p. 112

29.
in Front street below Noble in the rear of the
old Noah's Ark tavern. It will be recollected
that Mr. and Mrs. Kenna and daughter joined
the old American Company at the South street
theatre in the spring and summer season of
1790. They were not attached to the troupe in
the winter season of that year and they seem
to have turned their attention to the organiza-
tion of a rival theatrical company at the north
end of t town. On the 6th of April 1791
whilst the "Old American Company" were still
performing in Southwark "The Northern Lib-
erty theatre" was opened by "the new Ameri-
can Company." The inauguration tragedy was
"Clementina or The Constitution Preserved"
and the afterpiece of "The Waterman or Who
Rules the Roast ?" This effort was not very
successful. "The new American Company"
which was substantially the Kenna family could
not make headway against Hallam & Henry and
their efforts seem to have relaxed until the latter
firm closed their theatre when the Northern
Liberty theatre immediately sought to mount
the vacant theatrical throne. On the 25th of
July the Northern Liberty theatre opened with
a pasticcio called "The Broom or A New Way
of Rubbing Off the Rust of Care." The per-
formers in this entertainment were Mrs. Kenna.
Miss Kenna ans Mr. Kenna. The price of ad-
mission to boxes was three-quarters of a dollar
pit half a dollar and gallery two shillings.
Whilst this estabblisment was endeavoring to
please the taste of the town Geo. Esterly had
opened at Harrowgate Garden a sort of summer
retreat which he denominated "a Vauxhall."
Mrs. and Miss Kenna were in the habit of sing-
ing at Harrowgate in the afternoon and acting
at the theatre in the evening. John Durang
was regularly engaged by Esterly as a dancer.
There were concerts given there pantomimes
were performed the Ombres Chinoises were ex-
hibited and other light summer amusements
were offered.

By the 8th of August the Kenna family had
received such accessions that they ventured to
act a play. The piece was "George Barnwell."
The parts of Freeman and George Barnwell were
played by "young gentlemen" their "first ap-
pearance." A Mr. Smith personated the Uncle.
The cast of "Cross Purposes" a farce contained
the names of Mr. Brett and Mrs. Bradshaw. "A
young lady" made her "first appearance" also
in this entertainment. On the 22d Mrs. Kenna
personated Patrick in "The Poor Soldier" and
Miss Hughes made her "first appearance on any
stage." Mr. Kenna enacted the character of
Darby. Becoming a little bolder the company
which now was beginning to boast an amateur
strength essayed a serious tragedy "Isabella
or The Fatal Marriage." Miss Kenna took the
part of Carlos ' Mr. K. Biron ; and Mrs. K. Is-
abella. In "The Poor Soldier" another young
lady made a first appearance as Kathleen. In a
few days the company was strengthened by the
accession of Mrs. and Mr. Ratcliff and on the
8th of September they brought out a new tra-
gedy "The Earl of Warwick" which had never
been performed in America. During the same
month a Mr. Derrick joined the company and
several amateurs appeared also.

In October this company performed the co-
medy of "A New Way to Pay Old Debts or
How to Die an Old Maid" in which a Mr. Har-
low played the character of Clermont. In "Jane
Shore" on the 14th of October the part of
Dumont was performed by "a gentleman from
Drury Lane theatre" and of Belmour by "a
gentleman from the Haymarket theatre." The
names of these modest actors were not given.
The company was further strengthed during
ts month by the accession of Messrs. Freeman
Gray Kenny Valentine and Holman. Pieces of
some pretension were also acted videlicit : "The
Old Maid" "The Beaux Stratagem" "The
Countess of Salisbury" "Three Weeks After
Marriage" etc.

The dramatic season lasted without interrup-
tion until the 25th of November when Done-
gani's company of tumblers wire dancers and
posturers opened at this theatre. They had
given exhibitions in Philadelphia in December
1790 at "the new rooms in Oeller's Hotel Ches-
nut street between Sixth and Seventh and were
therefore well known. The prices were reduced
on the nights when this company performed to
a half dollar for boxes ; pit a quarter dol-
lar ; and gallery "three-sixteenths of a dollar."

On the 25th a new accession was made to the
material of the theatre by the appearance of
a company of French dancers of which Mons.
Du Monlain was the manager. In this troupe
were comprised "the young Florentine" Mons.
Vellroy Mons. La Vallet Mr. Anderson Mr.
Patridge Mons. Leroy and Mr. Clumsy. This
company brought out several ballets among
which were "Floriel and Perdita" "The French
Shoemakers" "Harlequin Barbers" and others.
The three companies performed turn about.
One night the theatre would be given up to
Donegani ; the next the French dancers mo-
nopolized the evening ; and on a third the dra-
matic company did something in the way of the
legitimate drama.

Mr. Kelly made his appearance as an actor in
November taking the part of Sciolto in the
"Fair Penitent." Mr. and Mrs. Rankin also be-
came attached to the company in December.
Miss Hopkins made her first appearance on the
6th of March 1792 and Mr. Kedey on the same
evening. Mrs. Kenney and Miss Kenney also
seem to have been attached to this theatre as
was Mr. Vaughan of the old American company.

In the month of January several Indians vi-
sited the city and appeared as spectators at the
benefit of Mr. Patridge. In February the same
chiefs were induced to make their first appear-
ance and upon "a grand aboriginal night."
They danced "The Terrapin Dance Beaver
Dance Buffalo Dance and Grand War Dance"
to a tremendous house. Mr. Godwin formerly
of the "old American company" made his ap-
pearance on the 1st of April as Jaffier in "ve-
nice Preserved" on which occasion he delivered
an address "in allusion to his not having ap-
peared in this city for twenty years past." The
dramatic company performed regularly during
the month of June. The 2d of July 1792 was
announced as positively the last night the
pieces being "The Miser" and "The Sorcerer's

Apprentice." The near approach of the "old
American company who were about to open
the Southwark theatre made this action ne-
cessary.

For some reason which we can only surmise
the Northern Liberty theatre was opened on the
11th of July for the special benefit of Mrs. Kenna.
She seems to have met with some misfortune the
nature of which we cannot image. The mem-
bers of the old American company volunteered
to aid "in extracting her from a truly embar-
rassing situation." It is likely that there was
better acting at the Northern Liberty theatre
that evening than there had ever been before.
The play was "Venice Preserved ;" Belvidera
Mrs. Kenna ; Mr. Harper Mr. Wools Mr. Robin-
son Mr. Kedey Mons. Placide Mons. Martin
Mrs. Rankin and others seem to have volun-
teered. The ballet of "An Old Schoolmaster
Grown Young" and the afterpiece of "Thomas
and Sally" were performed.

The secession of Wignell from "the old Ame-
rican company" put an end to the sharing sys-
tem and introduced the salary system in com-
plete vigor. A few observations on the subject
of "salaries" will not be out of place.

To permanently maintain a good theatrical
establishment the salaries should not be too
high or too low so that the management may
sustain its influence leaving to enterprise a
bonus to meet emergencies or to produce
novelty. The actor's remuneration should be as
liberal as possible in ratio to his abilities that
he may be enabled to do justice to his duties by
appropriate costume on the stage and to appear
with gentlemanly neatness in private ; and in the
exercise of prudence be allowed the power of
saving a modieum out of his earnings which
would impart to him in after life all the blessings
of a theatrical fund. When will mankind be-
come their own treasurer ? Echo answers--
never !

In the Chesnut street theatre at the period
when great ability resided in every department
when the persons who delivered the messages
in the plays were required to know their busi-
ness and when even the footmen and high co-
medy servants were dressed in small clothes
silk stockings paste shoe buckles and sported
powdered heads--when all was etiquette order
observance of the most exact formula. At this
haleyon period of Philadelphia theatricals
the highest salary was seldom more than six
guieas or $30 per week ; generally $28 was
paid to the leading tragedian and comedian
separately or combined as the case mighr be--
so the rate went down in just proportions to
$25, $20, $18, $15, $12, and $10 ; seldom below
the last named sum unless it was a considera-
tion to the children of the actors or the novice.
These sums were allowes performers of legiti-
mate value. Here the reader may perceive a
just evenness on the salary scale. Mrs. Oldmix-
on we believe received $37 per week. There
were some few exceptions but they were rare.
Behold the striking contrast at the present day.
Two or three leading actors are engaged at enor-
mous salaries while those who form the entire
company must be content with $8, $7 or less.