The Mormons and the Theatre or The History of Theatricals in Utah

ting Praye

al appearance closed t

nting the opening one

e end of April, about

the Pauncefort season

yne season of

employ by others. Mr. David McKenzie, the leading man of the company, held a clerkship in President Young's or the Church office; "Joe" Simmons, our juvenile man, and Horace Whitney, the "old man" in the company, also held clerkships in the same office; Mr. W. C. Dunbar, the Irish comedian, was a clerk in the "tithing office," so their time went on whether they were working in the "Church offices" or at the theatre; of course all their night work at the theatre was extra work, but the day time they put in at the theatre they were not docked for at the office; but with the other leading members of the company it was quite different; the hours they spent at the theatre in the day time was a positive loss to them. Phil Margetts was a blacksmith, Lindsay and Hardie were carpenters, Evans and Kelly were printers, and so on. So that several hours each day spent in rehearsal meant a heavy tax when at the end of each week they were docked for time lost, so there was a committee appointed to wait upon the managers, Clawson and Caine, and present the situation. The managers being only employees of Brigham Young and not proprietors or lessees, passed the company's grievance up to their chief. The managers saw plainly that a crisis had come, and a new departure must be made. "The President," accustomed to having things his own way, and with confidence in his influence, thought he could effect a compromise, or adjust the matter without much trouble or cost, so in pursuance of this idea a notice was posted for all the company and orchestra to assemble in the Green Room of the theatre on a certain evening to consider the question of salary. There was no tardiness on that occasion, even "Jim" Hardie, notorious for being tardy, was on time. Every employee of the theatre was there from the managers to the night-watchman. The orchestra was in full force, and the ladies of the company, even to the smallest utility, were there, all inspired with the hope of being put upon the theatre salary list. The Green Room was found to be too small to accommodate all the company, so the meeting was shifted to the stage, which afforded the necessary room. President Young called the meeting to order, and requested the company to join him in prayer. It is customary in the Mormon Church to open all meetings with prayer, even political ones where those present are all of the household of faith. Brigham offered up a fervent prayer, asking the blessing of the Almighty upon that meeting, and each and every one present, that they might all see with an eye single to the glory of God, and the building up of his Kingdom here on the earth. The prayer over, the President arose and in a brief but very adroit speech, told the object he had in view in building the theatre, the recreation and amusement of the people, thanked those who had contributed to that end, whether as actors or musicians, told them that they were missionaries as much as if they were called to go out into the world and preach the gospel, and the Lord would bless their efforts jus

e clerk has told me the flour was all out." Evans's unique relation of the flour sack incident injected a spark of humor into the proceedi

"benefits" were divided up among the company each member got about one-third of his "divvy" in cash and the other two-thirds in store orders and orders on the tithing office. Evans was the possessor of an order on Brigham Young's private store, and he felt chagrined that he had been so often with that order and failed to draw it. Flour was flour in those days, running as high at one time as twenty dollars per hundred, but the uniform church or tithing office price was six dollars per hundred, which was what the actor

is own) and then he need not lose any time; his pay would go on whether working in the shop or in the theatre. Brother Lindsay could bring his carpenter tools to the theatre and he could find plenty of work for him to fill up the time between the rehearsals. To others he made similar propositions; but these suggestions were not in harmony with the feelings of the company, who thought they had