This being my day to talk about playgoing manners, etc., here's a little plea in the interest of generosity.

On Sunday afternoon, I attended the opening performance of "13" at the Mark Taper Forum. The performance was sold out, as Center Theatre Group openings almost always are, and the standby line was in full effect.

CTG does a cool thing. At the opening performance, you stand in that line, get a number, and if there are any returns or unsold seats, you get to see the show free of charge. This happens at the Taper, the Ahmanson Theatre and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Except for pay-what-you-can performances, the opening is the only show during the run where the cheapest of cheap seats is a possibility. Otherwise, you're looking at minimum $20, and usually substantially higher.

Now, this last Sunday, I happened to be going solo which, I'm grateful to say, doesn't happen as often as it used to. This time, I had an extra ticket to what was looking to be a somewhat in demand performance.

So I did what I usually do when faced with this situation. I went to the back of the standby line, said, "Who needs 1 ticket?" and handed my extra to the first person who raised his or her hand.

Now, the box office may frown on my behavior since they could conceivably sell my extra ticket to a paying customer (i.e. someone who goes up to the box office and pays instead of trying standby). I've turned in the extra ticket as well at performances that weren't sold out or where it wasn't clear that someone was around who needed a ticket. That's cool, too. Theaters need the money. Ticket sales alone don't come close to keeping them in business.

I have never sold an extra ticket, and never will. Dispense with the gold star. Since I don't pay for them, it would be hugely unethical _ let alone potentially illegal _ for me to make a few bucks off the freebie I don't use.

Now, I know theater tickets _ even though I don't pay for them _ are expensive. And it royally sucks to have shelled out in the $50 to $100 range only to have Aunt Myrtle come down with a stomach virus and be unable to attend the show you planned to take her to 8 months ago. And I absolutely get the temptation to try to recoup even a portion of that $75 item which _ at precisely 8:05 _ will become worthless.

Here's my plea, though. Don't sell the extra ticket. If you can find anyone who wants it, give it away. The act makes for good karma, and it's a generous thing to do. You'll wind up sitting next to someone who _ one hopes _ will be thankful for the gift, and if enough people get into the mindset, maybe you'll be on the receiving end of a free ticket one day.

As for you recipients (you know who you are). When you get a freebie, don't take it as your due: "Yeah, I always come and someone always coughs one up." Be appreciative. Karma runs both ways.