The Mormons and the Theatre Part 11

"THE TICKET OF LEAVE MAN."

Supported by the following

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Bob Briefly, a Lancas.h.i.+re lad ....... Mr. John S. Lindsay James Dalton (the Tiger) ................ Mr. M. Forester Hawkshaw (a detective) .................. Mr. Mark Wilton Melter Moss (a crook) .................. Mr. J. C. Graham Mr. Gibson (a bill broker) ............. Mr. Harry Taylor Sam Willoughby ...................... Miss Dellie Clawson Maltby ................................... Mr. Logan Paul Burton ................................... Mr. H. Horsley May Edwards ..................... Mrs. Clara Jean Walters Mrs. Willoughby ...................... Miss Belle Douglas

This was the last performance given under the corporation managers and for some time the theatre remained without a manager; if any one wanted it, they had to rent it from President Brigham Young through one of his clerks. My record shows that the writer, on July 24th following, rented the house at the modest sum of one hundred dollars for the bare house. We gave Bulwer's five-act comedy of "Money"

besides the farce "A Fish Out of Water" and a musical interlude, by Laura Honey Stevenson and John W. McKenzie, a popular young baritone from San Francisco. The total expense of this performance was $357.00, so it was a risk for an individual to take, but we pulled through clear and had a little left for our trouble.

About this time Mr. W. T. Harris or "Jimmy" Harris, as he was familiarly called, was installed as "business manager" of the theatre; he had succeeded in winning one of Brigham Young's daughters, Miss Louise Young, affectionately called by her friends "Punk." The Annie Ward episode was forgotten or condoned, and Jimmy had ingratiated himself so strongly in the President's good graces as to receive the hand of his favorite daughter, and in order that he might provide liberally for her, he was given the business management of the theatre. He a.s.sumed no financial responsibilities in accepting the position, but simply acted as the agent for Brigham Young, to whom he submitted matters of importance. He held down his job for two years or more, until some time after the death of Brigham Young, when the Salt Lake Theatre, which had been appropriated by the late President, (although built with Church means) in the settlement of Brigham's estate reverted to the Church. This brought a change of management and Mr. Harris was superseded by H. B. Clawson, one of the former managers.

CHAPTER XX.

SEASON OF '75-'76.

In the following chapter, no attempt will be made to give a consecutive and complete list of the attractions which appeared during the season, but a running notice will be made of the most important engagements, and especially of the new stars that appeared.

The combination system was gradually forcing the stock company from the theatre. Engagements with the stock people were now intermittent and uncertain, and for that reason the company kept dwindling until eventually it became a thing of the past. During this season, however, they were called in to support a good many stars. It took several seasons for the combination system to completely supersede the stock system.

On August 12th, Jennie Lee, who had been a favorite soubrette in the California theatre, San Francisco, and her husband, J. T. Burnett, opened a week's engagement in the play of May Blossom, supported by the stock. Immediately following, opening on the 20th of August, came Augustin Daly's company on their way to San Francisco. They played three nights, presenting "Saratoga," "The Big Diamond" and "Divorce."

f.a.n.n.y Davenport was the "leading lady" of this company. It was the first dramatic company to cross the continent direct from New York to San Francisco. The fame of Daly's company had preceded it, and as a result they played to big businesses both here and in San Francisco.

On the 27th and 28th, the English Opera Company played to good houses.

On September 25th, the stock company reopened the theatre which had been dark for several weeks. Charley Vivian, who afterwards organized the order of Elks, opened in conjunction with the company, giving his clever entertainment, and this combination pulled through the October Conference, when there was another intermission. In December, the stock company made another spurt, headed by Clara Jean Walters.

They reopened with "Cherry and Fair Star," a spectacular play which had an unusual run; with this and other pieces they managed to keep going until January 20th, 1876; from this date to April 1st, there were occasional attractions but none of great importance.

On March 1st, John S. Lindsay, who had been playing leads in the stock, was tendered a complimentary "benefit," on which occasion he appeared in the character of "Jack Cade." To show the personnel of the company at this particular period of its history, the following program of the performance is subjoined:

SALT LAKE THEATRE.

W. T. Harris ........................... Business Manager

_GRAND COMPLIMENTARY FAREWELL BENEFIT_

Tendered by the Members of the Dramatic Profession, and Prominent Citizens of Salt Lake City to the popular actor

JOHN S. LINDSAY.

On which occasion Mr. Lindsay will essay the great character of Jack Cade.

WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1876,

Will be presented Judge Conrad's celebrated tragedy in four acts, ent.i.tled

"JACK CADE, THE CAPTAIN OF THE COMMONS."

The entire Corps Dramatique have generously volunteered.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

_n.o.bles_.

Lord Say ................................ Mr. Mark Wilton Lord Clifford ........................ Mr. Emmett Mousley Duke of Buckingham ..................... Mr. Gus M. Clark Duke of Suffolk ........................ Mr. B. W. Wright Courtnay ............................... Mr. J. C. Graham

_Commons_.

Jack Cade } Aylmere } ........................... Mr. John S. Lindsay Friar Lacy ........................... Mr. John T. Hardie Wat Worthy ............................ Mr. Phil Margetts Will Mowbray ............................ Mr. J. E. Evans Jack Straw ............................... Mr. E. Mousley

Bondmen to Lord Say--

d.i.c.k Pembroke ............................ Mr. H. Bowring Roger Sutton ............................. Mr. Wm. Wright Cade's Son (5 years old) .............. Miss Edie Lindsay Marinanne (Cade's wife) ............... Miss Lina Mousley Widow Cade (Cade's mother) ............ Miss Sarah Napper Kate Worthy, betrothed to Mowbray ..... Miss Lizzie Davis

Lords, Officers, Peasants, Bondsmen, Etc.

To be followed by a musical interlude.

Song--"Give a Poor Fellow a Lift" Mr. Phil Margetts, Jr.

For the last time, the great Specialty of the Mulligan Guards ................ By W. T. Harris and H. E. Bowring

The performance will conclude with the side-splitting farce,

"A BASHFUL BACHELOR."

Hector Timid ........................... Mr. J. C. Graham Captain Cannon .......................... Mr. Mark Wilton Dr. Wiseman ........................... Mr. H. E. Bowring Thornton ................................ Mr. J. E. Evans Louisa ................................ Miss Lina Mousley Chatter ............................... Miss Sarah Napper

It would be unreasonable to expect an audience to sit through such a lengthy performance nowadays, but such was the dramatic pabulum with which we had to entice them into the theatre "_in that elder day_."

The "cast" in the above program shows that the stock company had become decidedly weak, a number of amateurs were worked in, and the three comedians, Margetts, Bowring and Graham, are playing parts altogether out of their line. The lady a.s.signed the "leading lady's"

part (Miss Mousley) was a clever amateur and this was about her first appearance at this theatre. The "leading ladies" "seem to have been all in retirement." Mr. Wilton, "a serio-comic," playing the "leading heavy," Lord Say, and Mr. Graham playing" the "second heavy,"

Courtney, shows there was a great sparsity of "heavy men," and Margetts and Bowring both playing serious "character parts," plainly indicates the low ebb the company had reached. It was now a difficult, nay an impossible, task to adequately "cast" one of the great cla.s.sical plays.

Such was the status of the stock company at this period, its efficiency having been gradually weakened by the steadily increasing innovation of the combination or traveling companies.

Many of the most popular stars had not up to this time surrounded themselves with their own supporting companies, but continued to flit to and fro across the dramatic firmament, pausing to shed their l.u.s.ter for a new nights wherever they could find a cl.u.s.ter of nebula (stock company) to s.h.i.+ne among.

On April 1st a bright and attractive star appeared in the person of Mr. Edwin Adams. Mr. Adams made a splendid impression on his first visit to Salt Lake and a full house was on hand to greet him. The train on which Mr. Adams arrived was several hours late and the audience was kept waiting more than an hour after the specified time of commencing. It was nearly ten o'clock when the curtain rang up on "The Marble Heart," but the audience exercised great patience, and when at length Mr. Adams appeared as Phidias from between the curtains that concealed the statues, exclaiming "The man whose genius formed them," he received such a warm and generous welcome as must have banished any doubts or misgivings he may have had as to how Salt Lake would receive him. As he had not rehea.r.s.ed with the company, some apprehensions were felt as to how the play would go; but, after it was over, Mr. Adams warmly complimented everybody--especially the stage manager--and declared it went just as well as if he had been here to rehea.r.s.e it with us. This was a notable engagement, Mr. Adams playing ten nights in all, his engagement running through the April Conference. In addition to "The Marble Heart," he played "Hamlet,"

"Richelieu," "Rover" (in "Wild Oats"), "Narcisse" and "Enoch Arden."

Edwin Adams was destined to a career as brief as it was brilliant.

After leaving us he went to San Francisco and played a successful engagement, then went to Australia. When he returned from Australia to San Francisco he was a dying man. A benefit was given him there, and he was wheeled onto the stage in an invalid's chair to acknowledge his grat.i.tude to the San Franciscans for their kindness to him. This was the last seen of poor Edwin Adams by the public. Only a few days later and that dramatic genius that was shedding l.u.s.ter on the American stage was extinct. He had contracted quick consumption in the antipodes, and by the time he got back to San Francisco his friends realized he had not long to live and did what they could to show their love for him and ease his pa.s.sing to the great beyond.