The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in Utah — John Shaqi
The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in UtahLindsay, John S. (John Shanks)
Religion
The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in Utah
Lindsay, John S. (John Shanks)
Latter Day Saints; Theater -- Utah -- History
Mrs. Hayne's last appearance at the Salt Lake Theatre was an event
marked with quite as much if not more of interest than her first
appearance. She had become endeared to the Salt Lake public, and they
regarded her approaching departure with genuine regret. At her last
performance, June 30th, 1866, she appeared as "Camille," the same
character in which she opened her engagement, and was the recipient on
this occasion of many tokens of kindness and appreciation. Being
called enthusiastically to the front of the curtain after the
performance, she bade a loving farewell to Salt Lake and its people in
one of the most delicately and tastefully worded speeches ever made in
front of a theatre drop. During her long engagement, lasting from
August 11th, '65, to June 30th, '66, she played all the great classic
female roles that were then popular, a number of comedies, and even
took a dip into extravaganza or burlesque, appearing during the
holiday season in the character of Alladin in "The Wonderful Lamp,"
which ran for eleven consecutive performances. Her best remembered
characters are "Camille," "Lady Macbeth," "Leah," "Parthenia," "Julia"
(in the "Hunchback"), "Lucretia Borgia," "Medea," "Marco," "Lady
Teazle," "Peg Woffington," and "Pauline" in the "Lady of Lyons." In
her ten months' engagement, she played a great many plays besides
those mentioned, each play being presented twice or three times,
according to its popularity.
Among others, an Indian play, entitled "Osceola," written by E. L.
Sloan, then editor of the Salt Lake Herald, in which Mr. George
Waldron played the title role and Mrs. Hayne the chief's daughter. The
piece had a fair success, but has never been heard of since. Mr. Sloan
wrote another play a year or two later, about the time of the
completion of the overland railroad, which he called "Stage and
Steam." This was a melodrama with a stage coach and railway train in
it, intended to illustrate the march of civilization. It had two
presentations, and was never acted again that we are aware of. It was
during Mrs. Hayne's engagement also that Mr. Edward W. Tullidge made
his first essay as a dramatic author--Mrs. Hayne and Mr. Waldron had
exhausted the list of available plays and new plays were in demand.
Tullidge's play was entitled "Eleanor de Vere," or "The Queen's
Secret," an episode of the Elizabethan Court--in which Queen Elizabeth
was a secondary character. Tullidge had written his play with various
members of the company in his eye, and succeeded in fitting them very
well. This play made a very favorable impression and was repeated
several times to large and appreciative audiences. Mrs. Hayne's
character, "Eleanor de Vere," was one of the Queen's waiting women, in
love with "Rochester," and afforded the actress very good scope for
her great talent, but the character of Queen Elizabeth, although a
secondary part in the play, made such a favorable impression on Mrs.
Hayne that she asked Mr.
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