The New York herald., 1922-01-01
Did You Hear

MI pertinent 10 say about the
matter Of ticket spectators
sn0 makes some important sugges-
tions bearing on the subject.
"Those who patronize the theater
ticket agencies do not object TO fair
charge for service, What they re-
sent is the premium in excess Of
reasonable service fee," says Mr.. Klaw.
"But except in the case Of very
few great SUCCESSES these extortions
are due to the Dlaygoer's decided pref
erence for seats in the first four or
Ave rows. Because OF this preference
the front seats sell at big premium
while the rear seats can be bought at
cut rates. the average of the two being
approximately box Office price.
THE only way 10 correct this ex-
treme difference in price is to correct
the correspondents difference in the de-
sirabiiity of the front and back. seats
Until this is done some one Is going TO
make profit in the one case and sus-
tain a loss in the other. IL II isn't the
manager II will BE- somebody else.
Whether we Ike It or not that is the
law OF supply and demand. and since
II IL not q man made law we had bet
ter waste no time trying to evade 1t.
instead we had better attack the prob
lem of how to do away with the play
goer's abnormal demand for front
seats.
Nov on first thought Il might seem
that this ia no concern OF the manager;
that the playgoer should be left 20 con-
quer his own absurd preference. But is
Il absurd7 And can he conquer this
prejudice In the face OF unhappy ex-
r.erience? Suppose his sight and hearing
are perfect. which very likely they are
not even so he knows that IL he sits
falf way back il is a tossup whether he
WIN not lose 50 much OF the performance
that the rest of Il will be unintelllgible.
Tie knows that In all probability ne
win peer hopelessly into faces left IN
shadow by modern lighting done In the
narne Of art and that his only chance
OF hearing is to sit breathlese with his
nerves on edge lest some ono sneeze
within q radius OF ten seats. He 10 not
unreasonable II after repeated expert
ences OF this kind nc throws up his
hands and declares: Hereafter I'll buy
seats In one OF the fret four rovs or IL
they arc beyond my means I'll go TO the
moviea where I can very comfortably
ear ell there 10 TO be heard and sec all
there is to be seem"
mo. u is not the playgoer who Is 20
blame. but the manager. How many
managers ever consider the acoustics
OF the thesters IN which their companies
play? How many OF them ever consider
when engaging actors whether they have
voice enough 10 be heard back OF the
fourth rowf How many Of them insist
upon clear lighting. good diction and
sufdcient strength Of voica. TO the end
that the players may be easily seen.
heard and understood from every part
OF the housef
these good old basic requirements
seem 20 have been carted away to the
storehouse aiong with the soliioquy and
the aside. But unlike the latter devices
they are not necessarily inconsistent
with modern naturalisrn. and the man
ager win do well 10 take them out. dust
them eft and put them to use. The re-
suit viii be 70 bring back thousands OF
deserters from the ranks Of tho play
soers as well as TO remove most Of the
specuistor nuisance"
A Romeo sy Proxy.
signof Ludovicio viviani. who has
just celebrated his fiftieth anniversary
artists who have appeared at the Metro
poiitan Opera House for the last thirty
years. as no has been active on the
stage In one capacity or another during
that time. He was especially useful 70
Jean de Teszke when the Polish tenor
was At the height Of his popularity. In
no role yves he moro admired than
Romso.
There were few sopranos who came 20
the opera house m those days who did
rot want 20 sing Jultette TO DE Reszke's
Romeo, and sorne OF them used 20 try
TO pin Maurice Grau down BY contract
20 q certain number of appearances with
the popular tenor. Most Of all did they
want 70 sing the heroine OF Gounod's
Shakespearoan opera with the tenor.
That seemed suoh certain aid 20 pop
uiarity.
In the course or time "A number Of
sopranos dld hnvo this privilege. 10
was easy enough for the tenor TO appear
with Mms. Eannes or Melba or Scrnbrich.
as he haS frequently sung with them.
But the new ones required rehearsals.
Rehearsais are sxhaustlng. Tenors after
they have reached certain age fight
shy OF them. But somebody had 20 train
the young yaI,ettes when they were go
ing 20 sing with the beloved Pole.
so tnat TASK feii 70 Sisnor NlNtani.
who was still singing tho smaller tenor
roles. He knew every gesture and move
that De Resske was going 90 make n
this scene or that. He knew Just how
far away the soprano had 20 stand 20
give the tenor plenty cf room 20 breathe.
lie ltnew IN fact oil the necessary hur-
dies that the young singer had 70 take
when she was going TO sing Juiictte with
the greatest Of the Ro,reoS.
while De Ress,,e vse taking his -ses