The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-11
THE cRowTH OF OUR THEATRES

One hundred and sixty-two years
ago today the first theatre in the
United States was opened in the colo
ny of Virginia at old WILLIAMSBURG.
The originator was an English actor,
William Hallan, Sr., who brought his
own company from ovar-seas and pre-
sented 1.-THE Merchant of Venice" as
the initial performance. The idea
spread rapidly, and soon New York,
Philadelphia and the other leading
communities of colonial America each
had their theatres. At the close of
the century, theatres were open in the
capitals of nearly all the thirteen
states. While the Virginian play
house was the first in the United
States, actors had played in the colo
MES before this date, The first is
said to have been the English stroll
ling player, Anthony Aston, who was
known as Mat Medley. The actor and
his art of that day was generally des-
pissed by the puritantical colonists.
The Massachusetts legislature passed
law shortly after amateurs had
given "The Orphans" at the Coffee
House in Boston in 1749, which for
babe such performances, attacking
penalty for actors and spectators
alike of pounds sterling each. The
opposition in Philadelphia was SO
great that Hallam was compelled to
build his theatre in 1859 outside of the
city proper, in a district then in dis.
repute and known as Southwark, or,
/ Society HILL" Even then vigorous
efforts were made to close the theater
A petition was addressed to Judge
| William Allen, who refused to act, de-
claring that had obtained stronger
moral lessons from attending the
theatre than from any sermon he had
heard in church.
Today the theatrical profession is
a huge industry in which more than
$10O,000,000 is invested. There are in
the United States over 5000 theaters
not counting the 10000 or more NOV.
ing picture theatres, or circuses, and
halls for general entertainment. II
las been estimated that during
a good theatrical year there are more
than $4,000 actors and actresses de,
claiming, trilling and dancing before
the American people. One of the
modern features of the profession is
the travelling company. of which there
are nearly 1000. The estimated value
of the 5000 theares is nearly $40,-
| 100000 annually while it requires $780,
100000 annually to pay the players
salaries. About $60,000,000 is distribut-
| ed among the thousands of theatre
employees, for transportation, adver-
| Using, and to defray the cost of pro-
ducing the plays. Today as a class
actors and actresses are no longer
SOhCA any pal ldLS VI SO-
ciety. The most exclusive society
circles have been opened to admit
them, and there are instances where
men and women of noble birth have
given their social station for a career
on the stage. Even clergymen have de-
serted their pulpits for the boards,
while actors have abandoned the spot
light to take up careers in the church
Stars of the theatrical realm, as well
as the lesser lights of the chorus,
have sung and danced their way into
the ranks of royalty and their nobility,
not to mention the multi-millionaire
set. Kings have granted them
patents of nobility and learned so
cieties and institutions have decorat-
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