The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20

Difficulties of the Drama I'm the
south During the War.

south During the War.
w. p. Reed in the Chicago Times-Herald.
The confederate authorities knew the
value of well-regilated amusements at
time when the people were wrought up
to the highest pitch Of excitement, and
all reputable actors found no difficulty in
securing exemptions after the passage OF
the conscript law.
Among the stars on the confederate
stage in those days were w. II. Crisp,
the father OF the late Speaker Crisp; &C.
r. Dalton, Theodore Hamilton and Sam
Hubbard. Among the ladies were Mrs
Crisp, Miss Jessie Crisp, Miss Eloise
Bridges and the Walton sisters.
These favorites OF the public appeared
before the footlights in various cities
but, as a rule, they alternated between
Richmond and Atlanta.
How the managers got along during
that turbulent period Is mystery 70
me. Night after night ! went TO see the
popular plays OF that time, and, boy as
/ was, / could not fail to note the thread
bare raiment Of the players and their
tawdry tinsel. All sorts Of crude make
shifts had to be resorted TO in the pro-
duction Of stage effects, and some OF them
would be laughable now.
But the people were patriotic. They
felt It a duty to encourage the drama,
and when there was any lack Of attend
ance 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
wartime stage2 Perhaps the most pop
ular were: Camille, The Marble Heart,
The Romance Of Poor Young Man,
RolIa, La Tour de Nesle, London Assur-
ance The Serious Family, Naval Engage
ments Box and Cox, Corsican Brothers,
Lucretia Borgia, Black-eyed Susan and
others familiar to the theater-goers be-
fore the war. Comedy seemed TO have
the preference. The people had so many
serious things to worry over that they
did not care for tragedy
So Shakespeare became back number,
and there was no demand for MS master
pieces
yet some of the confederate theaters
would have been equal to the task Of rem
dering Shakespeare. Mr.. Crisp was an
actor Of renown. and Dalton and Hamii-
ton were fair tragedlahs. Mrs Crisp 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 the
aters IN a bad box. The property men
and managers we're in despair. To dress
these stage ladies' and gentlemen IN idsn-
ion suited to their different roles was an
impossibility. So Camille went through
her struggle with consumption and other
things In front Of delighted audiences at
tired IN a costume which would have been
more becoming TO her grandmother, anc
Rolla looked not only like the last OF the
Peruvians," but like a Dewlldered gentle-
man who had come to his last shirt, and
was wondering where he could get an-
other.
stiil, the theaters drew better than ever.
People had money 70 throw away, ana
they tried 10 get rid OF II.
Sometimes II was very inconvenient 20
attend these places Of amusements. SOL
dlers with muskets and bayonetes were
stationed there 20 preserve order, ana
when the audiences hled out officers were
on hand 70 force every man 70 show his
papers.
Frequently a young man with his best
girl would find that he had forgotten his
documents, and q squad OF soldiers would
then escort the two 10 the lady's house,
and then carry the gentleman before the
provost marshal for an explanation.
Generally, whenever pay was present
ed the prettiest actress In the company
would come out between acts ana reclte