Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-03
EARLY rHEArR1cALs.
A Clergyman's Condemnation of tn
First Performance.

list 1eE1OTAuancts
From the Hartford Post, March 18th
In May, ITS, the first dramatic per-
Torrance in Hartford took place. The
piece was entitled "Tancred and Sigis-
mund," and the players were the Junior
Sophister" class of Yale College. The
performance was given in the Court house,
before large audience. Little record of
this performance exists outside of letter
written by the Rev. Andrew Eliot, a Fair
field clergyman. His description Of it is
Best given in his own words:
"When diversions are innocent in them
selves and not carried to excess; when they
are not tended with too great expense and
do not lead 10 levity, dissipation ana vice
they are allowable and salutary. But
when to the variety of amusement peculiar
to the country, the moderate use OF which
is prejudicial, are added stage plays, it
appears to me an alarming circumstance.
Could you think of it On Monday
evening in election week in Hartford, the
Capital Of the State, IN the Courthouse,
the place where the fathers of the Senate
meet, at the most public time and in the
most public manner, was acted sTancred
and Sigismund by the junior soph-
i>teI Class VI de Soiiege, VINO
had been forbidden to act the
same at Glastonbury, where they
had lately studied, and who embraced the
opportunity of vacation and secured the
Courthouse for the purpose. To this sue
ceeded farce of their own composing, in
which Generals Burgoyne and Prescott
were introduced. To keep up the charac-
tiers of the Generals, especially Prescott
they were obliged q believe not to their
sorrow to indulge in very profane lam
guage.
"The audience consisted of the gentry of
Hartford and the vicinity and number
of strangers, among whom were DR.. Rodg-
ers and Mr.. Tennent. Those reverend
gentlemen were very much offended at the
profane language introduced. Better for
them and the interest of religioa that they
had been elsewhere.
.When royal Governors in great parade
came over time after time, when Commits
sioners and Custom-house officers-a cor
rupt, Luxurious and dissipated tribe
abound in every part of New England
the voice of many was, and fitly enough.
that the representation of stage plays-the
encouraging of theater was destructive
TO young country - they were
too expensive diversions and tended
to hurt the morals of young and unprin-
cipled persons-and no company dare ex-
hibit for any time for fear of the Grand
Jury. Alas. that on one of the first
pages Of our new history these
things should be publicly tolerated
What adds to the Illegally Of the affair
is that the actors were not only dressed
agreeable to the characters they assumed
as men, but female apparel and ornaments
were put on, contrary to an express stat
ute. Besides, it cost the lads eco to pre-
pare for the exhibition"
On the following Sunday after the
dramatic performance above mentioned,
the Rev. Mr.. Eliot preached in Wethers-
ield for the Rev. Mr.. Marsh, and in his
sermon took occasion to make a more pub
lie censure of the inclinations of the pub
lie. "a selfish, avaricious, anti-patriotic
spirit and love of pleasure" he said,
"too much prevails in America, which
swallows up what public virtue is
left among the inhabitants There
is no people, however, that will
so bad as Massachusetts," So, by the last
clause, it can be seen that, despite the
depths Of degradation into which the rev.
erend gentleman asserted the rest of the
country had fallen, yet the Bay State was
little the worst Of any.
In the above letter Mr.. Eliot speaks of
Glastonbury as where the Yale students
stately studied" This was because at that
time during the Revolutionary wary New
Haven was considered unsafe for the stu
dents, and they were scattered over the
State