THEATRE MANNERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 6

THEATRE MANNERS.

I consider "See Ourselves'". remarks on the chewer and the cackler quite correct. But when he says that generally speaking an Auckland audience knows nothing of etiquette he is exaggerating. He says that "with absolute lack of culture and restraint it (the audience) laughs loud and long at a comedy, to'the detriment of better, decent, self-controlled folk." If "See Ourselves" has not written in a snob ; bish manner, then I do not know snobbishness when I see it. "See Ourselves" goes on to speak of "selfish people," "vulgar noises," "inherent selfishness" and "better-conducted people." I want to say that some of these "better-conducted people" simply make me tired. I have been in theatres when there was something really funny going on on the stage and the greater portion of the audience.was behaving in a natural manner and laughing heartily. And yet in the dress circle one could see people with a wooden expression or the ghost of a smile upon their faces, "controlled" faces, thus showing their "culture." Some of tlie greatest gentlemen the world has seen have been very homely persons. Could one imagine the great Abraham Lincoln having a "controlled" face? And in a recent "Star" there wag an account of the Prince of Wales being the guest of honour at a meeting when lie laughed heartily at the jokes. Everyone to his opinion, but mine is that the real cultured gentleman behaves in a natural manner, but the sham gentleman docs not. W.B.