The sun., 1896-12-15
CoNFEDERATE THEATRES.
Tribulations or the Drama tn the south
During tho Civil War.
From the Chicdpo TYmes. Herald.


From the Chicago Times Herald.
Tho Confederate authorities knew the value
OF well-regulnted amuscments at a time when
the people wero wrought up to the highest pitch
OF excitement and all reputable actors found
no difficulty in securing exemptions after the
passage of the oonscrpt law. Among the stars
on the Confederate stage In those days were
w. II. Crisp. tho father of the late Speaker
Crisp: Z. r. Dalton. Theodore Hamilton. and
Sam Hubbard. Among the ladies were Mrs.
Crisp Miss Jessie Crisp, Miss Eloiso Bridges
and the Waldron sisters. These favorites of
the public appeared before the footliRhts in
various cities, but as o rule, they alternated
between Richmond and Atlanta.
How the managers got along during that tur-
bulent period is a mystery to me. Night after
night l went to see the popular plays OF that
time, and, boy as was. l could not fail to note
the threadbare raiment Of the players and their
tawdry tinse. All sorts OF crude makeshifts
had to be resorted to in the production of stage
effects. and some of them would be lauRhable
now. But the people were patriotic. They felt
II n duty to encourage the drama. and when
there was any lack of attendance on the part Of
the citizens it was more than compensated for
by the large audiences of officers and soldiers
who swarmed in every city.
What were the plays on the Southern war;
time stage? Perhaps the most popular were:
Camille" "The Marble Heart" THE Ro-
nance of a Poor Young Man." "Rolla." LA
Tour de Nesle." London Assurance" THE
Serious Family" Naval Engagements" BOX
and Cox" "Corsican Brothers," "Lucretia
Borsia." "Black-Eyed Susan and others ia
mi!iar to the theatre goers before the war.
Comedy seemed to haye the preference. The
people had so many serious things to worry over
that they did not care for tragedy.
So Shakespeare became a back number. and
there was no demand for his masterpieces. Yet
been equal to the task OF rendering Shak es peare
Mr.. Crlsn was an actor OF renown. and Dalton
and her daughter possessed rare talent and a
half dozen others might be mentioned who
would be players OF note on the stage OF to-day
The last year OF the war found the theatres in
a bad fix: The property men and managers
were in despair. To dress these stage ladies'
ferrnt roles was an mpossibility. So Camille
went through her struggle with consumption
ntrircd in a costume which would have been
more becoming TO her grandmother, and Rola
but like n bewildered gentleman who had come
to his last shirt. and WAS wondering wnere he
could get another stili. the theatres drew bet
away. and they tried to get rid of 1t.
Some times y was very inconvenient to attend
these places OF amusement. Soldiers with mus
kets and bayopets We're stationed there to pre-
serve order, and when the audiences filed out
officers we're on hand to force every man to
show his papers. Frequently. young man with
his best girl would lind that he had forgotten
his documents and squad Of soldiers would
then escort the two to the lady's house. and
then carry the gentleman before the Provost
Marshal for AN explanation.
Generally. whenever n play was presented, the
pretticst aCress in the company would come out
between the acts and recite My Maryland" or
some other war poem. and wave a Confederate
banner. This feature OF the programme always
drove the soldiers wild with enthusiasm. A
Few original p nys were placed on tho stage in
those stirring days. Maria Jourdnn West!nore-
land of Atlanta wrote THE Soldiers Return Z"
and John Dayis an actor. produced The Roll
o! the Drum" These dramas had more or less
merit. but were not destined to live.
A. there were very few stock companies and
teur companies were organized In nearly every
town. They did not play for gain. but for the
benefit OF sick soldiers and for other charii able
objects. Some OF these amateurs distinE Euis IA ed
themselves, and were heard of on the stage in
after years One of them was William Barnes
now OF san Francisco. who has given r"cita.
tions in hundreds OF towns in nearly every State
In Atlanta the theatre became a troublesome
filled with soldiers and refugees. and with them
the play was omphntically the thing. IL was
their only amusement. aud tho rnughs crowded
the theatre In such numbers that the better
classes remained NJ home.
About This time the c!t gas works had to shut
down because sherman had cnt on tho supply
Of c"n!. The thentrc, therefore. used talow
cRndI \, kerosene being unknown in thnt region.
THIS was picnic for the soldiers. Every phi
va" in tho gallery fastened his eyes Upon tho
cand!e eimmedtaicly under him and conliscated
it when Tie guards were not looking. More
candles had To be lighted Uut sometimes the
house would he III darkness. except for tho
footligh,s. Scandnlous things were done dur
ing lhrse periods OF artificial twilight. Good
people protested. but the city was becoming a
cam D. and there seemed no remedy.
just when affairs were coming To their worst
however. Mayor James VI. Calhoun did what
no Mayor ever did before in the history of the
world. He issued nn order closing the theatre
and pledged himself TO use all the force a, ms
command to keep It closed. There was a tre-
mrndous uproar. But the Mayor was 6rm
lie admitted that no was.outsde of the law, hut
ho claimed that II was a case of necessity
that the theatre must he closed or the city
would become n whirlpool OF vice and crime
The best people upheld the Mayor ana tho
st"nhcn.' in a written opinion ins'idcs Ms ~;
action. The theatre had TO suspend indefinitely
and the players packed their things and de-
parted for other ciiies.
a few weeks later the citizens were lodging
shells for the siege was on in earnest. The old
theatre did not reOpcn until some of Shermnn's
enld dinr. ghXe an enlertainmNnt In II. md wnnn