Final answer:
Mairs compares an event to a ridiculous Marx brothers movie, which was a visit to the theater.
Step-by-step explanation:
The event that Mairs compared to a ridiculous Marx brothers movie was a visit to the theater.
She describes the early time and the darkened lights in the auditorium, with ushers standing around and waiters passing by. The program includes various acts such as musical farce, serio-comiques and skirt dancers, acrobats, ventriloquists, and a kinetoscope. Mairs feels excited and dazzled by the experience.