Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-01-22
A FLOATING THEATER
THIS is ONE OF THE NOVELTIES
ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

Its Capacity is About That Of Olympia Thea
tsr-The Route Comprises $500 Miles
It Visits the Mining Towns and Coal Camps
on the MonOngaheIa. and the Large and
Small Cities on the Ohio and Illinois Rivers.
Before Invading the Warmer Cline Of the
Father Of Waters. When the Season Is Still
Open-It is Legitimate Drama. Instead Of
Vaudeville Acts. That Are Presented.
Scientific American, 9th inst.
Perhaps the most interesting Of the
new vessels plying the Ohio, Illinois
and Mississippi rivers, is one built
upon an extensive scale for use as q
floating theater. The seating capac.
ity is for 1000 people, and there are
boxes for the elite and pit for the
orchestra. In addition, the vessel is
sufficiently large to admit of numer-
GUS sleeping rooms for the actors, the
deckhands, and all those connected
with either the show or the boat. The
entire force numbers forty. On the
steamer which tOws the floating thea
ter, besides the boilers and engines,
there is a complete electric light plant,
besides a kitchen and a dining room.
In view OF the fact that the long
water route of the floating theater car
ries it into the warmer portions of the
South, the season for the show does
not clo+e until late in the Southern
winter. The entire route comprises
2,5CO miles. The boat start at Pitts
burg and visits the towns of the coal
miners and stee! workers along the
Monongat ella River. Next it returns
and goes down the Ohio to the Kan
awha, thence to Cairo, and later up
the Illinois River to La Sale. Then
after going back to the Mississippi.
the boat slowly makes its way in the
direction of New Orleans. The idea
Of a floating theater is not exactly
new, but the extensive scale upon
which it is being carried on and the
fact that it is the drama instead of the
vaudeville programme that is being
presented, attract unusual attention
to the boat. Faust" is the produc-
tion that has been presented this sea-
son.
Along the route of the floating thea
ter the towns are often but ten or fif-
teen miles apart. Therefore the jumps
of the boat and its company are not
long ones. On the upper deck OF the
stea mer is calliope. Long before the
theater reaches the town in which it
is to show, the sounds of this instru-
ment may be heard. The idle popu.
lation Of the river towns at once be-
gins to assemble on the wharf. As
the steamer comes within q few hun.
dred feet OF the dock, the calliope is
silenced and brass band strikes up a
familiar air. The crowd on the wharf
then grows larger. Many are there
awaiting the first opportunity to SO.
cure reserved seats. When the boat
touches the wharf the sailors. some OF
whom later are transformed into actors,
make the vessel fast and put the gang.
plank in place. The scenery is ar
ranged and the orchestra rehearses
while the cook is preparing the next
meal in the kitchen. The people
come aboard and select their seats in
stead of doing 30 from q diagram
on shore. At night the theater is
brilliantly lighted by electricity and a
searchlight flashes over the surround.
ing territory. The entertainment lasts
about three hours.