St. Landry democrat., 1890-01-04
Transforming in Mississippi.
JOE JEFFERSON TELLS, IN AN ENTERTAIN
ING WAY, OF A QUEER INCIDENT
IN HIS EARLY CAREER


We now entered utA a course of the
most primitive acting; going from town to
| town and giving entertainments in the
| dining rooms of the hotels. As there were
| no papers published in these small villages,
| there We're no printing Offices, consequently
no bills; so flaming announcements of our
sTfi7 II II 2 l--l handwriting were dis
| played in the three important points of the
| town, viz: the hotel the office and
the barber shop, It fell to my duty, s ssi7n'
| an adept with the brush, to write, or rather
| paint, these advertisements. The plays
were acted in costume, but without scenery
or curtain. The nightly receipts were
small-just about enough to get us from
place to place.
Our objective point was the town of Lib.
erty, Miss, but there was some difficulty
in getting there, as the distance was
greater than we could accomplish in day.
A farmer who had been to the theatre the
night before for the first time in his life
was so struck by the performance that he
proposed to have his teams brought in and
take US to his farm house about 25 miles
distant. According to his suggestion we
were TO rest for q day, give an entertain
in his barn, and SO go on to Liberty.
But, said my brother, 'syou tell me
there is no other house there but your
own. What shall we do for an audience?"
.'Well," said the farmer, call my family
will come, to begin with, and there is a
dozen or more on EN-; then there's eight
or ten farmhouses close by, and if one of
your men will drive there with my son
and blow the horn they will all come, for
there amt one on EN- ever seen play be-
fore. Pll ensure you full barn"
So the matter was settled, and we actu-
ally played in a barn, the house that we
stayed in being the only one in sight. It
seemed in vain to look for an audience in
such lonely place, but tbs farmer was
right Soon after the sun had gone down
the full harvest moon rose, and by it's dim
light we could family see family groups of
people, two and sometimes three on a
horse, coming from all directions over the
hill-now a wagon with great load.
Some of them walked, but ali were quiet
and sfsious, and apparently wondering
what they We're going to see.
Those who have travelled through the
Southern States will perhaps remember
the kiad of barn we acted in; there were
two Lighthouses joined together, with an
opening between them which was ioored
and covered in. The seats were arranged
in the open air-benches, chairs and logs.
The double barn on each side was used for
dressing rooms and for making entrances
and exits, while the opening was devoted
to the STAGE The open air was well filed,
containing an audience of about so persons.
Our enthusiastic admirer, the farmer, COL
lected the admission fee, dollar being
charged and freely given. The plays were
1.-THE Lady of Lyons" and ssThe Spectre
Bridegroom" The farmer had supplied
us literally with candles, SO that the early
part of the entertainment was Brilliantly
illuminated, but the evening breeze had
famed the lights so fercely that when the
farce began the footlghts were gone. The
little flaming ministers" had all sputtered
out SO ''The Spectre Bridegroom" was
acted in the moonlight.
1t was curious to watch the effects of
strong emotional play like 'eThe Lady. of
Lyons" apon an audience that had never
seen q drama before; they not only were
much Interested but they became excited
over the trials of the hero and heroine:
they talked freely among themselves. and
at times to the actors. One old lady insisted
that the lovers should be allowed their
own way" and stalwart young farmer
warned the villain not to interfere again
s'if he knew what was best for him"
Joseph jefferson, S1a December. Cent4rg,
Fire at Stuart, Iowa, destroyed the Opera