Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-08-14
\ Terrible Audience.

\ Terrible Audience.
Having had long rest from act
ing, returned to Melbourne to play
a short engagement with my former
partner at the Haymarket, and then
sailed for Van Dieman's Land, nov
called Tasmania. This lovely island
had formerly been u convict station,
where life sentenced prisoners from
England had been sent. There was
at the time speak OF, and is now, q
most refined society in Tasmania,
though among the lower classes
there was Il strong flavor of the con.
Wet element. acted "The Ticket.
ot-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 hun.
dred ticket-of-leave men were in the
pit on the first night Of it's produc-
ton. Before the curtain rose, / look
ed through it at this terrible audi
ence; the faces in the pit were n study.
Men with low forehends and small,
peering, ferret-looking eyes, some
with fiat noses, and square, cruel
jaws, and sinister expressions,-leer.
ing, low, and cunning,-al wearing a
sullen, dogged look, as though they
would tear the benches from the pit
and gut the theater of it's 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 abus-
ing them, or an artist paint picture
showing up the hideous deformity OF
their features-all this 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
more submit to an ill-usage OF him
than they would to a personal at
tack upon themselves.
The first act of the play progressed
with but little excitement. These
men seemed to enjoy the humorous
and pathetic side of the story with
great relish; but when l came upon
the stage in the second net, revealing
the emaciated features of a returned
convict, with sunken eyes and II
closely shaved head. there was n
painful stiffness in the house. The
whole pit seemed to lean forward and
strain their eager eyes upon the scene;
and as Bob Briefly revealed &c his
sweetheart the Secrets of the prison
house." there were little murmurs Of
recognition and shakings ofthe head
as though they fully recognized the
local illusions that they SO we'll re-
membered; deep-dawn signs fol
The sufferings that Bob hac
: gone through, and little smoth
t .red laughs at some of the old
o aforementioned inconvenience O
prison life; but then, Bob was hero
and their sympathies were caught bl
e the nobleness Of his character ant
e MS innocence of crime, as though
/ each one of these villains recognized
Q how prosecuted he and Bob had been
n As the play progressed, their en-
r thusinsm increased. Whenever 30!
e was bounded by detective, or j
9 treated by the old Jew. they woul'
e howl their indignation at the actors
10 and when he came out unscathed II
10 the end of the play monument G
e perfect innocence, they cheered to tn
). very echo. This performance rer
b. Tered me extremely popular wit
e some of the old "lngs" Of Hobar
Il Town; and I was often accosted o
d the street by these WORTHLESS and toll
some touching tale OF their early pei
u solutions. In fact they quite locke
On me as an old pal" These court'
n sizes were very fattering. but tn
II inconvenience that was caused b
being poked in the ribs and winke
Or At now and then, as much rs to sn.
n albright, old boy, we know,-you''
G. been there" rendered my favoritis'
20 among these fellows rather irksom
CT Joseph Jefferson, in The Century.