Dramatic Company's Performance

SMITH, MERSHON, RANEY, BAKER, RANSEY

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner (email)
Date: 10/25/2004 at 06:17:34

Mills County Journal
December 16, 1876

The Dramatic Company’s Performances

The entertainment given by the Glenwood Dramatic Association on Wednesday and Thursday evenings was all that its most sanguine friends claimed for it. The principal play given was that of “Jack Long, or Shot in the Eye,” which is a rendition of a Texas border story of 20 years ago when the community was governed by regulators and lynch law was all the law known.

The leading characters were Jack Long, the honest, high-minded backwoodsman, Hinch the villain, leader of the regulators, Miss May Gibbs, the heroine of the story, Noah Gibbs her father, a wealthy planter, Ben Small, a Yankee store keeper. Hector a black servant of Gibbs, which characters were represented by Mr. Frank Smith, C.R. Mershon, Mrs. Sadi Raney, Wm. L. Baker, D.D. Ransey and Mart Smith, respectively. Besides there were other minor characters, members of Hinch’s gang of regulators.

The cast of characters was good through it, and especially those of Long, Hinch, Gibbs and Hector, who performed their various roles with a great deal of credit themselves, and in such a manner as would not dishonor any stage. As an old man, Mr. Baker is hard to beat. The play was followed by a laughable certainty.

The stage and property arrangement, were the best ever presented to the Glenwood audience, the scenery being excellent and arranged in the best possible order and the best of music accompanied the performance. Taken as a whole, the effort of our young men was a most gratifying success, and we hope the receipts gave them encouragement to continue their efforts to entertain our people.