Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-04-29
THE FIRST AMERICAN PLAY.
Was Acted in New York One Hundred Years
kun


Ago.
we live in an age of centennials,
80, INCH surprised at the prospective ne
az ..iact Of our theatre managers TO celebrate
~ centennial of the American drama,
tics New York correspondent of the
Troy Times a..
So. nlav OF American authorship. Now
.hot nlav-writing has become so extensive
feature in our literature, it certainly is
later of interest to recall its incep-
~, II is. indeed, not too late for cen
.1,'r;al observation, and hence l would
,oention that the 10th of April, 17S6, was
10 time referred to. The play was the
contrast written by Royal Tyler and
-soJuced at the old John Street theatre
T., managers Hallam and Henry. John
ut which is now business locality,
nd is consideId far down town, was then
=, the suburbs: but it was nearer the cen
.ar nc fashion than even the theatres of
tbe present day. Hallam was then not
onIv the leading player. but was also at
The head of a histrionic family which won
name in the early history of the Amer
;,or drama. He continued in this city
cor twenty years saw the erection of the
park then termed the new theatre')
,rbicb became the chief Thespian resort
for half a century, and still holds place
in memory.
The drama to which have referred was
,rritten bv witty and well educated law
yer who had reached his thirtieth year
before thus making his debut as a play
,vricht. The plan of Contrast (for it
has no plot is certainly both original and
amusing. A country fellow visits the met
ropolis. and while gazing at the sights is
a+tracted bv the theatre, but does not I'M
derstand the nature of the performance.
He supposed it to be a ledgerdemain ex
hibition. and expects to see conlurer
swallow an egg and then pull ribbons out
of his sleeve, with similar feats. Next
day. on being asked what he saw at the
theatre, he replied;
"Whv. vow, while / was looking for
the man with the tricks they lifted up a
big green cloth and let me see right into
she neighbours house"
How did you like the family was the
next inquiry.
.Why. VOW" was the reply, "they were
prettv much like other families; there was
a poor, good-natured cuss of husband
and regular rantipate of a wife, when
they got done / asked for my money back
- for that's no show, but only hearing
folks private family business gabbed
about"
The object of the Contrast" is TO dis
play in a laughable manner the blunders
If the greenhorn, and also his Yankee di-
alect. This was afterward done more adj
miraby by Yankee Hill, and has always
been a popular entertainment for the
masses.
The Contrast took well and had an
encouraging run, which led its author to
write another drama in which he turned
the laugh. on tho city folks. He had OBJ
served the great amount of spring NOV
ing which he showed up in very hum
orous manner in MAY day; or, New York
in an Uproar.n This play was also very
popular, and Wignell, who appeared in
both, found it a gratifying harvest. The
author gave him the copyright, and the
Contrast" was published and had re-
munerative sale, but copies are now so
rare as to be among the curioslties of the
drama
TYLER soon left New York and went to
the interior of New England. where he
became a contributor to various papers
published both in Boston and in
the country. He formed the imag tnary
firm of Colon & Spondee,' and advertis-
ed literary goods, including orations on
the shortest notice; dead languages for
living drOnes, anagrams end acrosticks,
also puns and conundrums by the dozen,
love-letters by the ream, sermons for
texts and texts for sermons. old orations
secured and blunt epigrams new pointed,
screnades for nocturnal lovers, and black
Jokes of all kinds. Newspaper editors
supplied with accidents, bloody murders,
premature news, thunder and lightning
with hailstones of all sizes adapted TO the
seasons. Also, serious cautions against
drunkenness and other coarse wrapping
paper gratis to all who buy the smallest
article. n. B, hand few tierces of
Attic salt; also, highest price paid in cash
raw wit or taken in exchange for the
above articles
It's very evident that Royal Tyler was
the cleverest humorist of that day, but he
was also ono Of its ablest lawyers, and in
mis- forty-fourth year the legislature of
Vermont elected him chief justice of the
state. While holding this office he pub
llshed nine volumes of reports and gave
other proof Of eminent professional abil-
lty, Judge Tyler died at Brattleboro IN
his SEVENTEEN year, and it may be added
that his combination of wit. eloquenee,
learning and business ability Is reproduc-
ed in a vastly increased volume IN the
gifted and admirable Chaunoey NJ. Depew.