The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-10-24
THEATRES ON The
MISSISSIPPI
These Floating Crafts in Which Thea
tire eoers are Entertained Are
Haven Of Road-Weary
Performers.
NO TERROR OF TRAMPING
/. an Institution More Than Twenty
Years Old, But Only Recently
Has it Gained Place In
Show World.

There is one branch Of the theatre
cal business that Klaw & Erlanger
never molested, even when the gigan-
tic power of the syndicate was at its
height. You want to call 1t corner
OF the theatrical world though 1t really
isn't corner at all, but streak,
plain in sight, running straight
through the middle of the most warm
ly contested territory. The streak is
in the Mississippi river and the thea
tiers which have kept their doors open
regardless of the theatrical trust are
the floating show-boats which pillow
unconcernedly up and down, stopping
at the river towns and enjoying an
uninterrupted season ten months out
of the year. The actors on these
floating theatres are very happy and
easily managed we are told. The
male star is inclined to be comfort
ably considerable of his fellow perform
ers, or at least, not aggressively dis
agreeable. The leading lady has few
or tantrums and the stage manager
smiles more and swears less than in
any other theatrical region under the
sun. In short, it is sort of paradise
real lotus land for the weary theat-
rical adventurer. The following ex.
tracts from an article in the current
Green Book reveal some of the de.
lightful phases of this "river-to-river"
theatrical business:
Floating theatres on the MISSISSIPPI
pi and tributary rivers are the haven
of the road-weary performer. Mem
bers of this branch of the amusement
world know not the terrors of troup-
ing. They make one night stands for
ten-month season each year, but
they are embarrassed by poor hotels,
bad train schedules and long jumps.
Each actor on an amusement fleet has
stateroom, and two minutes after
the last curtain he may be in bed If
he chooses. Then, again, there is no
hurried packing and costumes and
properties may lie in confusion until
next morning. If you add to these
comforts the daylight voyages down
sunny streams, afternoons on breezy
deck, repeated boating, fishing and
bathing excursions, and the existence
Is ideal.
The floating theatre as an insti-
tuition is more than twenty years old,
but only in the last few years has 1t
gained recognition in the show world.
The first lone boat which wendell its
way up and down the navigable riv-
ers of the country has been succeed
ed by carefully systematized enter
prize.
Unless play is being rehearsed
Which is seldom, as boats use one
Dill going up rivers and another com.
Ing down, the performers are at lib
erty to do as they please most of the
time Scattered about the forward
deck of the steamer may be a dozen
people. The women are reading, do
ing fancy work, or repairing bits OF
theif wardrobe for the evening show
through cabin window you can see
TWO girls chatting over their work al
long table.
ne actlng talent as whole, Is
capable. People who were well up in
other branches of the amusement
world will be found aboard enjoying
The lazy, drifting, home-like life. A
peep into the stateroom of couple
VINO appear in a playlet shows an old
ietterhead when they were with one
oi the big-and late-musical produc
IONS. They are not has beens,' they
can still sing and dance.
It's the life admitted the sing
er of course, was ambitious and
determined to star, even after mar
rled Bob, who was with the same
snow Our company wasn't summer
snow, so, through a friend, we book