Postcard from the Past: Show and Dance
by Dick Perue
On Thanksgiving night, a local troupe selected from the best talent in town by the O.E.S. put on a play in one act called “Across the Continent” to a crowded and enthusiastic house.
The stage setting was the interior of an elegantly appointed Pullman palace car, which was traveling from New York to San Francisco, and the play was made up of the incidents which happened enroute.
The amazing ability of this troupe can only be imagined, as we are unable to express in either words or type the wonderful beauty of this show.
The very latest songs and jokes kept the house in a steady uproar until tears ran down the cheeks of many. The costumes of the performers were in accord with the car furnishings, which were all very expensive.
We could not do justice to each and every one of the company, hence we refrain from giving due credit to any particular one at all. It is truly wonderful how this class of talent can play here, at least once each year, without some of the world-famous playwrights hearing of it.
Among this troupe’s stars could be selected for any of the leading operas of the day. In fact, we are informed one of the troupe has been offered a position with a grand opera company. Whether the offer has been accepted, we do not know.
We are at a loss as to why some people are so unappreciative of the talent, like was portrayed the other night. It must be lack of education.
We heard one man say, “That was the rottenest performance I ever attended.”
Another said, “If I ever fall for anything like that again in this town, I hope they hang me the next day.”
A lady said, “I was mortally ashamed of that bunch when I stopped to think part of them were my friends.”
A small boy, who had been told all day long if he wasn’t good he couldn’t go to the show, said during the performance, “Papa, when does the show commence, you know I have been good all day.”
Another party said, “Of all the half-cooked outfits I ever heard of, that bunch took the beans.”
A gentleman said, “The posters stated ‘A Big Laugh for an Hour,’ but the only laugh I had was to myself after it was all over when I thought of what Barnum said, and I smiled when I looked over the crowd as they filed out of their seats and saw plainly by their faces there had been no decrease or race suicide among a certain kind of fish.”
But above all, the mutt who said, “Nobody’s home in that crowd but the clock, and it’s run down.”
Now kind friends, what do you think of people who would make such remarks about a perfectly good home talent show. It shows ill breeding and poor taste.
A dance and supper followed.
Thus reads a front page story in the Dec. 3, 1914 issue of the Saratoga Sun.
