The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-21
TREND OF NEGRO MINSTRELSY
Toward Plantation Pictures and the
Silk-Clad Troubadour

Lew Dockstader in Kate Fields Washington
Whittier is negro minst.7elsy progress
1ngg | am often asked what is defined
to be brought forth, generation hence,
by the evolution which the business has
been going through for some time past.
NY reply Is hat nobody can possibly tell.
lta.l d ponds upon the public, which is
hckie and never to be counted upon from
one day TO another. We don't adopt new
aep~r'ures because We wish to make them,
put Tor the reason that they arc demanded
oy our audiences. l have no hesitancy In
saying that we have the most thankless
part III stage work, inasrluch as We actu-
aiy ig-nate most of the new and fresh
IDEAS nat are subsequently, adopted in va
,sty, bnrlcSque opera and even the higher
drama.
oar task Is ono OF ncycs-ending inven-
uon. From week TO week We are obliged
70 create new things which have not been
On req on the boards before. There are
men In the profession who have such
lnings suggested and written for them by
geyer newspaper workers or others, but
.ne best OF US seek out and elaborate our
oMn conceptions. Immediately these con-
Npuons, whenever they are good ones,
F-~NA ny HN Nnt NOlllC opera OF NdFl-
~ people and made common, so
anas we are compelled TO drop them
ald start fresh ones. As for the
ssesnversations that so to make up the
nist part, they are TO a great extent inn
ptomptu, being put into shape gradually
a. performances by the of1-hand wit of
nIudder Bones and Tambo. OF course,
s saaei tney have gone through this forma-
ave stage, they become more or less stereo-
ss.8S .tkNr sfx-
suited suited on the spur of happy moments. The
lit .nu man who Is the best joker IN the
position
near frequent protests made against
,aalnstreiSy as it is today, on the ground
sas. u pretends to- be negro and yet is
s ssgio no longer. All the performers have
,h l.,e races except the end men, who,
though BACKED, sing songs in Irish
u!ogue and make no attempt whatever TO
souhterieit the African, save in point of
osi,plexlon, admit that this is a breach
= 'le unlues, but we are not responsible
u The public demands this, and we
.,;;@se 70 give 1t. So far as the representa-
w., W. q the negro is concerned, you must
,~Ae INTO consideration the fact that he is
~ lohser IN this country SO marked
ssafs ago. rs distinguished from
49, AaHcasian. 1t is rather rare thing
~ ~ .a-iaNS 10 come across a negro OF the
~ saSalon. Christy's and other old min
aess made il their effort to initiate the
sssaSi African in his humorous phases as
.,@fiy as they knew how Thcv would -
1a<'ed to counterfeit tht type 50 success
NY now. because ii has almost died oUj
Nos1 people who now 90 10 thcaters wor!,
~. Fecognize truthful representation &.
~ o'd-time negro as m actual reproouc-
.oh OF type They have become 9ccuS-
"I,aed TO another sort Of negro.
~ Is TO this reason ehieay that the moe
alterations in negro miusgreisy are T.
referred. \ generation ago these
aAahges would not have been endured. Sc
.aase the picture az the black NAN 81
spe was 80 vivid Bat sinec lhen tlscpa~
aait has become much faslest in euthHt
mething amusing or exciting IN the Ab-