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

by John S. Lindsay

CHAPTER XXI.

SEASON OF '76-'77.

With the approach of the October Conference, which is always a harvest for the theatre, Mr. Harris got together as strong a company as possible and revived some of the old favorite plays, opening the season of '76 and '77 a night or two before and continuing through the Conference dates to satisfactory business. There was no "star" to share with, and the theatre reaped a handsome profit.

The next engagement of importance was that of Mr. George Rignold, an English actor, who was starring in "Henry V." Rignold had come from England and under the management of Jarrett and Palmer, "Henry V." was given a fine production in their New York theatre. For some reason or other, after a short but successful run of the play, a disagreement arose between those popular managers and Mr. Rignold. They decided to supersede Mr. Rignold with Lawrence Barrett. They notified him accordingly and at the expiration of the time for which he had been engaged Mr. Barrett stepped into Rignold's place and the run of the play was extended for several weeks. It was the intention to take the play to San Francisco after the run in New York. This change of stars threw Rignold out of the San Francisco engagement, much to his chagrin and disappointment. Not to be out-generaled the English actor quietly hastened to San Francisco. The California Theatre having been secured for the Jarret and Palmer company, with as much dispatch and secrecy as possible Rignold got a company together. Soon as it was known that Rignold was in San Francisco and was preparing to give the play of "Henry V" at the Grand Opera House, the news was duly wired to Jarrett and Palmer; not only were they surprised, but greatly chagrined, on learning that the English actor had gotten the start of them and was in a fair way to eclipse their Western engagement. Mr. Barrett and the managers, after a rather excited consultation, decided to close the run of "Henry V" with the end of the current week, and have everything in readiness to leave New York for San Francisco on the following Sunday. The manager of the California was telegraphed to announce the play for the following Thursday night. This gave scarcely a week for advertising, and it seemed incredible that the company could reach San Francisco by the time, but Jarrett and Palmer had at great expense made arrangements with the railroad company for a special train, that was to rush them through from New York to San Francisco in four days. Barring accidents, they would arrive in San Francisco on Thursday morning, in time to get their scenery in place and play that night.

It was taking desperate chances, but it was at the same time a great advertising scheme, for never before had such a flying trip been made across the continent, and every paper in the country had an account of it. "From Ocean to Ocean eighty-three hours." Rignold had arranged to open the following Monday, but learning to his amazement of the great coup that Jarrett and Palmer were performing to get in ahead of him, he got a move on too and decided to keep the lead, and open up at least one night ahead of them, which was as soon as he could possibly get ready. The fast train was the sensation of the hour, everybody was talking of it and awaiting its arrival with keen expectancy. This national advertisement gave the Jarrett and Palmer company a great advantage over Rignold; besides, they had much the better production, and the best company, as Rignold had to gather what support he could and very hurriedly in San Francisco. This was very sharp managerial practice; what especial reason Lawrence Barrett and the Jarrett and Palmer management had for this extraordinary coup to down the English actor we never learned. The rivalry of the two Henrys served to throw theatrical circles in the Golden Gate City into a feverish excitement, and the result was that both houses did a good business, as every theatre-goer felt in duty bound to see both actors, and then compare their respective merits. Until Rignold played "Henry V" in New York no American actor had ever attempted the character; Barrett who had in conjunction with John McCullough managed the California theatre during the first three years of its career, saw an opportunity to do some business there and win some fresh laurels in a new part. This in a measure explains the haste with which the thing was done. The rival Henrys, however, did not succeed in giving the play a permanent abiding place in popular favor. We think no other American actor has ever had the temerity to try it, until the bold and undaunted Richard Mansfield gave a superb production of it a quarter of a century later—1902.[A]

[Footnote A: The above account of the "Henry V" excursion is written entirely from the writer's recollection of the affair, having no available data. It may contain some slight inaccuracies, but the main facts were about as here related.]

After the Rignold date here, when "The Lady of Lyons," "Black-Eyed Susan," and "Henry V" were given with such support as was available, the stock played fitfully, interrupted by occasional novelties, such as panoramas and concert companies, minstrels and the like, along the holiday season and into the spring. On February 3rd, John S. Lindsay was the recipient of another "benefit," on which occasion he exhibited his strong predilection for Shakespearian roles by appearing as Hamlet, a character in which he had already won some local distinction. As on a previous benefit occasion, there were several first appearances, and the cast as a whole was not very satisfactory, but our friends were inclined to overlook many shortcomings on those benefit occasions. As if "Hamlet" was not enough for a benefit performance, we had to tack on the farce of "The Trials of Tompkins," in which Mr. Graham was wont to shine.

On the 23rd and 24th of February, Mr. E. A. Sothern, the world renowned Dundreary, filled his first engagement at the Salt Lake Theatre. He exacted a certainty of one thousand dollars in gold coin for the two nights. Mr. Harris very naturally had some hesitancy about closing an engagement with him on such exorbitant terms, so he made a canvass of his patrons, and after a careful consideration, "closed the deal" with Mr. Sothern. The prices were advanced from the usual scale of twenty-five cents to one dollar, to fifty cents to two-fifty. The house was well filled on both nights and the management, not having a very expensive company or any production to pay for out of its share, came out all right. There was much dissatisfaction, however, that such exorbitant prices should be charged for what at best was but an ordinary "show," especially the last night when David Garrick was presented, and by ten o'clock the play was over, and the general expression of the patrons of the theatre was "Sold!" Indeed so outspoken was the dissatisfaction with David Garrick, and so severe were the strictures of the press the following morning, that Mr. Sothern could not have gotten fifty cents a ticket for a third performance. As a natural consequence, it was a long time before he came to Salt Lake again.

On March 10th, Miss Annie Adams (Mrs. Kiskadden) who had recently returned on a visit to Salt Lake after an absence of three years in San Francisco, assisted by the stock company, gave a production of "The Two Orphans," Miss Adams appearing as Louise and Miss Colebrook as Henriette, the writer in the character of Pierre. This was the first presentation of this play at this theatre and it proved a great drawing card.

The next star attraction was one of more than ordinary interest. The anniversary of Shakespeare's birth (and death) on April 23rd, Adelaide Neilson, the world acknowledged Juliet, was announced to appear in that character. Miss Neilson was well-known to our theatregoers by reputation as the greatest Juliet of the age, and the demand for seats was extraordinary. The prices were advanced, but not to exorbitant figures, the prices ranging from 25c to $1.50. Every seat in the house was filled, and numbers were glad to stand on both evenings rather than miss seeing the beautiful and popular actress. There was no dissatisfaction with this engagement; everybody was pleased and delighted, and Adelaide Neilson's praises were on everybody's lips. She could have remained a week and played to full houses, but engagements ahead precluded a longer stay; she only gave two performances, "As You Like It" being the second bill. There was only one opinion as to her Juliet, that it was the perfect embodiment of the character, her rich beauty of face and form, her exquisite grace, her melodious voice, and the marvelous power of expression in her soft tender eyes, equipped her completely for the part. As Rosalind she was equally as charming if not as brilliant as in Juliet. The playing of Romeo to her Juliet, the writer cherishes as one of the pleasantest memories of his long professional career. A year later the beautiful Neilson was dead. Alas! for the mutability of all that is mundane:

"She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more.
It is a tale told by an idiot;
Full of sound and fury; signifying nothing."

—Macbeth.

"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth ere gave
Await alike the inevitable hour;
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

—Gray's Elegy.

The next stellar attraction was Ben de Bar. Ben was the manager of one of the St. Louis theatres when the writer was a boy, and my first introduction to the stage was at De Bar's theatre. A young fellow who was our neighbor in St. Louis induced me to go with him and go on as a super. The play was "Sixtus V., Pope of Rome." Mr. and Mrs. Farren were the stars. I made my first acquaintance with the stage in that play, as one of the mob, little dreaming that I would one day be cast to play Sixtus V., which I was some years afterwards in the Salt Lake Theatre.

Ben De Bar was a popular comedian as well as manager at the time of which I am telling, but for some half dozen years now he has been starring in the character of Sir John Falstaff. He was very stout, and well suited to the character and confined himself to it exclusively, varying the monotony, however, by playing both the plays in which Sir John is so prominent, "Henry IV" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

Ben had been to San Francisco and had just played an engagement there, before coming to Salt Lake. He opened here on May 17th in "The Merry Wives." He complained of not feeling well and it was quite perceptible that something was the matter; he was uncertain and forgetful. On the second night in "Henry IV," his lapses of memory were still more perceptible. In short, it was palpable to all the company, if not the audience, that Mr. De Bar was suffering from some derangement of memory to such an extent as to in places mar the scenes, and very much embarrass those who had dialogue with him. The writer was playing Hotspur on the occasion, and had but little to do with the boastful Sir John, but noticing his lapses of memory in several places and his consequent and apparent distress, kindly inquired as to his trouble, when he feelingly told me he had suffered in San Francisco the same way, and he felt no confidence in himself whatever. He said his memory was deserting him and he feared his professional career was at an end. After the play was over he called me into his dressing room, and said: "Mr. Lindsay, I have made my last appearance on the stage. I am done, sir. I feel that I have subjected the entire company tonight to a great deal of embarrassment, and my lapses of memory must have been quite apparent to the audience. No, sir, I can no longer rely on my memory, and I shall never attempt to play again. I feel my career is ended." His words were pathetic, and as it proved, prophetic; he never did appear on the stage again. In less than a year dear old Ben de Bar died of softening of the brain. Ben de Bar was about sixty years of age when he died. "What old acquaintance! Could not all this flesh keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell! I could have better spared a better man." Prince Hal in "Henry IV," Part First.

Salt Lake seemed to be an attractive summer resort for a certain class of attractions, and quite a number found their way here during the very hottest of the weather. On July 24th Robert Heller, a very clever magician and an excellent pianist, assisted by Miss Helen (his sister), entertained the patrons of the theatre for a week with his very clever tricks and fine piano playing. His second sight business, in which he was ably assisted by Miss Helen, was wonderfully clever, and mystified the beholders very much indeed. He was the first to introduct a second-sight business here, and was as much of a wonder as Anna Eva Fay has since been.

On August 6th, Rose Eytinge, then in the zenith of her fame, opened a three nights' engagement in the play of "Rose Michel" and followed it with "Miss Multon" and "Macbeth." The writer had some hard work during this brief engagement, the two first plays being entirely new to him, in both of which he had very long and arduous parts, and on the third night he had to do Macbeth. Rose Eytinge at this time was one of the best actresses and most beautiful women we had on the stage. Good gracious! that is twenty-eight years ago, and she is still acting! but she has to play the old woman now. When I played with her two years later in Portland, Oregon, she was married to an English actor named Cyril Searle, who insisted on playing Macbeth, but made me study Antony in "Antony and Cleopatra" on very short notice as the San Francisco papers had criticised his Antony so severely he declared he would never play it again.

On August 14th, the Richings-Bernard Opera Company played one night.
Played again on the 16th. On the following night, the 15th, Tony
Pastor with a fine vaudeville company, gave a great show the first
company of that kind to cross the continent and play in the Salt Lake
Theatre. He had a packed house, for his show was a great novelty.

It was a little surprising that with the love of the drama so universal in Utah so few contributions to dramatic literature were offered by local authors for representation on the stage. Those thought worthy of presentation by the managers we have already recorded. Mr. E. L. Sloan's "Osceola" (an Indian play), in which Julia Dean and George Waldron played the leading characters, and his "Stage and Steam," a later production, contrasting the old stage coach with the locomotive methods and results. By far the most important local contributions to the stage were the plays of Edward W. Tullidge: "Eleanor de Vere," played by Julia Dean and stock company, "Ben Israel" and "Oliver Cromwell," played by the local company. Now comes John S. Lindsay with "Under One Flag," a drama of the Civil War. This play was presented for the first time on September 13th and made so favorable an impression as to hold the boards for three nights. It was repeated on October 5th, during the conference season, and has been played by the author and his company in nearly all the towns and cities of the Northwest. These performances of "Under One Flag" virtually closed the season of '76 and '77, which had run intermittently all through the summer.