Fanny Seward's Description of Ford's Theater

[Linda Anderson]

Fanny visited Ford's Theater on Saturday, Oct. 10, 1863 with the Seward family's good friend, the famous actress Charlotte Cushman, and Anna, Fred Seward's wife. The following excerpt is from Sensitivity and Civil War: The Selected Diaries and Papers, 1858-1866, of Frances Adeline (Fanny) Seward by Patricia Carley Johnson. I have not left anything out of the excerpt except for some words that Fanny crossed out; the ellipses are Ms. Johnson's. The information in the brackets is from Ms. Johnson's footnotes. The full diary entry of Fanny's visit can be found in the Seward Papers.

"After luncheon Miss Cushman went to look at Ford's new theater - (eleventh St.) and Anna and I accompanied her. We walked...At the public doorway of the theater we met a young man who was, I think, a brother of the manager [Probably John Ford's brother Harry] - he conducted us in. When we stood inside the body of the theater Mr. Ford, manager came up from the other part, & while he talked aside with Miss Cushman, Anna & I made ourselves at home by sitting down in the outer row of the parquette [sic]. Instead of long, cushioned seats the house is furnished with chairs. It is a very pretty theater, tasteful and conventient [sic] in its arrangements. It was well lighted by windows all around, and the back scenes or "flats" of the stage being removed, a doorway opening on an alley [It was through this door that Booth made his well-planned exit on Good Friday night, 1865.], occupied by a carpenter's shop let in additional light as the curtain was up. Presently the manager, wishing Miss Cushman to see the accommodations of the house took us up to the parquette [sic] circle, and then to the gallery above. Around the walls of the latter were placards with very large letters with various hints etc. calculated to promote order. The parquette [sic] circle was very nice. The arrangements for leaving the theater were admirably made to save ladies from the discomforts of the crowd. Going by a door-way back of the lower boxes, we reached the stage...Story upon story over our heads rose complicated pulley work - all connected with stage machinery. We now passed to the right of the stage (facing the house) just at the side, removed from the sight of the audience, was the prompters box - Beside it was posted a sheet of paper on which were written directions to the carpenters as to what scenery was required in each scene -the arrangement was too technical for an outsiders understanding....The first room on the left was the 'green room' - here the actors are expected to be in readiness when the call boy is sent, about a page and a half before their cues, to notify them. This green room was not very large - '...I believe green room does not refer to color - I saw nothing green - .... Opposite the green room door was one opening into a 'star dressing room,' a pretty little room conveniently furnished with bureau, wash-stand & penstalks [sic] [Probably a misspelling of the word penstock. Although rarely seen today the term was in use in the nineteenth century. It is defined as 'one of various tubes, pipes, or open troughs used for the conveyance of water.'], chairs, sofa, carpet & lights. Next to the chamber was another of the same sort. When completed there are to be four stories of dressing rooms. We went back to the stage...."

[BettyO]

Facinating, Linda!

A great compliment to Tom Bogar's book....thanks!

[Hess1865]

'Green room' comes from the old days of theater, when the phosphorus[sic] light they used gave off a green glow

[L Verge]

I have also heard that it came from the days when the only place actors had to await their entrance on stage was outdoors. Another story is that green is a calming color, so the room was moved indoors and painted green to calm the actors' nerves. Tom Bogar, where are you?

[RickBeaver]

Very good, thanks for posting! Glad Miss Seward wrote all this down.

[Tom Bogar]

Re "greenroom": I don't think anybody knows for sure. I have heard every theory there is, from the color of the walls and/or carpet, to actors being ill, to Greek vines, to the storage there of shrubbery, to a misstating of the word "scene". The Oxford Companion to the Theatre says that the first reference to “Green Room” is found in act four of Thomas Shadwell's 1678 play A TRUE WIDOW: Stanmore : "No madam: Selfish, this Evening, in a green Room, behind the Scenes, was before-hand with me..."

[Cliff Roberts]

Hi Linda, and many thanks for the very interesting post describing Fanny Seward's tour of Ford's Theater - from a source I'd probably never run across on my own. One thing in particular that caught my attention was this statement:

"Going by a door-way back of the lower boxes, we reached the stage..."

I never knew there was a passage from the main floor of the theater to the backstage area, but in checking the NPS publication "Restoration of Ford's Theatre," sure enough, there it is. It's actually an extension of the entrance passage to the lower boxes on the right side of the theater (No. 3 & 4), directly beneath the presidential boxes, with a door at the opposite end opening into the backstage area, near Peanut John's post at the stage door. There's no such passage on the prompter's side of the stage.

The other thing I noticed was the bracketed comment after Fanny's mention of light streaming in from "a doorway opening on an alley." Based on Fanny's description, I'd guess she was referring to the large sliding door at stage center, and not the smaller door at stage right through which Booth escaped.

Thanks again for the great post!

[Linda Anderson]

(04-03-2014 07:31 PM)Cliff Roberts Wrote:  Hi Linda, and many thanks for the very interesting post describing Fanny Seward's tour of Ford's Theater - from a source I'd probably never run across on my own. One thing in particular that caught my attention was this statement:

"Going by a door-way back of the lower boxes, we reached the stage..."

I never knew there was a passage from the main floor of the theater to the backstage area, but in checking the NPS publication "Restoration of Ford's Theatre," sure enough, there it is. It's actually an extension of the entrance passage to the lower boxes on the right side of the theater (No. 3 & 4), directly beneath the presidential boxes, with a door at the opposite end opening into the backstage area, near Peanut John's post at the stage door. There's no such passage on the prompter's side of the stage.

The other thing I noticed was the bracketed comment after Fanny's mention of light streaming in from "a doorway opening on an alley." Based on Fanny's description, I'd guess she was referring to the large sliding door at stage center, and not the smaller door at stage right through which Booth escaped.

Thanks again for the great post!

Hi Cliff, the bracketed comment was from a footnote by Ms. Johnson. Thanks for pointing out that there was also a large sliding door at stage center.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Thanks for posting this! Aside from the fact that the information about the theater was interesting, I've been looking for something on Fanny Seward, and was able to find Johnson's dissertation on her.

[Linda Anderson]

(04-04-2014 04:09 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  Thanks for posting this! Aside from the fact that the information about the theater was interesting, I've been looking for something on Fanny Seward, and was able to find Johnson's dissertation on her.

Fanny's diary is fascinating, Susan.

For others who may want to read Sensitivity and Civil War, you can order it through Proquest.

http://dissexpress.umi.com/dxweb/search.html

I found the following passage in Fanny's diary in the University of Rochester. It's not included in Sensitivity and Civil War. She wrote it in the blank pages at the end of her diary for 1866. She died on October 29, 1866.

Considering everything she went through in 1865 and the fact that she was very ill with constant fevers and cough, I find it amazing that she stilled tried to be the best person she could be.

"Things to be desired -

"A soul trustful, faithful, & humble.
"A spirit patient, & persevering & hopeful.
"A heart, pure, warm & generous.
"A will, strong, controlled & submissive.
"A disposition, self-sacrificing, cheerful, courageous.
"A manner, firm, gentle & considerate.
"A judgment charitable, calm & clear."

[RickBeaver]

(04-04-2014 07:26 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  

(04-04-2014 04:09 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  Thanks for posting this! Aside from the fact that the information about the theater was interesting, I've been looking for something on Fanny Seward, and was able to find Johnson's dissertation on her.

Fanny's diary is fascinating, Susan.

For others who may want to read Sensitivity and Civil War, you can order it through Proquest.

http://dissexpress.umi.com/dxweb/search.html

I found the following passage in Fanny's diary in the University of Rochester. It's not included in Sensitivity and Civil War. She wrote it in the blank pages at the end of her diary for 1866. She died on October 29, 1866.

Considering everything she went through in 1865 and the fact that she was very ill with constant fevers and cough, I find it amazing that she stilled tried to be the best person she could be.

"Things to be desired -

"A soul trustful, faithful, & humble.
"A spirit patient, & persevering & hopeful.
"A heart, pure, warm & generous.
"A will, strong, controlled & submissive.
"A disposition, self-sacrificing, cheerful, courageous.
"A manner, firm, gentle & considerate.
"A judgment charitable, calm & clear."

What a great world it would be if more people were like this!