Claud Melnotte ……………………… James Ferguson
Monsieur Beauseant ………………….. David Candland
Monsieur Glavis ……………………… John T. Caine
Col. Damas …………………… John D. T. McAllister
Mons. Deschapples ………………… Horace K. Whitney
Landlord ………………………….. Philip Margetts
Pauline Deschapples ………………….. Mrs. Wheelock
Madame Deschapples ………………. Mrs. M. G. Clawson
Widow Melnotte …………………….. Mrs. Sarah Cook
The play was a pronounced success and the players covered themselves with glory. A number of plays were now put on in rapid succession, for the D. D. A. had caught the true dramatic fire, and the people were hungry for the play. In the great plays, a number of which were essayed, the characters were strongly filled.
Bernard Snow, who had played with the elder Booth in California, which gave him a brief professional experience, was easily in the lead of all the Mormon actors. He played an Othello that would have done credit to Shakespeare anywhere, while Ferguson as Iago was scarcely less convincing. In "Damon and Pythias" also these players shone with more than ordinary brilliancy. Snow's Damon was pronounced a work of art, while Ferguson looked and acted Pythias to the admiration of all who witnessed it. Mrs. Wheelock as Calanthe and Mrs. Tuckett as Hermion made up a quartet of players that would have graced any stage in the country.
"Virginius" was also played here with Snow in the title role, a favorite with him. When Lyne came ten years later and played these same characters in the Salt Lake Theatre, many of the old frequenters of the Social Hall ranked Bernard Snow as Lyne's equal and they had to be brought to play together in the Salt Lake Theatre to gratify the many admirers of both.
"Pizarro" was the play chosen for this event and it served to pack the theatre. Lyne appeared as Pizarro for the occasion although Rolla was his favorite part. This gave Snow the advantage as Rolla is the star part. It proved a great hit both financially and artistically.
The Social Hall orchestra was a feature at all the dramatic performances, and came in for its due share of praise and admiration. It was under the direction of Domenico Ballo, who had formerly been a band master at West Point. He was a fine composer and arranger, and one of the best clarinet players ever heard. Professor Ballo was a graduate of the Conservatory of Music at Milan. He served several years as band master at West Point. He drifted into Utah at an early day and cast his lot with the Mormons. He organized a fine brass band here and built a fine dance hall which was known as "Ballo's Music Hall."
Salt Lake City has from a very early period in its history enjoyed an enviable reputation in a musical way. Its first musical organization as already mentioned was the Nauvoo Brass Band, organized originally in Nauvoo in connection with the Mormon militia known as the "Nauvoo Legion," of which Joseph Smith held the distinguished office of Lieutenant General. The exodus from Nauvoo and the formation soon afterwards of the "Mormon Battalion" demoralized to a great degree both the legion and the band. Both organizations, however, were reconstructed soon after the settlement of Utah, and each played a conspicuous part in its early history.
At the laying of the corner stone of the Salt Lake Temple as early as 1853, the Nauvoo Brass Band and Ballo's Brass Band were consolidated for this occasion and increased to sixty-five players under the leadership of Professor Ballo, who gave the people of Salt Lake a musical treat that would have been a credit to any metropolitan city. Ballo was a thorough and accomplished musician and his masterly work at such an early period had much to do with developing Salt Lake's musical talent.
From 1852 to 1857 the Social Hall continued to be the principal place of amusement for the people of Salt Lake City, as well as those who came in from various parts of the Territory. Those living at a distance and visiting the city either on business or pleasure (which were generally combined) deemed themselves extremely fortunate if there chanced to be a play "on the boards" during their brief sojourn in the city.
The fame of the Social Hall and its talented company of players, dramatic and musical, had spread abroad in the land and many of the smaller towns began to emulate Salt Lake City and organized dramatic clubs.