their theatres 90 not prosper
They have only 10 select better plays and make
their theatres cleaner and more comfortable.
He points out that the managers true interest
is to give the Partisan playgoers what they de-
1nand, namely good plays. carefully mounted
and well acted. The bulk Of their profits comes
from the resident public. who neither want nor
can afford expensive seats, and II is a mistake
for managers to appeal solely 70 Cosmopolitan
snobs of an elegant season." and not satisfy the
masses OF the Partisan bourgeois. II is inter
estlng to note that this was also the Wow Of the
late Francsque Ssrcey and this position is in
dorsed by Max Naurey, manager Of the sue
cessful little theatre Grand Guignol. Although
this is one of the syndicated theatres. NJ. Maurey
voted in the minority and comes out against
the increase in the price Of seats which he says.
II made at all. should be made openly. above
board and simply in accordance with the laws
Of supply and demand. N. Souday urges the
theatrical managers to reduce the prices OF
tickets instead of increasing them. This coup
d'etat Of the managers. which will go into force
on October l. when the forthcoming season
opens has already aroused great deal of pub
lie opposition but indications are that the
ayers will be able 10 carry their measure
through.
An interesting feature Of the waning evenings
of the present theatrical season is the French
dramatic adaptation Of wike Collinss novel,
1.-THE Moonstone.' which is drawing good houses
at the Porte Saint Martin Theatre. 1t is not
forgotten IN Paris that Wilkie Collins one
Of the earliest novelists to create the popular
police detective stories OF the type of "Raffes'
Sherlock Holmes and "Arsene Lupin,' which
have taken such firm hold on Partisan audiences.
The a'apters. Louis Pericaud and Henri Des-
fontaines, have introduced some good dramatic
scenes in "The Moonstone"-"La Pierre de
Lune"-and according to present arrangements
the play is TO be translated into English and
brought out next winter in London. 1t is need
less to recall the sensational episodes of The
Moonstone," but the scene where the Scotland
Yard detective. Sergeant Cuff, lives with his
prisoner. Franklin. the roof OF house III
London, transformed into rose garden terrace
from which view OF the entire city is seen, is
finely presented. So also IS the situation in the
sailors boarding house, where the secret police.
aided by the high priests OF the Indian shrine
from which the priceless moonstone had been
stolen b. Colonel Horncastle. discover and
| capture the robber OF gentle birth who had re-
stolen the gem from Miss Rachel, the colonels
iegstee II was the late Constant Coquelin who
first appreciated the dramatic qualities of Wilkie
Coilins's "Moonstone" and it is owing TO his
interest in the play that ii was brought out at
/ the Porte -Sant-Martin Theatre, the manager of
which Is Jean Coqueln-
la Rencontre." the play in four acts by n
Pierre Berton. author of "Zaza" which
produced with moderate success at the Theatre
Frazcals on Wednesday, is the story OF brill