When time for the public performance arrived, the opera house would be filled and even standing room occupied. Those towns with theatre club members took their work seriously, rehearsing parts for weeks and often months. #Granbury opera house professional#Interest in both amateur and professional dramatics was intense. By 1885, nearly every town in West Texas had an opera house, which was decidedly the largest and most imposing structure in the community. 122).Ī little theatre movement swept over the country from 1875-1890. The Northern Standard of September 17, 1842, announced the appearance of the "well-known and unrivalled" ventriloquist E.L. In addition to group entertainment, single entertainers would often tour the countryside and stop at the various towns. The town of Matagorda had an amateur company-known as the Thespian Company of Matagorda-and a distinct little theatre building (29, p. One of the doctors composed a piece, and once every two weeks they met to act (29, p. The young people customarily assembled every Saturday evening to sing, and the idea was suggested that they do some theatre. Smith, who taught school in a log house in Gonzales County in 1840, told how amateur theatricals sometimes came into existence. In addition to the professionals, there were many amateur dramatists as well. In 1898 a grand opera company toured the country, attempting a part of the opera Martha (21, p. At rare intervals a theatrical troupe came through, touring Shakespeare or one of the popular shows of the day. Any kind of mind reader was always a good drawing card, as were the particularly popular elocutionists. Their programs were a type of vaudeville, consisting of humorous sketches, songs, dances, and instrumental specialties. Some carried their own tents others played in the opera houses. Such famous stars as Edwin Booth, Edwin Forrest, Helena Modjeska, Sarah Bernhardt, and Lily Langtry regularly included Texas in their tours. These companies, as well as the rise in amateur performances, created a need for opera houses, many built for touring companies that made one-night stands. In Dallas, the Opera House opened six months after the railroad came to town (20, p. When the railroad made overland travel relatively simple, professional theatre followed close behind. In 1845 Joseph Jefferson, appearing with his parents, became one of the first of many famous actors to find his way to Texas. On June 11, 1838, the new theatre formally opened with a presentation of Sheridan Knowles' celebrated comedy "The Hunchback," followed by the farce "The Dumb Belle." This was the heyday of the traveling stock company, and many different companies made Houston a regular stopping place, for by 1839 it had become the principal theatre center of Texas (29, p. On May 26, the Telegraph and Texas Register announced a company from the states was on its way to Texas to occupy the theatre newly-built by John Carlos. The next year the project was revived and Houstonians eagerly looked forward to the introduction of the drama. However, nothing came of the proposal, and the project was dropped (29, p. Charles Theatre in New Orleans and had had wide experience in the theatres of the United States. Lyons attempted to bring a dramatic company to Houston, Texas. Earlier accounts are documented of theatrical activities among the Mexicans in the war camps of both sides, but organized theatre first appeared in the spring of 1837, when G.L. Texas independence had not long been won when formal theatre began establishing a toehold in the new republic.
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