Sentence:  Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the <WSD>house</WSD>, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The audience for a live theatrical or similar performance. (from 10th c.)