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Show THE DRAMA. ; The item in the Deseret News record- ing the fact that the Salt Lake Dra- matlc association had run out the term of its incorporation. twei1ty-five years, gavp rise to many interesting reminis-censes. reminis-censes. When the association was incorporated. in-corporated. Oct. 27, 1879. to take over the old theatre property, theatricals in Salt Lake were at father a low ebb. From the commercial standpoint, says the News, the Iheatre.had been unprofitable un-profitable for some time, and it was doubtless in the hope that it might be made to realize something on the investment in-vestment that a number of strong business busi-ness men formed- the' incorporation. They werp President John Taylor iwho had recently succeeded President Brig-ham Brig-ham Young). John Sharp.. William Jennings, Jen-nings, William IT. Hooper. Feramorz Little, John T. Caine. Hyrum B. Claw-son Claw-son 'and David MeKenzie. The first board Of directors was elected Oct. 31, 1879, and consisted of John Taylori John Sharp, Joseph F. Smith. John T. Caine and IT. B. f lawson. John T. Caine was elected president of the association. H. B. Clawson. vice president: David Mc-Kenzie. Mc-Kenzie. secretary, aiid James Jack, treasurer. The theatre was leased the first year to Frederick W. Burt of San Francisco, but interest in local theatricals had fallen fal-len to so low an ebb that Mrs. A. A. j Adams, mother of Maude, who came j back that year to re-visit the scene of her former triumphs." found it impossible impos-sible to secure enough professional assistance as-sistance to 'produce the play of "The Two Orphans" and so organized an amateur company for the purpose. It was this performance, given in 1879. which introduced H. M. Wells, John D. Spencer. O. F. Whitney. L. A. Cum-nVmgs Cum-nVmgs and Lottie, Claridge to the stage, and in the following year (1880) resulted result-ed in the formation of the Home Dramatic Dra-matic club. Visiting attractions in 1879 werp few and far between. The 1 heater was hardly hard-ly open at all during September and October, .1879, the only events having been Haverley's minstrels and an engagement en-gagement played by James A. Heme, whao 'presented "Rip Van Winkle," and "The Shaughraun." A member of his company, by the" way-, at that time, was David Belasco, then a youth to fortune and to fame unknown, and now the famous proprietor of Mrs. Leslie Carter and Blanche Bates.' Since 1879 the Salt Lake Dramatic: association has witnessed many changes in officers and managers. Clawson, Caine and McKen-xie McKen-xie were its managers during the early 80s. and were succeeded by C. S. Burton, Bur-ton, who was in turn succeeded by. George D. Pyper, the present manager. Th association-has now entered upon its second term, the articles having been amended on Thursday last, so that the life of the company is continued con-tinued fifty years. The old historic theatre, the-atre, which forms the principal asset of the company, was opened in March, 1862, and is thus over forty-two years of age. |