The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-12

Last Monday night there was opened
in New York a very gorgeous theater.
''Belasco has built jewel in which
to house solitaire" one enthusiastic
paragrapher wrote after viewing it,
paying a neat compliment to the thea
ter and a still heater one to Mrs. Leslie
Carter, who, of course, is the soli-
taire.
The Belasco is the newest and most
shining sign-post that marks the ma
terial progress of the drama in Amer
lea. But the road, even in New York,
has not been a long one and there are
theater-g oers of today who remember
some of the earlier and battered sign
posts that confronted the Thespians
of the past.
Especially is the wall that separates
the old theater from the modern a
brief one here in the West. The old
theater-goer in st. Paul, Willing away
an entr 'acte in the Metropolitan or
the Grand, doubtless for amusement,
often allows his thoughts to wander
back fifty-one years to the first theater
the city of st. Paul ever knew. 1t
wasn't real theater at all, but the
town hail. and the old theater- goer
smoky kerosene lamps that glimmered
drearily down the length of the plat
form which served as a stage; the
Tapping cheeze-cloth curtain that bell
led with every gust of wind that en-
tered unrebuled into the draughty
hall; the hard seats and the still more
uncomfortable benches that eked out
those seats. He will remember, too,
that the audience of $50 people-the
entire population of the village was
only 1924 then, and an audience of 200
was considered very large indeed
were as one family, for everybody knew
everybody else and nodded and chat
tered democratically while waiting for
the curtain to rise.
ElfeIt's Bold Venture.
The first drama ever played in st.
Paul was produced in the town hall in
the summer Of 1851. 1t served as cri-
terion for dramatic taste, SO that when
Charles D. Elicit, the florist who is
still in business in st. Paul, erected
frame building Of two stories to be
used as a theater everybody felt that
he was justified. The building was
erected on the southeast corner of
Third and Exchange streets and was
most appropriately christened the Ma
zourka.
In June of 1851 Mr.. Elicit met at Ga
lena, ILL.,, an actor manager named
Langrishe and he at once closed a
contract with Langrishe and Atwater,
his partner, for a three weeks en-
gagement. For three weeks comedy
and farce held the boards of the little
theater. In August Of the same year
portion Of the troupe of Plonde's va
rieties Of New Orleans came UP the
river and filled two weeks engage
ment. George Holland was manager
of the company. In the company's
repertoire were such plays as 'The
Day After the Fair" Betsy Baker
and "Slasher and Crasher" Of
them heavy, but all entertaining after
fashion. In the following May Lang
rishe and Atwater's troupe played
another three weeks engagement at
Mazourka hall. The last night of the
season Langrishe was given beJefit.
Fellow Townsman Plays.
In the playbills which announced
this, mysterious reference was made
to a fellow townsman who will make
lights" The hall was well filled when
the curtain rose on the first act of "The
Irish Lion" for the mysterious an
nouncement naturally whetted curios-
ity, and there was loud applause when
it was discovered that Mr.. Elicit, the
man who built the theater, was the
fellow townsman." He played the
part of Capt. Dixon, an army officer,
and tradition says that he acquitted
himself right well in the part.
In July of the same year Linden and
Underhilrs theatrical troupe played
short engag cement in the old court
house located on the site of the pres
ent building.
About this time, or a little later,
Market hall was opened in the old
Market building which stood on the
site of the present library building.
Occasionally a troupe would play there
for half dozen nights. Mazourka hall
was still used but after 1854 dramatic
performances were seldom given there.
In May, 1857, Sallie st. Glars varieties
opened at Market hall. There were
some clever comedians and specially
artists in the company, and the enter
tainments proved highly popular. Four
musicians comprised the orchestra of
those early days, but the music must