The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in Utah

by John S. Lindsay

CHAPTER X.

SEASON OF '66 AND '67.

The season of '66 and '67 opened on September 8th with Alonzo R. Phelps as the star attraction. Mr. Phelps opened in the character of "Damon" and made a fairly good showing, although he appeared to much greater advantage in some lighter roles, and particularly as "Crepin," the Cobbler, in "A Wonderful Woman." His engagement lasted two weeks, when the Irwins returned after an absence of over two years. They opened on September 29th, just in time to get well ready with a repertory of plays for the approaching conference. Their engagement lasted up to November 15th, when they departed for the East and Salt Lake was never favored with a visit from them afterwards. "Sel" Irwin "died young in years, not service," after very intense suffering for several years from rheumatism, which virtually made a helpless cripple of him. He died in New York in 1886, being only a little over fifty years of age. His widow, Maria Irwin, still survives, and up to a recent date was playing in a road company. Harry Rainforth, her son by her first marriage, who was a mere boy of sixteen when they played their first engagement in Salt Lake, has been for many years manager of the Pike Grand Opera House, Cincinnati, the associate and partner of "Bob" Miles. It was during this last Irwin engagement that Miss Nellie Colebrook, who later on became leading lady of the company, made her debut. Her first appearance was in the comedy of "Dominique, the Deserter." The first line she had to speak was, "Oh, I'm half dead with fear," which was literally true of Miss Colebrook on the occasion. She was shaking like an aspen leaf in a strong wind, but her nervous condition fitted the character remarkably well and the lady sailed at once into public favor. Miss Colebrook was tall and stately, with a very winning face and musical voice; she went rapidly to the front, being especially well suited to many of the leading roles. Mrs. Lydia Gibson, the leading actress of the theatre, died on January 8th, 1866, a little less than three years after her first appearance. This left a vacancy in the company difficult to fill, and afforded Miss Colebrook many excellent opportunities in leading roles, which she always filled satisfactorily, so that by the time Pauncefort returned to play his third engagement—after an absence of more than two years Miss Colebrook was doing most of the leading female roles.

After the departure of the Irwins, the stock company finished out the season without the assistance of a star, playing from November 15th until after April Conference. It was during the conference that our old friend George Pauncefort, suddenly and unexpectedly to most of us, returned from San Francisco after an absence in that metropolis of more than two years. He opened a return engagement on April 16th in "Don Caesar de Bazan." The season was virtually over after the April Conference, but notwithstanding he played to splendid business, he gave repetitions of his previous plays and won out splendidly on a production of "Arrah Na Pogue," in which he had played "Col. O'Grady" during a successful run of this play in San Francisco.

"Arrah Na Pogue" drew good houses for three or four nights, and closed the season of '66 and '67. Robert Heller got in a three nights engagement, commencing May the 20th, while the company was getting up in "Arrah Na Pogue." He was the first to introduce the mysterious second sight illusions and succeeded in bewildering and mystifying the patrons of the theatre to an unusual degree.

During the last engagement of Pauncefort most of the opposite roles to his own were assigned to Miss Colebrook, who had in the past year, since Mrs. Gibson's demise, divided honors with Miss Adams, and owing to her more stately appearance had been entrusted with many of the leading lady roles and was an established favorite. Pauncefort, who had never met her before (her debut having occurred after his departure for the coast), was much surprised and pleased to find a new and attractive leading lady in the company. He took an especial interest in her, and she was cast for all the leading roles during his engagement, beginning with "Maritana" in "Don Caesar," and including "Lady Macbeth" and "Ophelia." Pauncefort discovered that she had exceptional dramatic ability and encouraged her in every possible way; for "Miss Nellie" was not over-confident of her own abilities, and suffered keenly from nervousness or stage fright, especially on the first time in a part; and to receive encouragement and compliments from a star of Pauncefort's acknowledged luster was doubtless sweet and flattering to the lady, who as yet was all unconscious of the impression she had made on the susceptible George. "The fair Elizabeth has caught my eye, and like a new star, lights onward to my wishes." Possessed of a sweet and loveable disposition and a musical voice added to her charms of personal appearance, Miss Colebrook was a general favorite, not only with the public, but with the company. She had numerous admirers, and several rival aspirants for her affections, both in the company and out. With what surprised and ill-concealed chagrin they viewed the growing attentions of the reigning star can better be imagined than described. The princely George had enrolled himself in the list of her devotees and it was very much in evidence that he was enamored of the lady, for George had a keen eye for the beautiful, and "a free and open nature, too," most susceptible to female charms, so he entered the race with the others for the fair "Nellie's" hand. While he was considerably older than any of his competitors, being now close onto fifty, he probably had the advantage over them all in looks, being generally regarded as a handsome man, and most decidedly he had the advantage of experience, for George had been a gay Lothario. He seemed in a fair way to carry off the much-coveted prize. Notwithstanding the disparity of age, the fair "Nellie" seemed strongly attracted to the princely George. Playing "Ophelia" to his "Hamlet" and "Lady Macbeth" to his "Macbeth," and a long series of opposite characters to him, he had not failed to make a powerful impression on her, and if she had been left to herself without guidance or counsel, there is little question but what Pauncefort would have won her; but her mother had more penetration, and could see the objections which "Nellie" either did not see, or care to raise, so the chief arbitrator of the Church, President Young, was appealed to by Miss "Nellie's" mother to decide the case for them. Brigham decided very quickly and positively against an alliance between his fair leading lady and the "stock star," with a great big emphatic No. He had formed a strong prejudice against Pauncefort during his first engagement, owing to his reputed intimacy with Mrs. Bell, which was rather flaunted in the face of the community on their arrival in Salt Lake. So this ended the Pauncefort-Colebrook romance.

During this engagement, Pauncefort played in addition to his previous repertory "The Dead Heart," "Man with the Iron Mask," "Lavater," and "Arrah Na Pogue." The latter piece closed the season on June the 15th, being the fourth performance of the piece. Very soon after, Pauncefort purchased a horse and chaise, fitting himself out with gun and fishing tackle for a long jaunt. He headed for Portland, giving readings by the way—hunting and fishing by day—and evenings entertaining the towns along his route. How far he got with his one horse chaise is not exactly known, but the probability is he traded it off before he passed the Utah border line, and took the stage for Virginia City, Nevada, where he played for a short time and then drifted over to the coast, and finally got lost to view.

A dozen years later he was discovered by some American actors in Japan, keeping a roadside tea house for travelers with a set of pretty Japanese girls for waiters. He married a Japanese girl and latest reports credited him with a fine young Japanese colony of his own. A picture of himself and Japanese wife and three children in the possession of Jack Langrishe's widow at Wardner, Idaho, was shown to the writer there recently, and was a strong verification of what had been told by parties who had seen Pauncefort in Japan. George had let his beard grow and was quite a patriarchal looking man when Joseph Arthur met him there in 1880. Pauncefort died in Japan in 1893, leaving a Japanese wife and four semi-Jap children. George Pauncefort missed the greatest opportunity of his life by not joining the Mormon Church; he had all the natural endowments to make a great patriarch.