p. 328

99.
McKenzie and Beaumont were the acting and
stage directors. In passing through that city
to Richmond with old Mr. Placide I saw seve-
ral of their performances.

The company then consisted of Beamont
McKenzie Webster Andrew Allen Mestayer
Thornton Wilmot Roberts Jacobs Smally
James Fennell the tragedian who occasionally
essayed a character with most obivious memoory;
Mesdames Wilmot Bray (late Miss Miffin of
the Chesnut) Mestayer Thornton Allport &c.
After that organization McKenzie Mrs. Wilmot
and Mrs. Bray came to Philadelphia and acted
in the Chesnut street compaany until near the
time of the opening of the Olympic.

At Baltimore the equestrians performed on
the same nights as the dramatic company. This
was a preliminary arrangement which suggest-
ed the opening of the Philadelphia Olympic
which was not completed for their reception.

Mr. William Strickland then a young archi-
tect a pupil of the celebrated Latrobe arranged
the stage of the Olympic and painted the first
drop scene at that house. It was an architec-
tural subject. His father William Strickland
assisted in the work of the new stage depart-
ment.

At this time a few of the leading performers of
the Chesnut street company had become in
theatrical parlance "discontented papers" i.e.
they were dissatisfied with their situations.
They finally withdrew and formed a coalition
with Pepin and Breschard. The seceders were
Mr. McKenzie Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot and a few
others.

Mr. Dwyer the celebrated genteel comedian
and star who made his first appearance in Phi-
ladelphia at the Chesnut street theatre as Bel-
cour in 1810 entered into this new management
with Mr. McKenzie. The two were directors of
the stage department--in short managers de
facto with Pepin and Breschard. But neither of
those gentlemen were imbued with the requi-
site business habits and managerial tact to
efficiently control the various vicissitudes daily
occurring behind the curtain. Nor could they
firmly contend with the popular breezes which
blow fitfully from every point of the compass.
Dwyer was impulsive to a fault ; McKenzie had
experience and good sense but he was phleg-
matically prejudiced.

We herewith furnish the bill of the first night's
performance of this double corps dramatic and
equestrian which threatened to annihilate Old
Drury at once. It however deeply affected the
interests of the Chesnut street theatre. The
difficulties between the managers of that house
and some of the leading members of the com-
pany relative to business and benefits we
think were the causes of the seccession of the
Wilmots and McKenzie ; and there was some
strong feeling amongst others and similar com-
plaints.

These controversies led to many warm dis-
cussions with the play-going public pro and con
as the parties were very general favorites and
as a consequence commanded powerful parti-
zanship both in private and public. The Olympic
game proved successful in the early part of the
campaign. In the sequel the imperfect organi-

zation of the troupe and its heterogeneous
material of English Scotch and Irish histrious
in combination with French and Spanish eques-
trians made this celebrated phalanx vulnerable
to defeat in less than one season. Dwyer and
McKenzie did not agree at all. The latter sub-
sequently retirned to Warren and Wood and
Mr. Beaumont came into the management in
conjunction with Dwyer and Pepin. This man-
agerial dynasty continued its fitful course until
its very sudden dissolution soon after ; and re-
solving itself in "a commonwealth" under the
auspices of the comedian Twaits soon fell into
ruins--a fall similar to that which had pre-
viously befallen the South street theatre "com-
monwealth" under the same generalship.

The commonwealth system of governing
theatres was founded in its supposed justice and
equal protection to actors but we believe in
every instance wherein it has been trie it has
failed. The ambitious nature of theatrical
aspirations proves in practice antagonistic to
the rules of orde and necessary discipline.
The theatrical commonwealth to which we
herein allude was in part the effect of necessity
and chance. The advent of the war of 1812
had destroyed our flourishing commerce. The
distress was suddenly felt at the south where
Placide and Twaits company had been long
employed successfully. They first located them-
selves in New York and afterwards in Philadel-
phia at the old South street theatre to which
we will hereafter refer. This system was sug-
gested and was long a hobby with Mr. Twaits
who had some personal pique against the old
managements of the Park and Chesnut street
theatres. But his health which was rapidly
declining denied to his indomitable energies
the gratification of consummating his views
and he died shortly after at New York. The
idea of the commonwealth principle was
grounded in justice and appeared of a feasible
nature. Each performer was rated agreeably
to position or salary. This of course was
graded by talent. All surplus moneys (if any)
after all expenses were paid including their
own respective stated salaries were divided in
the ratio of such incomes. In small summer
schemes this system may be carried out but in
all metropolitan houses it has been found to be
illusory. The following was the opening an-
nouncement of the new establishment :

OLYMPIC THEATRE.
The public is respectfully informed that the Olympic
Theatre (late Circus) is now finished in a style of elegance
never equalled in this country.
FIRST NIGHT.
January 1st, 1812.
The performances to commence with a grand display of
Horsemanship viz : The Grand Mameeluke Manoeuvres
barging in sections columns etc. in full gallop.
After which
Sheridan's Comedy of the
RIVALS
Or a Trip to Bath.
Sir Anthony Absolute (from the New York
theatres)-----------------------------------------------Mr. Tyler
Captain Absolute------------------------------------Mr. Dwyer
Faulkland-----------------------------------------------Mr. McKenzie
Bob Acres (from the Covent Garden theatre
and Southern theatres first appear-
ance)----------------------------------------------------------Mr. Smalley
Mr. Lucius O'Trigger--------------------------------------Mr. Webster
Tag (from the Charleston theatre)------------------------Mr. Foster
David----------------------------------------------------------------Wilmot
Coachman--------------------------------------------------------Mr. Wilkie
Mrs. Malaprop---------------------------------------------------Mrs. Melmoth
Julai (her first appearance in this city----------------------Miss Brobston
Lydia Lanquish----------------------------------------------------Mrs. Wilmot
Lucy---------------------------------------------------------------------Mrs. Bray
Maid---------------------------------------------------------------------Mrs. Thornton

After the Comedy Horsemanship.
LA CONTI crown to the Ring.

Feats on the single horse two horses and three horses
by Master Felix Mr. Diego Messieurs Pepin and Bres-
chard. Mr. Bell the Irish Equestrian will go through
his splendid act of hosemanship standing on his head
on a quart bottle and conclude with throwing a somerset
from his steed.

The entertainments to conclude with the musical farce
of the
POOR SOLIDER.

Father Luke Wilmot ; Patrick Webster ; Dermot Ja-
cobs ; Darby Smallwy : Captain Fitzroy Tyler (with the
song of the "Twins of Latona ;") Bagatelle Mestayer ;
Boy Master Howslow ; Norah Mrs. Bray formerly Miss
Mullin ; Kathleen Mrs. Wilmot.

The receipts on this night were $1400.

The above cast (with the exception of two or
three) was not good.

Mr. Tyler who was long a most respected
member of the old Park company and a favor-
ite with the New York audience was not au
fait in Sir Anthony. Indeed it was out of his
line altogether although he might have "looked
it to the life." In such parts as Lieutenant
Worthington and the various roles of the serious
fathers he was excellent--his gentlemanly as-
pect being very impressive. He had been a
good tenor singer and he sustained parts in
the old English musical pieces with great cre-
dit. He was also on all national days a very
fine representative of the "Father of his Coun-
try." He was once charged with the manage-
ment of the Park theatre when it fell into pe-
cuniary difficulties. It was then placed on the
commonwealth system but it only lasted a
season. Mr. McKenzie a most sterling actor
of whom we have spoken elsewhere was cer-
tainly out of his true element in Faulkland.
Mr. Webster a fine nay a superior vocalist
and an Irishman to boot was not a legitimate
representative of the polished and impulsive
Sir Lucius O'Trigger who is the ideal of Hiber-
nian high-toned wit and chivalry.

Mr. Samuel Foster as Tag did not appear at
all. On the night in question he was non est
inventus. He was guilty of Punic faith. Mrs.
Melmoth the lady the scholar and once the
able tragic actress (but now growing passe)
acted her part extremely well. Lydia Lan-
quish by Mrs. Wilmot it is unnecessary to say
one word about. She never had her peer in
this country. She was now however fdeeeee
clining into oblivion. The fault was her own.
Miss Jane Brobston was a native of Philadel-
phia and about one of the first female natives
who embraced the profession of the stage not
being originally conneced ith it through pa-
rental descent or fmily ties. Miss Brobston
was a pupil of Mr. Fennell and was first intro-
duced to the public in his recitations at the old
Masonic Hall which were then fashionably at-
tended by the literati.

Miss B. made her first appearance on any
stage at the Alexandria theatre in the charac-
ter of Juliet to Cone's Romeo when the Phila-
delphia corps were playing there in the summer
of 1810. The performances were always in the
District of Columbia a sharing scheme be-
ing generally under the judicious control of
William Warren. The debut of Miss Brobston
promised well. From what cause this lady em-
braced the stage for a livelihood we know not
except it was from the impulse of romance that
often tints the poetical mind. She was a tall and