AFTER THE PLAY IS OVER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 6

AFTER THE PLAY IS OVER.

A /THEATRE-GOER'S COMPLAINT. "I think it is disgraceful the way patrons of tho Opora Uopso are treated in respect to the lack of facilities for getting away after a performance, and the want of somebody te control the traffic." The remark fell from a theatre-goer on , a recent rainy nighfy "I havo been a theatre-goer in many parts of the world," he continued, "but never have.'l seen, such want of consideration. and gross neglect of law and order as in Manners Street after the play is ovor. Take tho situation on a wet night like this—and wo have had many quite recently. As thero is no foyer on the ground floor dress circle and stalls, patrons cannot wait under shelter for their cabs, for the simple reason that there is no-shelter, and it is impossible to stand in tho dooiwajs owing to the crowd pushing out from behind. The result is that ladies, clad in light ovemng attire and tho thinnest shoes, havo either to stand in the ram or mako a dash across the sloppy Btroet to the verandah on the ofchor sido. Then, it they haro cabs on order, their escorts havo to scurrj back in tho rain to find out where the cab is, and tell the driver where te go te pick up his 'fares. , 'Iheie is no exaggeration in this —it can be Been any wet night. What is \W anted in tho first inttanco is a bilcony verandah, which would at once bo a shelter for theatre-goers on leaving the playhouse, and would form a splendid pronionado tor circle patrons in the summer. You may search in vam for any sjmptem of traffic control What frequently occurs is this—half a dozen cabs may be facing one way ready to dnvo up in turn to receive their passengers, but will .bo preiented from doing so by two or three cabs facing the other way, whose diivers aro usually waiting for a chance fare, and when these veluclos begin to manoeuvre to get away, confusion is obvious, and it is wonderful there I are not moro accidents, as people rushing to tho trams frequently find themselves undor 1 a horse's nose Tho city authorities or tho I police should decide which is te be the real I traffic authority, and endeavour te regulate tho oab and tram trouble in Manners Street after the theatres Tho way things are mismanaged at present is a disgraco to tho city. I do nope that soraothmg will bo done to provide shelter outside the doors."