THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511080025
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
My wife and I really enjoyed the Noel Coward play ``Blithe Spirit'' recently at the Wells Theater in downtown Norfolk. The theater is a beautifully restored genuine piece of natural history. The fact that WNIS radio sponsored the opening at no cost to the public was also a definite plus and an example of a business putting something back into the community.
I have only one continuing, gagging, eye-burning and smelly complaint. Smoke - from the play's opening comments by director ``Chuck'' who, with lit cigarette in hand, regaled the audience with his nicotine addiction - to the play itself, when the actors must have lit at least two ``packs of death.'' Also, the foyers and lounge areas were lined with ashtrays and filled with smoke.
Old theater that it is, the Wells is just not ventilated well enough to handle so much poison. Seated on my right were two teenagers who wondered aloud, ``Aren't there laws against exposure to second-hand smoke?''
Where's the theater's civic conscience? It doesn't need to cater to nicotine free-basing to make a buck. Let's have some clean air, good theater and success to us all.
RON PRITCHARD
Virginia Beach, Oct. 18, 1995 by CNB