The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-27
HOME STAGE TALENT.
Wichita Amateurs Who Trod the
Boards in Pioneer Days.
The Performances of the Frontier Minstrel
COmpany-Tbe Stars of the WichitS
Dramatic Club.

The amateur show has its distinctive
charms. Charles Lamb warned actors to
keep out Of public sight when not acting.
lest the halo of idealIty which hangs about
them be lost. 1t is in an exactly opposite
sentiment that the charm Of home talent
performance lies concealed. We know
nothing OF the professional actor or his
actual life and he passes as transient
shadow representing a character before
our eyes The amateur we are personally
acquainted with, and when he dons the
| velvet of prince, when we know that IN
reality he is wed to the leather of black
smith, we are at once intent on the man
ner in which he will acquit himself and
are Immediately invested with the dis
| elimination of a veteran dramatic critic
| 1t cannot fail to interest us to see our init
mate friends elevated to the portrayal and
! assumption of some character to which
they are, in every day existence, totally
unlike.
w fchita has always been an amateur
town. In short, before the town had
fairly got started on its subsequent
wild career, the sweet serenities of the
moonlit nights OF a little prairie town,
crouched darkli1g beside the silver sands
of drowsy stream, were broken by the
unwonted hilarity Of home minstrel COM
pany.
| This was the Frontier Minstrel COM
pany, composed of Charles Schattner,
George Henry, Cromwell, Fred Schattner,
" no played the fiddle, Jim Antrim and
Gene Schattner, who was natural come
| dian and will be met with again In this
sketch. There was no opera house then
| not even hall, and these corked and in
! terlocuted revelries took place in the old
| ramshackle affair which stood near the
present site of the High school and served
as the town school, The performances
were very popular at that early day.
| Judge Henry Sluss is one of the men left
| who witnessed this, and he pronounces it
as he remembers it, a good show.
A couple of years or so after this, the
| famous old Eagle hall came into active
service. This is now part of the EAGLE job
rooms. The stage was very high being
built on the Eiffel tower plan and
furthermore uncomfortably narrow, so
much so in fact that a Roman mob of five
citizens caused an embarrassing jam and
| left but little room for Mark Antony to
spread in. The foot-ights were kerosene
lamps with improvised tin refiectors. This
was considered very recherche and on Sun
day was used by church organizations.
a number of home talent entertainments
were given here The only ones that are
remem bered at all are Mrs. Catherine
Russell's concerts for the relief
of the grasshopper sufferers. Those
high-elbowed ravagers had eaten every
thing of note in the vicinity at that time,
excepting plow-handles and tomb-stones,
and Mrs. RusselPs concerts Melted quite a
little sum and came as gracious boon to
many a victim of the voracious insects.
In 1875 the Wichita Dramatic club first
saw light. They played Charcoal
Burner and the Cricket on the Hearth"
Just who took the leading roles in these
plays, nobody seems to remember. 1t is
useless to refer to the files of the papers, as
they never mentioned the names or gave
the program. Printing names that every
body already knew was carrying Goals to
Newcastle.
In 1876 the Wichita Dramatic club again
bobbed up and presented 1.-The Lady of
Lyons" Miss Ada Pope was especially
complimented for her share in this as was
Charles Schattner and Dan Ainsworth.
The Wichita Dramatic club at this point
seems to have been overtaken by disaster.
for it never turned up again.
The Qui Vive club, however, was organ
lied, aud in N gave the 'Mistletoe
Bough" in the parlors of the Occidental
hotel. Sol Kohn and Miss Mary Willard
took the leading part in this. Several
people now living in the city recollect this
performance. Later in the year the Qui
Vive club, encouraged by its reception IN
the "Mistletoe Bough," essayed the Loan
of Lover" the leading stars in which
were George p. Whitney, William lnnis,
NJ. J. Oliver, II. A. Bliss and Miss Hattie
Russell and Miss Eta Furlong.
However the great event in the early
history of amateur performances was TO
come later This was Mrs. Catherine
Russelrs opera of THE Doctor of Alcan-
tarre" This was Wichita's first taste of
opera, and the consummation Of diligent
rehearsais was eagerly looked forward to.
Everybody who was anybody ut that
time went to the Doctor of Alcantarre."
1t is claimed that there was some little
trouble in regard to the length of the
skirts of the chorus but that was adjusted
| and everything went off smoothly every
detail. The piece, in scenic investiture, is
! Spanish and the costuming OF the donnas
and cavaliers was brilliant Mrs. Russell,
! Miss Flora Redfield (Mrs A. A. Wood,
| Miss Patti Todd (Mrs. George Strong,
| took leading parts with H. a. Bliss, A. A.
| Wood and Ed McGlll. An imperfect list
of the chorus is Miss May Wilsard de
ceased), Miss Edith Ellsworth Mrs. L. c.
Jackson) Miss 10 Pittinger (Mrs. J. H.
| McCalD, Miss Jessie Hill Mrs Ike Hum
ble). Miss Flora Pallock Mrs. E B. Jew
ett). Miss Nina Caldwell Mrs. Il. p.
Murdoch, Jennie Huston, Miss Ella
| Fuller Mrs. Finlay Ross, Libbie Israel
| Mrs. !. ". Hollinger).
Mrs. Russell gave numerous other enter
tainments, among them, "Pinafore, P"
which is still remembered as being put on
with exceptional excellence.
The amateur entertai nments had now
! become frequent aud are too numerous
20 permit separate mention. However,
! in 1880 Union Spy was put on with
/ great success. The old Eagle hall had now
I been deserted Us had also variety thester
/ which stood just across the alley from
! Hyde & EUmble's, and the Turner's opera
! house was for the next seven years TO be
! the scene Of many Thespian aspirations on
I the part Of local Garricks and Modjeskas.
/ The Union Spy" created great excite
| ment in Wichita. There is an old man
/ living in the east part Of town who main
! taius TO this day that the II Mon Spy" as
put on by Wichita talent, was the best
J thing he ever SAW or ever eNueCfs 70 see