Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-08-24
BARN STORMlNG BY BOAT.
Floating Theater on the Mississippi
River Gives Shows at All the
Smaller Towns.

vaudeville shows have for years float
ed up and down the Mississippi, but
this season is said to be the first that q
genuine theatrical enterprise has tried
the same means of locomotion. The
barge, which is the floating theater
was built last year, and though it is
plain, an effort was made to make it at.
tractive and comfortable.
So now the hills along the Ohio and
Mississippi are echoing the music of q
large-voiced calliope. The instrument
connected with the steam pipe of tug.
boat, is turned loose upon approaching
any of the scores of towns whose bill
boards announce that the dramatic com
pany is about to give it's powerful and
thrilling performances
The Mississippi steamboat whistle is
unique and startling, but it plays sec.
ond fiddle to the novel and fascinating
calliope, which never fails to bring a
crowd to the bank. But as the boat
nears the landing the many-toned in.
strument subsidies, the brass bant
strikes up, the crowd increases and there
is hustle and excitement. The great dra'
matte company has arrived.
Behind the tugboat is large, two
stored barge, the floating home of thl
drama. 1t is gay with bunting, and the
name of the company extends in letters
two feet high from stem to stern.
The deckhands make fast to the shore
with a degree Of skill and alacritS
worthy of special mention, for they are
amateurs in that line. They will appear
later in the toggery of the stage, facing
the footlights, for their real business is
to split the ears of the groundlings.
The ticket Office opens and the treas.
urer is ready for business. You may
step into the auditorium and select your
seats.
1t is we'll lighted and we'll ventilated
from windows on both sides of the boat
Every one may have a seat in regula.
ton theater chair. There are seats fo1
about 1000. A double tier of boxes, /:
in all, provides special accommodations
The snug little stage, about 80 fee
square, has good assortment of bright
scvenery.
1t takes more than 80 persons to RUIZ
the floating theater, and nearly all oil
them are utilized behind the scenes. Il
the cook, the engineer and the stoke,
cannot act they can at least shift seen.
cry, attend to properties, swell the ranks
of the battling armies and the fiery mot
and howl when volumes of noise is the
proper thing.
The company has only two or three
pieces in it's reportory. The actors arr
not lacking in experience or talent
and many land show would suffer by
comparison with their work. The pub
lie that patronizes them gets it's money:
worth.
When the ice broke up in the Ohit
last spring the business season for the
floating theater began. All the small
towns along the river heard the CALI
ope, but it wasted no breath on Cincin
natl or Louisville. The big barge
doesn't even stop to take look at sucl
show-infested places.
The busy tugboat pulled away UP tn,
Mississippi to the mouth Of the Illinoi.
and then up that stream to-La Sale. 1
is now on the lower Mississippi. show.
Ing from one to three or four times a
each landing place.
The company sleeps, eats and acts OF
board. The theater now ties up al
towns only ten of Is miles apart and nov
steams for day between shows. It will
descend the river nearly to New Orlean,
and then retrace the route. The actor.
will strut their little stage nearly, ever,
night till they reach winter quarters ii
Rttsburg. 8 - II. =