The national Republican., 1862-03-07
Army Thsatricals.

@sS A~SSAhCoAbs
A correspondent Of the Buffalo Courier, writ.
ing from camp 10 Virginia, describes regi.
mental or brigade theatre. He does not state
the number Of the regiment We quote:
This regiment Il should say brigade) are
more highly favored In the way of amusement,
than any other on this side Of the Potomac, for
with their own money, energy, and persever-
ance, they have built theatre, or as they call
1t, "Lyceum.' 1t is building, one hundred
feet long, by sixty wide, aud twenty high.
The first story, nine feet in height. is built Of
double logs, the remainder Of boards. The
roof Is made Of boards. battened and covered
with thick coating Of coal tar. Then there
are wings fifteen feet wide on each side, ex
tending the whole length of the main building,
with roofs slanting up to 1t. and another room
built acroes the rear, In which is the gas gene
rator. The galleries extend all around, and
are handsomely decorated with painted panel
work.
The whole building except the roof is lined
with canvass, and was obtained from old aud
condemned tents in the brigade, painted a light
lilac color, except that which forms the ceiling
under the galleries. which is painted white
That on each side CT the stage Is covered with
handsome paper, representing appropriate de-
signs On each side Of the stage in front, some
three or four feet Of canvass slants in upon the
stage, and reaches to the curtain; this part Is
very handsomely ornamented. On this part,
from two handsome brackets, hang two very
fine four-light chandeliers. The drop curtain
is fine painting, and is the only painting in
the building that was not done by the soldiers.
The scenery has all been painted by men Of this
regiment.
The daylight is furnished through number
of large windows in the roof, but what perhaps
would surprise you most about the whole affair
would be to visit II In the night, ard fiud II
brilliantly lit with gas, genuine gas, jettng
from one hundred and forty burners. Bat such
is the case. There Is attached to the building
in the rear gas generator, which can make
between three and four hundred feet of good
gas an hour, from the refuse fat OF the camp.
The cooks save all the old pork rinds and grease
they get In cooking, and out of this, and this
only, the gas is made. II burns very bright,
with q white light, and seems to have more
Illuminating power than gas made from coal
There are besides the two chandeliers I have
mentioned, two twelve light chandeliers hang
ing from the ceiling, seven three-light brackets
set in the front upright part Of the galleries,
eighteen foot lights with the regular green
shades in front and wire covers on the stage
side Of them, three rows Of border light over
the stage, of eighteen lights each, to light up
the scenery, besides various other lights round
in different places-making in all one hun
dred and forty. U
1t was built by subscription, In the shape Of
shares, and has cost about 81 800 There have
been three performances in 1t, at each one of
which there have crowded In between thou.
sand and fifteen hundred persons. Tickets sell
gallery, SO cents; below, twenty five cents
The intention Is to charge admittancs until the
cost Is refunded. and then procure lecturers
upon subjects of interest, and have open doors.
At the rate 1t Is crowded every time it opens,
it will be paid for soon. 1t stand monument
Of the energy Of our volunteer army. They
cannot be idle. If circumstances are such that
they are not allowed to fight, and mud so deep
they cannot drill, they will be doing something
else. Tonight, Miss Susan Denim makes her
appearance as Lucy Clifton In the Eddystone
Light house, and Ben. Rogers as Peter Bart
lett. The orchestra isfo med of the band from
the Third Maine, and other musicians from the
brigade. There is also a very good minstre
band. The entertainment concludes with the
farce Of Box and Cox Quite o fine enter
tainment for an evening in the woods of vir
ginia.