Combination company
Encyclopedia
A combination company was a theatrical touring company which performed only one play
. Unlike repertory
companies, which performed multiple plays in rotation, combination companies used more elaborate and specialized scenery in their productions. Repertory theatre had been popular in the United States through the 19th century, and it is not clear how the combination system originated. Combination companies contributed to the early success of Broadway theatre
, as most combination companies began their tours in New York City
.
in the 19th century.
Because combination companies only performed a single play, they were not restricted by the need to use generic properties. Combination companies took advantage of this fact by specializing each asset of the company—actors, rehearsals, scenery
, properties, costumes and personnel—to tailor to the needs of the one play being performed. In particular, this enabled combination companies to use more elaborate scenery than their repertory counterparts.
toured with a combination company as early as 1862. American actor Joseph Jefferson
claimed that both he and Charles Wyndham independently established the combination system in 1868 with their productions of Rip van Winkle
and The Lancers, respectively. The advent of the First Transcontinental Railroad
may have contributed to the success of touring companies.
Many early touring companies found success by exclusively performing renditions of the immensely popular Uncle Tom's Cabin
, an anti-slavery
novel published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe
. In 1927, 75 years after Uncle Tom's Cabin had been published, these renditions, known as Tom Shows
, were still being performed exclusively by twelve combination companies worldwide.
Most of the combination companies in the United States rehearsed and began their tours in New York City
, which contributed to the early success of what would eventually be known as Broadway theatre
. The combination company system was so successful throughout the United States that Dion Boucicault
, an Irish actor and playwright, brought it to England for the first tour of his play The Colleen Bawn
in the 1860s.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. Unlike repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
companies, which performed multiple plays in rotation, combination companies used more elaborate and specialized scenery in their productions. Repertory theatre had been popular in the United States through the 19th century, and it is not clear how the combination system originated. Combination companies contributed to the early success of Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, as most combination companies began their tours in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Repertory vs. combination
Repertory companies, both those in resident and those on tour, featured several actors who rehearsed multiple plays which were performed in rotation, adding and removing shows from their repertoire over time. Repertory theaters, also known as stock theaters, generally employed generic theatrical properties for use in each of their productions. This system was popular throughout the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 19th century.
Because combination companies only performed a single play, they were not restricted by the need to use generic properties. Combination companies took advantage of this fact by specializing each asset of the company—actors, rehearsals, scenery
Theatrical scenery
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether or not the item was custom-made or is, in fact, the genuine item, appropriated...
, properties, costumes and personnel—to tailor to the needs of the one play being performed. In particular, this enabled combination companies to use more elaborate scenery than their repertory counterparts.
Origin
It is not entirely clear how the combination system originated. American actress Laura KeeneLaura Keene
Laura Keene was a British-born American stage actress and manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York.-Early life:...
toured with a combination company as early as 1862. American actor Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson
Joseph Jefferson, commonly known as Joe Jefferson , was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous of all American comedians....
claimed that both he and Charles Wyndham independently established the combination system in 1868 with their productions of Rip van Winkle
Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon...
and The Lancers, respectively. The advent of the First Transcontinental Railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
may have contributed to the success of touring companies.
Many early touring companies found success by exclusively performing renditions of the immensely popular Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
, an anti-slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
novel published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
. In 1927, 75 years after Uncle Tom's Cabin had been published, these renditions, known as Tom Shows
Tom Shows
Tom Shows were stage plays and musicals based on the 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The novel depicts the harsh reality of slavery...
, were still being performed exclusively by twelve combination companies worldwide.
Most of the combination companies in the United States rehearsed and began their tours in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which contributed to the early success of what would eventually be known as Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. The combination company system was so successful throughout the United States that Dion Boucicault
Dion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot , commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the...
, an Irish actor and playwright, brought it to England for the first tour of his play The Colleen Bawn
The Colleen Bawn
The Colleen Bawn, or The Brides of Garryowen is a melodramatic play written by Irish playwright Dion Boucicault. It was first performed at Miss Laura Keene's Theatre, New York, on 27 March 1860 with Laura Keene playing Anne Chute and Boucicault playing Myles na Coppaleen. It was most recently...
in the 1860s.