Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-01-17
Transforming.
A Peculiar Incident in the Early
Life of an Actor.
Playing to an Audience Com.
posed of One Family.

dent of his early career: "We now en-
tered upon course of the most primi-
tive acting, going from town to town
and giving entertainer in the din
ing rooms of the hotels. AS there
were no papers published in these
small villages, there were no printing
offices, conse quently no bills; so fam
ing nouncements of our arrival in a
bold hand writing were displayed in the
three important points of the town,
viz: the hotel, the postoffice and the
barber shop. 1t fell to my duty, being
an adept with the brush, to write, or
rather paint these ad vertisements. The
plays were acted in costume, but with
out 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
Liberty, Miss; but there was some diff
was greater than we could accomplish
in a 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
farmhouse, about twenty five miles dis
tant. According to his suggestion we
were to rest for day, give an enter
tainment in his barn, and so go on to
Liberty.
"'But, said my brother, you tell
me there is no other house there but
your own. What shall we do for an
audience2
'' We'll, said the farmer, tall my
family will come, to begin with, and
there is dozen or more on 'em; then
there's eight or ten farm houses close by.
and if one of your men will drive there
with my son and blow the horn, they
will all come, for there ain one on 'em
ever seen play before. I'll insure y on
full barn.
$50 the matter was settled, and we
actually played in a barn, the house
that we staid in being the only one in
sight 1t seemed in vain to look for
an audience in such lonely place, but
the farmer was right. Soon after the
sun had gone down the full harvest
moon rose, and by its dim light we
could family see family groups of peo-
Pile, two and sometimes three on
horse, coming from all direc tions over
the hill-now wagon with great
load. Some of them walked, but all
were quiet and serious, and apparently
wondering what they were going to
see.
'Those who have Travelled through
tine Southern states will perhaps remem-
Der the kind of barn we acted in:
there were two log houses joined to-
gether, with an opening between them,
which was floored and covered in. The
seats were arranged outside in the open
air--benches, chairs and logs. The
double barn on each side was used for
dressing rooms and for making en-
frances and exits, while the opening
was devoted to the stage. The open air
was well filed, containing an audience
of about 60 pers ons. Our enthusiastic
admirer, the farmer, collected the ad-
mission fee, dollar being charged and
freely given. The plays were The
Lady of Lyons and The Spectre
Bridegroom The farmer had supple d
us literally with andles, SO that the
early part of the entertainment was
brilliantly Illuminated, but the evening
breeze had famed the lights so tiercely
that by the time the farce began the
footlights were gone. The little .1am-
ing ministers had all sputtered out, Sc
sThe Spectre Bridegroom was acted in
the moonlight.
''It was curious to watch the effect
of a strong emotional play like The
Lady of Lyons upon an audience thai
had never seen a drama before: they
not only we're much interested, bu
they became excited over the trials oi
the hero and heroine; they talked free
ly among themselves. and. at times, t.
the actors. One old lady insisted tina
the lovers should be allowed their owl
way and stalwart young farme
warned the villain not to interfere agar
'if he knew what was best for him. ,"