New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-21
"DIvoRCE,' IN THE COUNTRY.
The Wyndham Comedy Company in
Skating Rink.
From the St. Louis Democrat. 7

| FROM the 81. Louis Democrat.
As most of our readers are aware, tn,
Wyndham Comedy Company, now playing
at the Olympic. has been friskinp a6onl
down South for the past two or tire,
months, playing short engagements in ali
the principal cities. Last week it made q
jump, on its way to St. Louis, from New
Orleans for Memphis, where it was to have
opened on Thursday night. At Grenada, q
little town in Mississippi, it's progress wa.
suddenly interrupted BY the absence of 6
bridge which the floods had washed away
Here was pretty 60. There was positively
no way OF crossing the angry, swollen
stream. To make a detOur BY special
train was Wyndham's first thought but
this was soon found to be impracticable, az
was also proposed Journey by river. AT
ter assuring themselves that there was nc
exit, the members of the company left the
depot for stroll through the town. Thei,
appearance naturally attracted attention,
and when it was discovered that the strange
and jolly-looking wanderers constituted a
"thoater company" the citizens waited
upon Mr.. Wyndham and requested him to
give performance that night. The pro
position was deemed preposterous at first,
and regarded as a good joke. But tie i'm.
Fortunate Grenadians were not to put off in
such manner. 1t is not every day in its
history that Grenada has the members of a
tirst-class comedy company for its guests,
and SO the people renewed their entreaties.
Wyndham explained that it was simply i'm
possible: "In the first place, there's no
theater."
"But We have rink" interrupted the
chorus.
'.And there ia no scenery"
Never mlnd the scenery. We won't if
you don't" hastily responded the besiegers.
But we must have costumes" insisted
Wyndham. as he danced toward the bag
gage of the troupe, which, in fifty pieces,
was being toted on the backs Of stalwart
negroes down the bank to be ferried over
the river.
$50 on just as you are" begged the dele
cation.
At last the manager yielded, and after
consultation with Mr.. Fitzpatrick, obi
vOrce' was agreed upon as the play. 1t
was by this time two o'clock in the after
noon. A messenger was instantly dis
patched to circulate the news. At seven
O'Clock the doors were opened, and in poured
an audience that in a little while filed the
building. The mystery to the company of
how the spectators were to be seated on the
rink floor which was as bare of accommo-
dations as could we'll be imagined, vas
quickly solved, for each man, woman and
child came provided with reserved seat,
in the shape of a chair or camp stool. ''Di-
vorce" was given in style entirely new to
the Wyndhams. The stage was seventy
nine platform. The drop-curtain was a
tawdry calico slip which Wyndham on one
side and somebody else on the other worked
from the top of step-ladders. The proper
ties consisted of two chairs and table, and
the scenic effects few roughly painted ice
bergs and pair of skates hung against
the wall. The orchestra was a Dor.
rowed piano, upon which Mr.. Allerton,
one OF the company. performed,
slipping from the stool to the stage when
his entrances were called. The foot-lights
were two kerosene lamps, fanked by an
awkward squad of tallow dips. The ordi-
nary travelling suits Of the company served
as costumes and passed for ballroom, re-
ception and promenade dresses. 1t does
not require great reach Of the imagina-
ton to conceive the intense righteousness
Of the garden scene in Divorce" under
these circumstances, or the drawing-room
where, instead of treading upon
Administer carpets and lounging in easy
comfort upon velvet .sofas, the actors
picked their way over the dirty stage and
about the two chairs which we're
in front of the immovable iceberg
scene. The audience was uproariously
domonstrative, but it is hardly probable
that the performance was half as much en-
joyed before the foOtlights as behind the
scenes, where it was deemed inexpressibly
funny. 1t paid, too, as a cool two hun
dred dollars was realized by the sale of
tickets.