Theatrical and circus life; or, Secrets of the stage, green-room and sawdust arena

Front matter

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TRANSFORMATION SCENE.

THEATRICAL

Prologue

The theatre and the circus, both sources of unlimited amusement to the world, are also objects of the greatest interest to all who have had even a single peep at the stage or pressed their feet even once upon the sawdust precincts of the tented show. The tricks and illusions that are mystifying to nine-tenths of those to whom they are presented rarely fail to be productive of pleasure, and the performers, whether before the foot-lights or within the circus ring, generally succeed in so thoroughly winning the hearts of the public, that, though their faces, when the paint is off and the atmosphere of glory has departed, might not be recognized upon the street, their names are so fixedly identified with the pleasant moments associated with their art, that they become household words, and are spoken, with admiration and praise, by all classes, from the newsboy and bootblack up through the various strata of society even to the ruler of the nation.

In presenting this volume to the public the intention has been to bring the player and the people into closer relations, and by revealing the secrets of the stage and sawdust arena to show that what appears at first to be deep mystery and to many, who are bigoted and averse to theatrical and kindred entertainments, the blackest diabolism, is merely the result of the simplest combinations of mechanical skill and studied art, and is as innocent of the sinister character bestowed upon it as are the efforts of school children at their annual exhibitions or the exercises of a Sabbath School class before a row of drowsy and nodding churchdeacons. Fault may be found with the private lives

4 PROLOGUE.

of numbers of the members of the theatrical and circus profession, but the sins and shortcomings of individuals, can be visited upon the entire class with no more justice than can the frailties of a few preachers be applied generally to the pulpit, or the dishonesty of a handful of lawyers be reflected upon all the disciples of Blackstone in existence. Neither is it just to class as theatres places of resort that do not deserve the name — the * * dives ' ' and * * dens ' ' that are frequented by disreputable men and women whose low tastes are catered to by men and women every bit as disreputable as their patrons. Such establishments receive, in this volume, only the severe treatment they fully merit.

Ill explaining the mysteries of stage representations, and indicating the tricks of ring performances, as well as in speaking of the private lives of performers and giving biographies of the most noted actors and actresses now before the public, an attempt has been made to be perfectly accurate in every detail. The anecdotal portion of the book has likewise received careful attention, and indeed every feature of the work has been given due consideration, in the hope that in and out of the profession, Theatrical and Circus Life may meet with a favorable reception and be regarded as worthy the subjects of which it treats. Commending it to the kindness of all into whose hands it falls ; and assuring the inhabitants of the mimic and real worlds, that, whatever construction may be placed upon his sentences, naught but respect and affection is felt for the true and good men and women of the stage, the author parts from his volume regretting that it is not large enough to give everybody a place in its pages, or to say as much about each individual as each deserves. J. J. J.

St. Louis, August 1, 1882.

Chapter I. A Preliminary Peep

Admission Fees — Cerberus at the Back Door — The Awe- Stricken Stranger behind the Scene — Swarms of Actors and Employees — Description of Stage Settings — The Green-Room and Dressing-Room Explored — A Visit to the Dressing-Tent of the Circus — An Act that Beats anything of the kind in the World — The Female Minstrel Gang and the Break-o'-Day Girls - 19-27

Chapter II. A Theatre Of Shakespeare's Day

Rude Carts as Primitive Stages — Followed by Stone Theatres with Pits for Stages — Theatres of the Elizabethan Period — Sunday Theatres in the " Golden Age " — Description of the Globe in Shakespeare's Time — Plays in the Times of Henry VIII. — Sign-boards as Scenes — Anecdote of Charles II. — The "Wits," "Clever" Men and the Vulgar Crowd — Pipes, Tankards, and Gossip - - - 28-36

Chapter III. The American Theatre

Davy Garrick at Drury Lane, London — English Actors sail for America — Voyage in the Charming Sally in 1752 — The First American Theatre — The First Programme — The First New York Theatre, 1753 — The First Performance in Philadelphia, April, 1754 — The First Show in Boston, August, 1792 — The Priest and the Spanish Lady — Elegant Theatres of the Present Period 37-42

Chapter IV. At The Stage-door

Eront Door and Back Door Entrances — " Mashers " at the "Stage-Door" — The Cerberus who Stands Guard — Perquisites Paid to Him — Bulkhead and the Ballet Girls — The Tricks of the Scene Painter on the Girls — The Girls' Revenge — Bold and Heartless Lovers — Notes Pushed under the Dressing-Room Door — Alice Oates's Mash — Watching the Manoeuvres of the "Mashers" — Tale of the Pink Symmetricals - - 43-54

Chapter V. Before The Foot-lights

People who Patronize the Theatre — The Young Blood — Members of the "Profesh" — The Giddy and Gushing Usher — The Bouncer — The Peanut Cruncher — The People who go out "Between Acts" — The Big Hat Nuisance — Anecdote of George and Harry - 55-68

Chapter VI. Behind The Scenes

An Amateur Theatre — The Author's Experience as "Imp"

in a Spectacular Scene — A Trip to the Moon - - 69-85

Chapter VII. In The Dressing-room

Goodwin's " Make-up " for Hobbies — Booth and Company Playing "Hamlet" in Street Costume — Dressing- Rooms of Old-Time and Present Theatres — Louis Harrison Spoils a Play at San Erancisco — How Actors "Makeup" for Various Parts — The Hair-Dresser and the Actress 86-105

Chapter VIII. Within The Wings

The Stage Prompter and His Duties — Actors who " Stick " and some who " Never Stick " — A Popular Actress and

CONTENTS.

her Useful Husband — The Firemen's Amours — Mary Anderson and Her Chewing-Gum — Emmet's Indiscretions 106-121

Chapter IX. Stage Charms And Omens

Burning of the Southern Hotel and Kate Claxton's Presence — Superstitions of John McCullough, Raymond, Joe Jefferson, Sothern, Florence, Booth, Chanfrar, Byron, Thorne, Neilson, Lotta, etc., etc. — Courtaine and Ince 122-143

Chapter X. Not Down In The Bill

Actors who Memorize whole Newspapers — Lovely Peggy — Kean Dying as he Played — Sol. Smith's Funny Adventure — A Masher made Serviceable — Charlotte Cushman and the Colored Bell-Boy who brought Down the House — The Call-Boy's Revenge — The Lecturer, Trick Candle and Trap Door — An English Performance of William Tell 144-161

Chapter XI. The Illusions Of The Stage

Mrs. Bellamy and Mr. St. Leger in Dublin — Rousseau's Description of Paris Opera — Modern Mechanism — Producing Steam, Fire, Thunder, Lightning, etc. — Olive Logan and her Jewels — Snow Storm in "The Two Orphans" — Rain in "Hearts of Oak" — Rivulets in " Danites " — Funny Inventory of "Property " in a London Theatre 162-182

Chapter XII. More Op The Mysteries

The Property-Man and his Duties — Sunlight — Moonlight— Twinkling of Stars — Ocean Waves — Fire in " Phoenix " and " Streets of New York "—Full Description of the Famous Raft Scene 183-194

Chapter XIII. The Army Of Attaches

Broken Down or " Crushed " Actors as Door-Keepers — The Treasurer of the Theatre — The Usher — Orchestra and Leader — Stage Manager — The Scenic Artist — The Stage Carpenter, Supes and Minor Attaches, and Last but not Least the Call-Boy 195-205

Chapter XIV. Stage Struck

The Young Man from Cahokia — The Box of Gags — Stage Struck Girls of Louisville — The College Graduate from Illinois — "The Warrior Bowed His Crested Head " — The " N. G." Curtain — Marie. Dixon's Failure — Mrs. H. M. Lewis, of Charleston, Duped by Schwab" & Rum mel — Harry Russell Pseudo " Manager " —A Colored Troop's Curious Epistle - - - 206-22G

Chapter XV. The Rehearsal

Old-Time and Present Rehearsals — Olive Logan's Description of a Rehearsal — Rehearsal of the Corps de Ballet— Appearance of Taglioni, Cerito, Carlotta Grisi, Lucile Grahn at Her Majesty's Theatre, in London - 227-240

Chapter XVI. Candidates For Short Clothes

Advertising for Ballet Girls — Salaries Paid them — Who Apply — Where the Can-Can Flourishes — The Ups and Downs of a Ballet Girl's Life — The Nautch Dancers 241-250

Chapter XVII. Training Ballet Dancers

Interviewing Sig. J. F. Cardella — The French School Theatre La Scala — Amount of Practice Required — The American Ballet — Salaries of Premieres, Coryphees, etc. — The Time Required — A Little Fond and Foolish at Times 251-2G3

Chapter XVIII. Plays And Playwrights

The Trials and Tribulations of the Gawky Young Drama-

CONTENTS.

tist — English, French and -American Playwrights — The Desire for Foreign Flays — Bartlcy Campbell's Christmas Story - 264-275

Chapter XIX. Mashers And Mashing

Gunakophagists or Woman-Eaters — Corner Loafers — Mashers of the Profession — Female Mashers — The Blonde Beauties of the Leg Drama — Model Letter — Lillian Russell's Escapades — " Patti " and the Midget "Foster" — The Old Masher Squeezed — The Girl in Red Tights at Uhrig's Cave — Music and Mashing - 276-295

Chapter XX. The Maiden And The Tenor

Ambleleg — His Soul Full of Art and Throat Full of Music — Miss Justaytine the Pink of Beauty and Perfection of Bclleship — The Chorus Singer Mashed on the Maiden — The Mash Mutual — The Brother and Lover Mash the Tenor — Suit for $10,000 and the Compromise 296-302

Chapter XXI. Fishing For Free Puffs

A First-Class Puff in a Leadville Paper — All Anxious to Appear in Print — Various Ways of Puffing — Sending Photos — Diamond Robberies — Falling Heir to a Fortune, etc. — Minnie Palmer's Artless Display of Underwear— The Abbott Kiss — Catherine Lewis Fling — Emelie Melville's Presents to Critics — The Morning Buzzard and the Evening Crow - - - - 303-314

Chapter XXII. The Actress And The Interviewer

All Performers must Meet the Interviewing Fiend — How the Interviewer is Received by Patti, Nilsson, Gerster, Kellogg, Cary, Hauk, Abbott, Bernhardt, Morris, Modjeska, Neilson, Anderson, Davenport, Mitchell, Lotta, and Others - 315-319

Chapter XXIII. A Few Foot-light Favorites

Mistress Woffington — Children as Actors and Actresses —

Little Corinne — Debut of Emma Livry — Nell Gwynne the Fish Girl — Lola Montez, the Pretty Irish Girl — Adah Isaacs Menken as Mazeppa — Mary Anderson the Tragedienne — Lotta and Maggie Mitchell, and a Host of Others £20-342

Chapter XXIV

Great Length of the Play — Description of a Chinese Theatre— The Prompter — The Audience — The Actors — The Musicians — Japanese Theatres — No "Reserved Seats" — Prices of Admission — Side Shows - -343-352

Chapter XXV. Opera And Opera Singers

Palrao, the Father of Italian Opera in America — Interview with Col. Mapleson — The Cost of Rigging a Company— What it Costs Every Time the Curtain is Rung Up — Mme. Grisi's Superstition — The Best Operas — Salaries of Singers — Neilson and the Diamond Merchant 353-3G0

Chapter XXVI. The Minstrel Boys

Emmet, Brower, Whitlock and Pelham among the Earliest — Pot-Pie Herbert — Daddy Rice and Jim Crow — Zip Coon — Coal Black Rose — My Long Tail Blue — Early Days of George Christy — Minstrel Men Generally Improvident— Minstrel Men as Mashers — Haverly's Mastodon Minstrels — The Boys at Rehearsal - - -367-381

Chapter XXVII. Pantomime

George L. Fox, the King — G. II. Adams, his Successor —

Boxing Night in London 382-388

Chapter XXVIII. Variety Dives And Concert Saloons

First-Class Varieties — Harry Hill's Famous Resort — Interview with Harry Hill — Ida and Johnnie — Deacons in a Dive — The Bouncer at Work — The Cow-Boy's Call for Mary — The Can-Can — Music by Bands — Over the Rhine 389-415

Chapter XXIX. A Team Op Irish Comedians

The Song and Dance Men — Harrigan & Hart — Levi Mc-

Ginnis the Alderman 416-429

Chapter XXX. The Black Art

Sword Swallowers — Jugglers in America, Europe, China, and Hindoostan — Herman Sells the Barbers — Herman Sold by the "Boys" — Wonderful Chinese Jugglers— How Ladies are Suspended in Mid-Air — How to Eat Fire — Walk on Red Hot Iron — Cut off a Man's Head, etc., etc. 430-439

Chapter XXXI. The Indian Box And Basket Trick

The Trick-Box — The Board — The Basket — The Magician's " Ghost Story " 440-448

Chapter XXXII. Ventriloquism

Prof. Kennedy and Val Vose — Louis Brabant Valet de Chambre to Erancis I. Wins Wife and Fortune through his Wonderful Gift — M. St. Gille and his Wonderful Exploits — Alexandre and the Load of Hay — The Delusion Fully Explained — How to do it — The Suffocated Victim - - 449-458

Chapter XXXIII. On The Road

Making Dates at the " the Square " — Copy of Contracts —

Billing the Town — The Cyclonic Advance Agent - 459-465

Chapter XXXIV. The Green-eyed And Other Monsters

The Street Arabs and Lotta — The Stage at the Beginning of the Eighteenth Century — Little "Accidents " of Bernhardt and Indiscretions of Patti — " Sudden Johnnie " and Colombier — Lizzie McCall's Crime — Miss Bertha Welby and Miss Cleves — The " Old Gray " and the Skipping Rope Dancer — Husband and Wife and Ballet Girl — Mephistopheles and Venus - - -466-483

Chapter XXXV. John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's Assassin

Shooting of Abraham Lincoln — Booth's Rehearsal at Wallack's — An Old Actor's Opinion of J. W. Booth — His Bichard the IH. a Fine Piece of Actings- Booth and Collier as Bichard and Bichmond 484-491

Chapter XXXVI. The Summer Vacation

How the Stars and Lesser Lights Disport Themselves — Actors at the Seaside — The " Old Gray " Surprises the Actors at the Banquet — Millions Spent upon Theatricals ... - 492-501

Chapter XXXVII. Fun Among The Elks

Who the <fcElks " are — Jughandle's Friend Wants to be an Elk — Getting the Candidate Ready — The High Mucka-Muck — The Peculiar Circle — The Descent — The Path of Progress — The Upward Flight to Glory — Down! Down!! Down!!! — On "Eincycle " — The Merciful Net —An Elk -502-511

CHAPTER XXXVIIL

THE CIRCUS IS HERE.

The Disengaged Canvasman's Poetry — Circus Posters — The Grand Parade — The $25,000 Beauty — Twelve Ponies and Forty Horses on a Rampage — Henry Clay Scott and his Aged Father — Sold his Stove to go to the Circus 512-521

Chapter XXXIX. Under The Canvas

The Small Boy and the Circus — Beating the Show — Slack Wire and Balloon Performances — Donaldson's 111- Fated Trip — Frightful Accident in Mexico — Circus Green-Room and Dressing-Rooms — The Clown — Bareback Riders and Tumblers — Merryman's Admission Fee — The Clown's Baby 522-535

Chapter XL. Acrobatics And Equestrianism

Training Children — Olive Logan on the Circus — Trapeze.

Performers — Tight Rope Feats — Training Riders — The Leading Equestrienne — The Great English Rider, Miss Lily Deacon — The Georgia Lady's Experience — Cow-Boys Raid on the Ring - - 536-552

THE TATTOOED TWINS.

The "Ad." in the Morning Paper — Capt. Costentenus — The Modus Operandi — Henneberry and the " Old Salt " — Singular Story Told by Henry Frumell — Tattooed by South Pacific Savages - 581-589