In the late 19th century the habits of the theatergoers was not the best. In fact, they were mostly a rural audience, and sometimes they were rowdy. The managers of the theaters tried to make everyone behave in a civil manner. One of the main complains was the tobacco spit all over the floor around the entertainment venues. At some point those people were required to carry a spittoon to avoid spitting in the floor.
Theatergoers were not required to sit still and be quiet like they do now. They actually ate and drank during the presentation, and sometimes interrupted the performance. Theater owners were very concerned with these disturbances and tried to enforce good behavior.
Even though there was some occasional annoying behavior by theatergoers, for the most part they were very polite, responsive and receptive to the performance.
