Produced by the Mormon Texts Project,
http://bencrowder.net/books/mtp. Volunteers: Eric Heaps
with a little help from Benjamin Bytheway and Ben Crowder.
_The_ Mormons _and the_ Theatre
OR
_The History of Theatricals in Utah_
With Reminiscences and Comments
Humorous and Critical
_By_ JOHN S. LINDSAY
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
1905
CHAPTER I.
In rather sharp contrast to other Christian denominations, the Mormons
believe in and are fond of dancing and the theatre. So much is this
the case that Friday evening of each week during the amusement season
is set apart by them in all the settlements throughout Mormondom for
their dance night. Their dances are generally under the supervision of
the presiding bishop and are invariably opened with prayer or
invocation, and closed or dismissed in the same manner, with a brief
return of thanks to the Almighty for the good time they have enjoyed.
The theatre is so popular among the Mormon people, that in almost
every town and settlement throughout their domains there is an amateur
dramatic company.
It is scarcely to be wondered at that Salt Lake has the enviable
distinction of being the best show town of its population in the
United States, and when we say that, we may as well say in the whole
world. It is a well established fact that Salt Lake spends more money
per capita in the theatre than any city in our country.
Such a social condition among a strictly religious people is not
little peculiar, and is due, largely, to the fact that Brigham Young
was himself fond of the dance and also of the theatre. He could "shake
a leg" with the best of them, and loved to lead the fair matrons and
maidens of his flock forth into its giddy, bewildering mazes. Certain
round dances, the waltz and polka, were always barred at dances
Brigham Young attended, and only the old-fashioned quadrilles and
cotillions and an occasional reel like Sir Roger de Coverly or the
Money Musk were tolerated by the great Mormon leader.
That Brigham Young was fond of the theatre also, and gave great
encouragement to it, his building of the Salt Lake Theatre was a
striking proof. He recognized the natural desire for innocent
amusement, and the old axiom "All work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy," had its full weight of meaning to him. Keep the people in a
pleasurable mood, then they will not be apt to brood and ponder over
the weightier concerns of life.
There may have been a stroke of this policy in Brigham Young's
amusement scheme; but whether so or not he must be credited with both
wisdom and liberality, for the policy certainly lightened the cares
and made glad the hearts of the people.
Although Salt Lake City has been the chief nursery of these twin
sources of amusement for the Mormon people, to find the cradle in
which they were first nursed into life, we will have to go back to a
time and place anterior to the settlement of Salt Lake. Back in the
days of Nauvoo, before Brigham Young was chief of the Mormon church,
under the rule of its original prophet, Joseph Smith, the Mormon
people were encouraged in the practice of dancing and going to witness
plays. Indeed, the Mormons have always been a fun-loving people; it is
recorded of their founder and prophet that he was so fond of fun that
he would often indulge in a foot race, or pulling sticks, or even a
wrestling match. He often amazed and sometimes shocked the
sensibilities of the more staid and pious members of his flock by his
antics.
Before the Mormons ever dreamed of emigrating to Utah (or Mexico, as
it was then), they had what they called a "Fun Hall," or theatre and
dance hall combined, where they mingled occasionally in the merry
dance or sat to witness a play. Then, as later in Salt Lake, their
prophet led them through the mazy evolutions of the terpsichorean
numbers and was the most conspicuous figure at all their social
gatherings.
While building temples and propagating their new revelation to the
world, the Mormons have always found time to sing and dance and play
and have a pleasant social time, excepting, of course, in their days
of sore trial. Indeed, they are an anomaly among religious sects in
this respect, and that is what has made Salt Lake City proverbially a
"great show town."
Mormonism during the Nauvoo days had numerous missionaries in the
field and many converts were added to the new faith. Among others that
were attracted to the modern Mecca to look into the claims of the new
evangel, was Thomas A. Lyne, known more familiarly among his
theatrical associates as "Tom" Lyne.
Lyne, at this time, 1842, was an actor of wide and fair repute, in the
very flush of manhood, about thirty-five years of age. He had played
leading support to Edwin Forrest, the elder Booth, Charlotte Cushman,
Ellen Tree (before she became Mrs. Charles Kean), besides having
starred in all the popular classic roles. Lyne was the second actor in
the United States to essay the character of Bulwer's Richelieu--Edwin
Forrest being the first.
The story of "Tom" Lyne's conversion to the Mormon faith created quite
a sensation in theatrical circles of the time, and illustrates the
great proselyting power the elders of the new religion possessed.
Lyne, when he encountered Mormonism, was a skeptic, having outgrown
belief in all of the creeds. It was in 1841 that George J. Adams, a
brother-in-law of Lyne's, turned up suddenly in Philadelphia (Lyne's
home) where he met the popular actor and told him the story of his
conversion to the Mormon faith. Adams had been to Nauvoo, met the
prophet and become one of his most enthusiastic disciples. Adams had
been an actor, also, of more than mediocre ability, and as a preacher
proved to be one of the most brilliant and successful expounders of
the new religion. Elder Adams had been sent as a missionary to
Philadelphia in the hope that his able exposition of the new evangel
would convert that staid city of brotherly love to the new and
everlasting covenant.
In pursuance of the New Testament injunction, the Mormon missionaries
are sent out into their fields of labor without purse or scrip, so
Elder Adams, on arriving at his field of labor, lost no time in
hunting up his brother-in-law, "Tom" Lyne, to whom he related with
dramatic fervor and religious enthusiasm the story of his wonderful
conversion, his subsequent visit to Nauvoo, his meeting with the young
"Mohammed of the West," for whom he had conceived the greatest
admiration, as well as a powerful testimony of the divinity of his
mission.
Adams was so convincing and made such an impression on Lyne that he at
once became greatly interested in the Mormon prophet and his new
revelation. This proved to be a great help to Elder Adams, who was
entirely without "the sinews of war" with which to start his great
campaign.
The brothers-in-law put their heads together in council as to how the
campaign fund was to be raised, and the result was that they decided
to rent a theatre, get a company together, and play "Richard III" for
a week. Lyne was a native of Philadelphia and at this time one of its
most popular actors. It was here that Adams had met him a few years
before and had given him his sister in marriage.
The theatrical venture was carried through, Lyne playing Richard and
Elder Adams, Richmond. The week's business, after paying all expenses,
left a handsome profit. Lyne generously donated his share to the new
cause in which he had now grown so deeply interested and Elder Adams
procured a suitable hall and began his missionary labors. His eloquent
exposition of the new and strange religion won many to the faith; one
of the first fruits of his labors being the conversion of Thomas A.
Lyne.
Such an impression had Adams's description of the Mormon prophet and
the City of the Saints (Nauvoo) made upon Lyne that he could not rest
satisfied until he went and saw for himself. He packed up his wardrobe
and took the road for Nauvoo. With a warm letter of introduction from
Elder Adams to the prophet, it was not long before Lyne was thoroughly
ingratiated in the good graces of the Mormon people. He met the
prophet Joseph, was enchanted with him, and readily gave his adherence
to the new and strange doctrines which the prophet advanced, but
whether with an eye single to his eternal salvation or with both eyes
open to a lucrative engagement "this deponent saith not."
The story runs that after a long sojourn with the Saints in Nauvoo,
during which he played a round of his favorite characters, supported
by a full Mormon cast, he bade the prophet and his followers a
sorrowful farewell and returned to his accustomed haunts in the
vicinity of Liberty Hall.
During his stay in Nauvoo, Mr. Lyne played quite a number of classical
plays, including "William Tell," "Virginius," "Damon and Pythias,"
"The Iron Chest," and "Pizarro." In the latter play, he had no less a
personage than Brigham Young in the cast; he was selected to play the
part of the Peruvian high priest, and is said to have led the singing
in the Temple scene where the Peruvians offer up sacrifice and sing
the invocation for Rolla's victory. Brigham Young is said to have
taken a genuine interest in the character of the high priest and to
have played it with becoming dignity and solemnity. Here was an early
and unmistakable proof of Brigham Young's love for the drama.
Mr. Lyne, while relating this Nauvoo incident in his experience to the
writer, broke into a humorous vein and remarked:
"I've always regretted having cast Brigham Young for that part of the
high priest."
"Why?" I inquired, with some surprise.
With a merry twinkle in his eye and a sly chuckle in his voice, he
replied: "Why don't you see John, he's been playing the character with
great success ever since."
There are still a few survivors of the old Nauvoo dramatic company,
who supported "Tom" Lyne, living in Salt Lake. Bishop Clawson, one of
the first managers of the Salt Lake theatre, is among them.
Lyne played a winning hand at Nauvoo. He made a great hit with the
prophet, who took such a fancy to him that he wanted to ordain him and
send him on a mission, thinking that Lyne's elecutionary powers would
make him a great preacher. But "Tom" had not become sufficiently
enthused over the prophet's revelations to abjure the profession he so
dearly loved, and become a traveling elder going about from place to
place without purse or scrip, instead of a popular actor who was in
demand at a good sized salary.
Lyne had made his visit remunerative and had enshrined himself in the
hearts of the Mormon people, as the sequel will show: but he drifted
away from them as unexpectedly as he had come. Having become a convert
to the new religion, it was confidently expected that he would remain
among the Saints and be one of them; but he drifted away from them and
the Mormons saw no more of "Tom" Lyne till he turned up in Salt Lake
twenty years later, soon after the opening of the Salt Lake Theatre.
Lyne was the first star to tread its stage and played quite a number
of engagements during the years from '62 to '70. He made money enough
out of his engagements at the Salt Lake Theatre to live on for the
remainder of his days. For the last twenty years of his life, he
rarely appeared in public except to give a reading occasionally. With
his French wife, Madeline, he settled down and took life easy, living
cosily in his own cottage, and in 1891 at the advanced age of
eighty-four Thomas A. Lyne passed peacefully away, a firm believer in
a life to come but at utter variance with the Mormon creed, which he
had discarded soon after his departure from Nauvoo.