Title
I Remember Old Tuscaloosa, June 3, 1971
Subject
History--Tuscaloosa (AL)
Maxwell, Fred (Frederick Richard Jr.), 1889-1988
Summer theater
Description
Fred Maxwell wrote "I Remember Old Tuscaloosa" for a weekly newspaper in Tuscaloosa called The Graphic from December, 1970 through December 1971. The Graphic was founded, owned and published by Maxwell's daughter Camille Elebash and her husband Karl Elebash beginning in 1957. It was sold to The Tuscaloosa News in 1976 and ceased publication sometime later.
To see the complete article enlarged click on the image.
To see the complete article enlarged click on the image.
Creator
Fred Maxwell
Source
Camille Elebash
Publisher
The Graphic
Date
June 3, 1971
Contributor
Brenda Harris (Description)
Tuscaloosa Public Library
Type
Document
Identifier
1694
Coverage
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Text
We called them “tent shows” but the proper name for them was “Summer Stock Shows.”
These shows usually came to Tuscaloosa in the Summertime, erected their own tent and usually stayed one week. Some of the casts gave one play for three days and then another for the next three days whiles some companies had a repertoire that permitted a new show each night for the week.
The tents were totally enclosed so that the Summer heat was intense. Veteran audiences always brought a palmetto fan along to help alleviate the situation.
These shows were seldom classed as drama or melodrama but were more frequently called “tearjerkers” as some of the titles indicate.
“Ten Nights in a Barroom” well lent itself to pathos and sympathy. When the little girl entered the saloon about the seventh night and cried “Father, dear father come home with me now” and father asked for one more drink the entire audience was ready to throw the bum out. By this time the palmetto fans were working overtime.
In these shows it did not take a connoisseur to recognize the hero, heroine, villain or the stern parent. “East Lynn” was considered a masterpiece and I believe was given far more often than any other show. It contains all the pathos, sympathy, anger and resentment that an audience could take. When the stern father threw his wayward daughter and her fatherless child out the front door into the snow and told her never to return again some palmetto fans stopped stone still while others were working overtime. More than half of the audience had tears in their eyes. Everybody felt sorry for the poor girl.
I do not remember when these “tent shows” ceased coming to Tuscaloosa. I do read in some magazines today that “summer stock” shows are very popular. Usually an old barn is used as an opera house for the entire summer season. The actors, for the most part, do the converting of the barn and make the scenery and costumes themselves.
I feel that if a “summer stock” show came to Tuscaloosa today that I would be compelled to go regardless of the billing.
These shows usually came to Tuscaloosa in the Summertime, erected their own tent and usually stayed one week. Some of the casts gave one play for three days and then another for the next three days whiles some companies had a repertoire that permitted a new show each night for the week.
The tents were totally enclosed so that the Summer heat was intense. Veteran audiences always brought a palmetto fan along to help alleviate the situation.
These shows were seldom classed as drama or melodrama but were more frequently called “tearjerkers” as some of the titles indicate.
“Ten Nights in a Barroom” well lent itself to pathos and sympathy. When the little girl entered the saloon about the seventh night and cried “Father, dear father come home with me now” and father asked for one more drink the entire audience was ready to throw the bum out. By this time the palmetto fans were working overtime.
In these shows it did not take a connoisseur to recognize the hero, heroine, villain or the stern parent. “East Lynn” was considered a masterpiece and I believe was given far more often than any other show. It contains all the pathos, sympathy, anger and resentment that an audience could take. When the stern father threw his wayward daughter and her fatherless child out the front door into the snow and told her never to return again some palmetto fans stopped stone still while others were working overtime. More than half of the audience had tears in their eyes. Everybody felt sorry for the poor girl.
I do not remember when these “tent shows” ceased coming to Tuscaloosa. I do read in some magazines today that “summer stock” shows are very popular. Usually an old barn is used as an opera house for the entire summer season. The actors, for the most part, do the converting of the barn and make the scenery and costumes themselves.
I feel that if a “summer stock” show came to Tuscaloosa today that I would be compelled to go regardless of the billing.
Original Format
Newspaper