Manners Matter

Hurrah and two seats on the aisle to reader Elinor Lench for her accurate assessment of the bad manners of some Los Angeles theater audiences (Mad as Hell, Dec. 19). If it were up to me, I would enclose the following notice with all theater tickets:

“Warning: Talking (includes whispering so loudly that they can hear you in the Valley), eating, drinking, coughing, making out, spitting, arriving late or leaving early, or any other such indulgent and indolent behaviors will subject the purchaser of this ticket to (a) immediate ejection from this theater, (b) forfeiture of all monies paid and (c) a lecture by Kit Culkin on why he can get by with being an indulgent ass but you can’t.”

If Los Angeles is going to be a world-class theater town, it needs patrons who understand that there are both etiquette and protocol, which, when observed, significantly enhance the performance of everyone involved--cast, crew and audience!

GENE DICKEY

Irving, Tex.