The Washington critic., 1888-04-21
THE CONFEDERATE STAGE,
Dramatic ReCOlIeCtiOnS of Richmond
During the War.
D'ORSY 0GDEN'S ENTERPRISE.
Memorable First Nights and the
Audiences That Composed
Then.
a. l.. Gutter in the Detroit Free Pren!


There were but two cities in
the entire Confederacy where the
stage aourished TO any considerable
extent during the four eventful years
of the late unpleasantness, The two
fortunate places were New Orleans
and Richmond. The people of the
former city have always been cele.
brated for their pleasure-loving ma
lures, and no matter how dark the
outlook the theatres kept open their
doors and the excitement of war only
seemed TO add zest to the enjoyment
of the habitues OF the opera houses.
But after the fall of the Crescent
City and the establishing of military
rule this came TO an end and the
buildings so long devoted to actors on
the mimic stage were used as barracks
for the victors-~actors in drama the
greatest the worldhas ever witnessed.
When the Old Dominion, after
carefully weighing the question of Sc
cession, had decided to side with her
Southern sisters, tho capital was inn
mediately removed from Montgom-
cry, Ala, to Richmond, and thus
large floating population was added to
! Der alIeady increased number of in
I habitants. At the time of the with
drawal of the Southern States from
the Union the population of Rich
mond was 10 600, but upon the selec
| ton of the city as the capital of the
new nation, il rapidly grew, and the
census OF 1869 showed exactly double
that number. Most of the strangers
in the city were Senators and Con-
| gressmen with their families, civil
and army officers and large numbers
| of refugees from those sections of the
| South threatened with invasion by
| the Federal armies. With few eX-
| ceptions the visitors were people of
refinement and culture and their
presence in the city formed splendid
field for an enterprising manager.
For, of course, when war was de-
clared the Southern Circuit was
necessarily taken from the lists of
Northern managers, and as it was
| from that section that all of the com
panies came that supplied
THE RICHMOND THEATRES,
they were compelled to close. In the
excitement of the times the absence
of amusements was almost forgotten
and the stage that had once resounded
with the voices of q Booth and a
Forrest was now silent, and the
chairs that were wont to be occupied
by the bellies and cavaliers Of the
Old Dominion were covered thickly
with dust.
But this forgetfulness and seeming
indifference was only natural out
growth of the times--only the middle
ground in the change from the old
condition Of things to the new. This
thinking of only battles and blood
shed would not last always, and es-
pecially did it become tiresome to the
pleasure-loving people OF the far
South. People began TO look wist-
fully at the vacant theatre, and think
of the pleasant evenings that had been
spent within its walls before 'the
dogs of war; had been let loose.
A large floating population is always
favorable to the success of the theatre,
and this rule proved true even in the
anxious capital of the new nation.
Another voice was also added to the
call for the re-establishing Of the
theatre when the officers and privites
on furlough commenced coming in
from the field. Many of them lived
in distant States, and preferred spend
ing their short leave in the Capital
rather than risk the delays of long
Journey on the disorganized railroads
of the Confederacy. Thus the people
gradually settled into the new groove,
and then it was that they felt the
need Of some public place of amuse-
ment.
The hour demanded man, and he
came forth, no one knew whence. lie
bore the high-sounding name OF
DOrsy Ogden, and he became
THE LESSEE OF THE OLD THEATRE.
By his energy and perseverance Il
stock company was formed, and Il
troupe employed, embracing most OF
the available talent of the capital, and
it was further strengthened by half a
dozen actors from New York, who
had been stranded in Dixie ut the
breaking out Of the war and had
} been unable TO return. Out of this
crude material Ogden nodded com,
pany, the most original, perhaps, that
had ever graced the boards of any
; theatre.
, The blockade of the Confederate
, ports was fast cutting OIL all commu
, nication with the outside world, an(
only an occasional ship would succeed
in running. the gauntlet, In conse
quence of this tine supply Of materia
Of which TO make costumes was very
small, and the actors had to resort Il
/, eXpedients that resulted in the manu-
. facture of the most remarkable
i -
formed part of the property Of {
troupe. Could they be procured to
' day they would be valuable as curios
yellow, red, and blue flannel an.
trimmed with tissue paper AM
. tinsel. These CANDY dresses, to
{ gether with the awkward movements
7 Of the semi-amateT actors, mad
: many of the more sober plays appea
much like burlesque. At last, afte
! many dayssof hard work by Ogden
and numbcrless rehearsals by tn
company,
, che FIRST AIGHr
/. was announced, aud never perhap
k in the history of the stage was ther
c a first night TO compare with tina
= memorable one.
' 1t was a study for an artist this au
e dience that had once been 80 fame,
- for its brilliant toilets. But the fac
e tories of the North were silent an,
/ the cotton plantations of the Soutl
. had been turned into hattle-feldf
Men had more serious work to d
than TO make things to please the eye
But though the costumes of the audi
q ence were in some instances homely
&c fairer women or brayer men neye
met. Here sat four ladies dressed il