Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-06-29
THEATRICALs UNDER DIFFICUL-
TIES.
An Ambitious Stage Struck Individual Is
Treated TO a Shower of DeCayed Veg
etabIes, TOrpedOes and Dead Cats.

A performance of the "Lady of
Lyonsn was given-or, rather, at.
tempted-at the Academy of Music,
Philadelphia, on Thursday last. The
Claude MeInotte was a MIR. John s.
Estlin, an amateur, who recently had
made his debut in "RomeO and Ju-
liet.n The Philadelphia Star thus
describes the scenes that took place
during the evening":
The house was very full, the mascu-
line element largely predominating.
It was very evident, from the express
sion on almost every countenance,
long before the curtain rose, that they
had come there for ''fun"-that they
had come to "guy" the hero Of the
play-and were prepared to carry
hilarity to any extent. But we must
confess, with mingled feelings Of
shame and regret, that the scenes
which followed far surpassed our an
ticipations. Any attempt to delineate
them upon paper must necessarily fall
far short of the purpose. To say that
the conduct of large portion Of the
assemblage was disgraceful is but to
feebly characterize it. Coins were
thrown upon the stage-balls of lilly
white were thrown that left a trail
like comet where they struck; car
rots, cabbages and other vegetables
were thrown; torpedOes were thrown; (;
but the crowning indignity (aside
from the insulting cries) was the
throwing on the stage dead cat in
the last state of decomDositiOn, in fact,
falling to pieces, while the Pauline of
the play was speaking in tones of be-
Wilderment to her new mother. 1t is
said that this foul indignity was COM
mitted by the son of a Chestnut street
dry goods merchant. 1t is to be hoped
that the directors of the Academy will
make some effort to discover his iden-
tity and punish him by proper legal
means. Quite as bad as this were the
cries, mainly from the balcony, which
were kept up from the beginning till
the end of the performance, with
scarcely a minutes cessation. All Of
them were meant to be witty; all Of
them raised the most bOisterOus mer-
riment, rendering it impossible to hear
even the orchestra, and all of them
were either slangy or brutal. There
were many present who did not SYM
pathize in these OutTages, who sought
to check them by Kisses, who cried,
"Give the man a chance" and who in
other ways displayed sympathy for
those upon the stage.
The performance was diversified
with speeches to the audience, made
by Mr.. Estlin and Mr.. Vsnhorn, one
of the actors. One of Mr.. Estlin's
speeches was the following:
'fHaving come here against my will,
and not being in physical condition
to do what would like to do, with
your permission would like to close
the play. l own up to it, under the
circumstances, with the noise and
confusion, cannot go on. 1t would
be impossible, even for man in good
health.
"I have the courage to 90 on, but /
don't wish to be insulted. (Cries OF
What ails you, johnny My own
Judgment tells me / ought to quit.
(Cries, 'Oh, don't! Give us some
mOrev) You cannot imagine the
weak state 1 am in. "a vOice-'Try
buchuD 1t is only my desperate
courage that drives me forward"
In q scene between MelnOtte and
Pauline, full Of love and tenderness
and Lake of Como rhapsody, bunch
of radishes came down with thud at
the lovers feet. The uproar that en-
sued was more like a scene in bedlam
than in the Grand Opera House OF the
second city of America. Pauline hasti-
ly quilted the garden, seeing it impOs-
sible to make any headway against
the turbulence, and Mr.. VanhOrn
again came to the rescue:
II come to say few words tO the
gentlemen in the house. The lady has
refused to come on the stage any
more, as gentlemen throw things on
the stage. The ladies and gentlemen,
with Mr.. Estin, are as sensible as you
are that he is open to ridicule; but
while you are ridicnling him, do not
ridicule them. (Cries, who are yOu?')
Two months ago Mr.. Estlin asked me
to furnish the costumes for a play.
The people were engaged. After two
or three weeks he came to my house,
and l asked him to read me some.
thing.
"He read Romeo. l saw it would be
a farce, but it was too late, and we
had a performance which / thought
sufficient to convince him he had no
capacity; but as the man said he had
no fair opportunity, l thought we
would give him an opportunity to ap-
pear again tonight. If you wish to
see the play continue, you must show
more respect, or there will be no more
performance tonight" (HideOus cat
calls and tumultuous barn-yard imi-
tations from the balcOny.)
During this speech Mr.. Vanhorn
was interrupted after each sentence
with cries of "Let the man advertise
his business" "Shut up, old man."
and other such yells.
Altogether a more disgraceful scene
could not take place within the walls
of theatre. So much for the City of
Brotherly Love.