The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-29
A TERRIBLE AUDIENCE
Joe Jefsrson's 'Ticket of Leave Man" IA
Van Diennsn's Land.

Joe JefsrsOn's Ticket of Leave Man" In
Van Dieman's Land.
Having had long rest from acting, re-
turned to Melbourne to play q short en-
gagement with my former partner at the
Haymarket, and then sailed for Van Die
mans Land, now called Tasmania. This
lovely island had formerly been a convict
station, where life sentenced prisoners from
England had been sent. There was at the
time l speak of, and is now, a most refined
society in Tasmania, though among the
lower Glasses there WIGS strong flavor Of
the convict element. I acted "iPhe Ticket
of Leave Man" for the first time in Hobart
Town, and there was much excitement in
the city when the play WAS announced.
At least one hundred ticket of leave men
we're IN the pit on the first night of its pro.
duCtion.
Before the curtain rose, / looked through
it at this terrible audience; the faces in ths
pit were study. Men with low foreheads
and small, peering, ferret looking eyes,
some with fat noses and square, cruel
jaws and sinister xpreSsions-lGering, low
and cunning-all wearing sulen, dogged
look, as though they would tear the benches
from the pit and gut Che theatre Of its
scenery if one of their kind was held up to
public scorn upon the stage. This shows
the power of the drama. An author might
write an article abusing them, or an artist
paint a picture showing up the hideous de-
fornity Of their features-al tins they
could bear and even laugh at; but put one
of their ilk upon the stage in human form,
surrounded by the sympathetic story of
play, and they would no moro submit to an
i'll usage of him than they would to per
sona1 attack upon themselves.
The first act Of the play progressed with
but little excitement. These men seemed
10 enjoy the humorous and pathetic side of
the story with great relish; but when
came upon the stage in the second act, re-
vealing the emRciated zeatuYes of a returned
convict, with sunkeh eyes and a closely
shaved head, there was painful stiffness
IN the house. ThewhCfe pit seemed 60 lean
forward and strain their eager eyes upon
the scene; and as Bob Briariy revealed to
his sweetheart the ''secrSts of the prison
house" there were murnurs Of recognition
and shakinSs Of the head, Gs though they
fully recognized the local alhisions that
they SO well reme,nSeTed;. deep drawn
signs for the sufferings that Bob he'd gone
through and little smothereA Laughs at
~enienoes Of prison fffe: but tl5en Bob Uas
q he-o, and their syDpsehies were caught
by the nobleness Of ms Character and his
innocense OF crime, as though each one Of
these villains recognized how prosecuted he
and Bob had been
As the play progressed, their enthusiasm
increased. Whenever Bob was bounded
By detective, or III treated BY the old Jew,
they would howl their Indignation at the
actors; and when he came out pnscathsd
81 the end Of the play, q monument Of per
feet mnocsree they oaesred to the very
echo. This performance rendered me eI-
tremely popular WITH some Of the old
Tags OF hobart Town, md was ofucn
hccosted on the sareet By these wor1hiss
and told some touching tale of their early
prosecutions. In fact they quite booked On
me as al Old pal" Thess c0ursesiss weTs
very fat1eri1g, But The inconvo1sezce that
Twas caused by being poked in the ribs
and winked ct now and then, IS mech as
to say, An right, old hey, we know
you've been there, " rendered my fsvo<itism
among these fellows rather fRksoms-Jo
Seph Jefferson in The Century.