MRS. DOUGLASS'S BENEFIT BILL.

47

taken as a particular favour if no gentleman will be offended that he is absolutely refused admittance at the stage-door, unless he has previously secured himself a place in either the stage or upper boxes." This is a picture of the state of things behind the scenes, which it is now scarcely possible to conceive. We know from the history of the English stage that such was the practice in London for many years*. On benefit nights, the stage would be nearly filled, the auditory seated so as to allow a small portion of the boards for the actors. The practice was abolished long before our first knowledge of theatres.

We cannot resist the temptation of inserting the benefit bill of the first actress in the country, and wife to the manager. Besides other customs of the time, the last paragraph shows the existence in Feb. 1762, the date of the bill, of a custom probably common in England at the time.

For the benefit of Mrs. Douglass, the tragical history of KING RICHARD THE THIRD, containing the distress and death of King Henry the Sixth in the Tower; the usurpation of the crown by Richard; the inhuman murder of the young King Edward the Fifth, and his brother the Duke of York; the fall of the Duke of Buckingham; the landing of the Earl of Richmond (afterwards Henry the Seventh) at Milford; the battle of Bosworth Field, and death of Richard, which put an end to the contention between the houses of York and Lancaster; with other historical passages. many

* In 1721, a riot was occasioned at Rich's theatre, by the insolence of the people of quality behind the curtain, which ended in a fight between the nobles and the players, and the final capture of the men of condition, and triumph of the actors.

King Henry, by Mr. Allyn; King Edward the Fifth, by Master A. Hallam; Duke of York, by a young Master for his diversion; Duke of Buckingham, by Mr. Tomlinson; Lord Stanly, by Mr. Morris; Lieutenant of the Tower, by Mr. Sturt; Catesby, by Mr. Reed; Tressel, by Mr. Hallam; Dutchess of York, by Mrs. Crane; Lady Anne, by Mrs. Morris, and Queen Elizabeth, by Mrs. Douglass.

To which will be added, a dramatic satire called LETHE, with the additional character of Lord Chalkstone. Lord Chalkstone, by Mr. Allyn; Æsop, by Mr. Douglass; Fine Gentleman, Mr. Hallam; Mercury, Mr. Sturt; Frenchman, Mr. Allyn; Charon, Mr. Tomlinson; Old Man, Mr. Morris; Mr. Tattoo, Mr. Reed; Bowman, Mr. Tomlinson; Drunken Man, Mr. Hallam; Mrs.Riot, by Mrs. Douglass.

Tickets to be had of Mr. Gaine, printer, at the sign of the Bible and Crown, in Hanover Square, and of Mrs. Douglass, at her lodgings near the theatre, where places in the boxes may be taken. Box 8s., pit 5s., gallery 3s.

The ceremony of waiting on ladies and gentlemen at their houses with bills has been for some time left off in this company; the frequent solicitations on these occasions having been found rather an inconvenience to the person so waited on, than a compliment.

It is not only on the state of theatrical manners and customs that these notices from bills and advertisements throw light; we gain a peep at our long-buried ancestors of the colonies, which, aided by an active imagination, conjures up scenes of real life that otherwise would have slept in oblivion. We see the beaux of 1761, with their powdered wigs, long stiff-skirted coats and waistcoats, with flaps reaching nearly to the knees of their inexpressibles, their silk stockings, short-quartered shoes, and silver or paste buckles, crowding and ogling the actresses on the stage, having secured the box ticket for the purpose of gaining admis

BEEKMAN STREET THEATRE PULLED DOWN. 49

sion behind the scenes; the ladies in the boxes looking now on the actor, and now on a friend or brother by his side. And we see the actor or actress going from house to house, presenting benefit bills, and soliciting patronage-"rather an inconvenience to the person so waited upon."

The company finished their labours in NewYork on the 26th of April, 1762, with a play for the benefit of the Charity School, and "a handsome sum was raised and delivered by Mr. Douglass to the churchwardens."

From this time until 1767 we have no documents of any special value relative to the state of the company, or the feelings of the people towards them. They went their rounds on the continent, and in the English West Indies.

The "troubles," however, which agitated the colonies, in consequence of the stamp-act, occasioned the destruction of the third New-York theatre. The arts can only be cherished in seasons of peace and prosperity. During the civil wars in England, the theatres were shut, and the players entered the king's army, in opposition to the republic. The republicans of New-York, in 1764, whether remembering the predilection of the actors for monarchy, or from other causes, determined to overthrow the play-house in Beekman Street, and a gentleman lately residing on Long Island, then a boy, told us that he was engaged in the work of destruction. He said that a number of persons assembled in a yard, or open space, opposite to

VOL. I.

E

the theatre, in the evening, and set on the boys to commence the work, which, once begun, found hands enough to aid in it. Thus it appears that the first cloud portending civil war discharged its thunders on the temple of the Muses: the cloud passed off, and left the political horizon in a state of flattering calm and brightness-flattering because deceitful.

During this calm, Thomas Godfrey, of Philadelphia, the son of the inventor of the quadrant, in 1765, published a play called The Prince of Parthia, a tragedy, founded on, but deviating from history; whether intended for the stage, or only for the closet, is unknown. That it was not performed by the players is certain. This is the first American drama on record.

In 1767 we find further records of the dramatic Muse, which require a new chapter.

CHAPTER III.

Theatre in John Street, New-York-John Henry - Theatre in Albany-New-York Hospital-Doctor Cooper - First Theatre in Charleston. -The four Misses Storer-Miss Cheer - Congress recommends the closing of Theatres, or rather resolves to discourage extravagance and dissipation, and names Theatres as among the sources -The resolution communicated by Peyton Randolph-Wignell arrives- Antiquities.

In the summer of 1767, the theatre in John Street, New-York, was built very much upon the plan of that in the Southern liberties at Philadelphia, already mentioned. It was principally of wood ; an unsightly object, painted red. The situation of this house was on the north side of the street, nearly opposite to the present Arcade (1832). It was about 60 feet back from the street, having a covered way of rough wooden material from the pavement to the doors. There is reason to believe that at this time the dressing-rooms and greenroom were under the stage, for, after the revolution, Hallam and Henry added on the west side of the building a range of rooms for dressing, and a commodious room for assembling previous to being called to go on. Two rows of boxes, with a pit and gallery, could accommodate all the play-going people of that time, and yield to the sharers eight hundred dollars when full, at the usual prices.