After learning that a frisky little mouse scampered across the stage Tuesday during the first act of Lend Me a Tenor at the Music Box Theatre, PETA has offered to lend a helping hand. The group sent a letter to Jonathan Shulman, the manager of the theater, asking him to use only humane mouse-control methods. PETA will also be sending along humane mouse traps that will allow theater staff to catch aspiring mouse actors and release them unharmed in a nearby park. In the letter, PETA offers Shulman several helpful tips on keeping mice from entering the theater.
"Humane mouse control at the Music Box is a win-win solution: Mice, without coming to harm, will get the message that they have no business in show business, and audiences will be guaranteed that everyone who appears on stage is supposed to be there," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "We're encouraging Jonathan Shulman to find a solution that everyone can live with-including the mice."
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PETA's letter to Jonathan Shulman, manager of the Music Box Theatre, follows.
April 30, 2010
Jonathan Shulman
Theater Manager
The Music Box Theater
Dear Mr. Shulman,
I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters, including thousands in New York. Many of us are big Broadway fans, and when we heard that the actors in Lend Me a Tenor were joined onstage by an aspiring thespian rodent during Tuesday night's performance, we were inspired to lend you a hand. We are sending you two humane mouse traps (that capture mice without harming them) so that you can kindly help any other four-legged understudies to exit stage right.
As you may know, lethal methods never work to control unwanted rodent populations in the long term. In fact, they can lead to an increase in the rodent population as the spike in the food supply that occurs when rodents are killed spurs accelerated breeding and more rodents simply move in to take the place of those who were removed. The best way to keep mice offstage and out of your theater is to ensure that they don't enter in the first place. You can do this by sealing up cracks and holes in walls and foundations, keeping food and garbage in sealed, chew-proof containers, and keeping floors and tabletops clean and free of crumbs and spilled food.
Mice who do get in should be removed using humane box traps, which must be checked several times a day to prevent captured mice from suffering from dehydration or starvation. Lethal measures such as glue traps, which cause animals to die slowly and painfully of starvation or dehydration, and poisons should never be used.
Mice are sensitive individuals with unique and fascinating personalities. They feel pain and fear, and they giggle when they are having fun.
We hope the humane traps that we are sending will help you gently evict all unwanted cast members and ensure that from now on the show will only be stolen by human performers. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like further information or assistance.
Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President
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