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Minstrelsy in Washington, DC

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Minstrelsy in Washington, DC INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a rour.d black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning” the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again-beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University Mfcrcxilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of theof thecopyright copyright owner. owner. Further Further reproduction reproduction prohibited prohibitedwithout permission. without permission. Order Number 1331007 Minstrelsy in Washington, D.C.: The first decade Shifrin, Charlotte Janice, M.A. The American University, 1987 Copyright ©1987 by Shifrin, Charlotte Janice. All rights reserved. U MI 300 N. Zeeb R& Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of theof thecopyright copyright owner. owner. Further Further reproduction reproduction prohibited prohibitedwithout permission. without permission. PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages_____ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print______ 3. Photographs with dark background 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy_____ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page______ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages \/ 8. Print exceeds margin requirements_____ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print______ 11. Page(s)__________ lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)__________ seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages______ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received_________ 16. Other___________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of theof thecopyright copyright owner. owner. Further Further reproduction reproduction prohibited prohibitedwithout permission. without permission. MINSTRELSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: THE FIRST DECADE by Charlotte Janice Shifrin submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Music , Chairman: /L '^2, # viZ. f Dean of the College /?2 7 Date 1985 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 1^1)0 BHE AHEBICHf UHiVEBSm LIBSAJf? Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT BY CHARLOTTE JANICE SHIFRIN 1987 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. MINSTRELSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: THE FIRST DECADE BY Charlotte Janice Shifrin ABSTRACT This study is a chronological history of the minstrel shows which came to Washington, D.C. from the first show on 19 October 1843 until 31 December 1853. The author documents minstrel activity using 3,120 issues of the Daily National Intelligencer and other newspapers and sources of the period. Discussed are: which troupes came to Washington, how they were received by the audiences, their performance practice, the theatres used by the troupes, and a discussion of the performers. Included also are facsimiles of advertisements from the Intelligencer. The author concludes that the first decade of minstrelsy in Washington demonstrates minstrelsy's importance as public entertainment and that this type of entertainment had a lasting influence on theatre arts of the future. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis was written under difficult circum­ stances. It could not have been accomplished without the help of my loving husband, who never tired of doing errands, acting as chauffeur, and giving encouragement. My thanks go to each of the members of my thesis committee. Special thanks go to my thesis director, Jim Heintze, who was kind, patient, very informative, and generous with his time. My gratitude also to Alan Mandel, who was kind, supportive, and encouraging. I would also like to thank the following librarians at the Bender Library of American University, who helped me find essential material: Mary Mintz and Shirley Rosenstock. My appreciation also goes to Mary Theobald in the Graduate Office of American University for her helpful suggestions. Thanks also to Jack D. Brewer at the Columbia Historical Society for his help in finding photographs of nineteenth century theaters. Last but not least, my appreciation goes to my Irish setter, Scarlett, who sat by my side keeping me company through many hours of writing, and to my cat, Priny, whose playful antics taught me to number my pages. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES .................................... v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .................................. 1 II. A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE HISTORY AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF MINSTRELSY ........................ 5 III. MINSTRELSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: THE FIRST DECADE ........................................ 20 IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION........................... 114 Appendix A. FACSIMILE OF THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE FIRST MINSTREL SHOW TO APPEAR IN WASHINGTON, D.C. 139 B. TWO FACSIMILES OF ADVERTISEMENTS FOR MINSTREL SHOWS ON 27 FEBRUARY 1845 AND ON 11 DECEMBER 1849 .......................................... 141 C. FACSIMILE OF THE NATIONAL THEATER AS IT APPEARED ABOUT 1868 143 D. FACSIMILE OF THE ODD FELLOWS' BUILDING AS IT APPEARED ABOUT 1 8 8 0 ........................ 145 E. FACSIMILE OF CARUSI'S SALOON AS IT APPEARED ABOUT 1880 .................................... 147 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................ 149 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES 1. Number of Troupes Performing per Y e a r .......... 118 2. Times Performed between 1843 and 1853 .......... 132 3. Number of Minstrel Troupe Performances at Washington, D.C. Theaters, 1843— 1853 135 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This thesis will examine the first ten years of minstrelsy (1843-1853) as performed in the city of Washing­ ton, D.C. I chose this time period because the early years of minstrelsy are the least known, the most unrestrained, and, therefore, the most interesting. Early minstrelsy is also of interest because the shows attempted some depiction of vernacular culture, both black and white. In its beginning stages, the shows were primitive, unpretentious, and, sometimes, cruel. But it was only at this time that any attempt was made to emulate black culture, dancing, and song.l An example of this is the early performer, "Daddy" Rice, who did imitate black culture, although it was by caricature. In addition, minstrel shows of the 1840s portrayed diverse black common people: hunters, fishermen, young lovers, black frontiers­ men, boatsmen, husbands, and w i v e s .2 ^■Martin W. Laforce and James A. Drake, Popular Culture
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