Sam Hague
Encyclopedia
Sam Hague was a British
blackface
minstrel
dancer and troupe owner. He was the first white owner of a minstrel troupe composed of black members, and the success he saw with this troupe inspired many other white owners to purchase black companies.
Hague began his career as a performer in British and American minstrel shows. He eventually branched into troupe ownership and management, and in 1866, he formed a ten-member black minstrel troupe called Sam Hague's Slave Troupe of Georgia Minstrels; the first white man to have done so. They toured England for several years, and eventually counted stars such as Bob Height
and Charles Hicks
among their members. Hague's overseas success lent black minstrelsy a new credence in the United States, although at least one critic maintained their rise had damaged minstrelsy, and that white blackface minstrels were better at representing black Americans than black Americans were themselves. By the mid-1870s, most successful American black troupes had been bought by white owners who had followed Hague's lead. When the Slave Troupe returned to the United States, Charles Callender
purchased the company.
Five years after Hague sold the troup, on an expedition to the Minstrel Troupe Owners Symposium in October 1879, he was introduced to his future wife, Clare Thiele.
By 1881, Hague owned a white minstrel troupe composed of British players. The British had a reputation in America for not being as apt at portraying caricature
d black roles or performing comedy
bits. In response, Sam Hague's British Minstrels stressed their musical abilities and their refined costumes and sets. Only the endmen wore blackface, and the troupe did no base comedy. George Primrose and William H. West
adopted Hague's idea and sparked a new trend in minstrelsy.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
minstrel
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
dancer and troupe owner. He was the first white owner of a minstrel troupe composed of black members, and the success he saw with this troupe inspired many other white owners to purchase black companies.
Hague began his career as a performer in British and American minstrel shows. He eventually branched into troupe ownership and management, and in 1866, he formed a ten-member black minstrel troupe called Sam Hague's Slave Troupe of Georgia Minstrels; the first white man to have done so. They toured England for several years, and eventually counted stars such as Bob Height
Bob Height
Bob Height was an African American blackface minstrel performer. He was a standout talent in the companies with which he performed, although frustrations eventually drove him to pursue a career in Europe. Later writers have compared him to his contemporary, Bert Williams.Height joined with Charles...
and Charles Hicks
Charles Hicks
Charles Barney Hicks was an African American advance man, manager, performer, and owner of blackface minstrel troupes composed of African American performers. Hicks himself was a talented minstrel performer who could sing and play challenging roles such as the minstrel-show interlocutor or endmen....
among their members. Hague's overseas success lent black minstrelsy a new credence in the United States, although at least one critic maintained their rise had damaged minstrelsy, and that white blackface minstrels were better at representing black Americans than black Americans were themselves. By the mid-1870s, most successful American black troupes had been bought by white owners who had followed Hague's lead. When the Slave Troupe returned to the United States, Charles Callender
Charles Callender
Charles Callender was the owner of blackface minstrel troupes that featured African American performers. Although a tavern owner by trade, he entered show business in 1872 when he purchased Sam Hague's Slave Troupe of Georgia Minstrels. Renaming them Callender's Original Georgia Minstrels, he and...
purchased the company.
Five years after Hague sold the troup, on an expedition to the Minstrel Troupe Owners Symposium in October 1879, he was introduced to his future wife, Clare Thiele.
By 1881, Hague owned a white minstrel troupe composed of British players. The British had a reputation in America for not being as apt at portraying caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
d black roles or performing comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
bits. In response, Sam Hague's British Minstrels stressed their musical abilities and their refined costumes and sets. Only the endmen wore blackface, and the troupe did no base comedy. George Primrose and William H. West
William H. West (entertainer)
right|300pxWilliam H. West , known as the "Progressive Minstrel", emulated the British minstrel owner Sam Hague and became one of the first white owners of a minstrel troupe composed of black performers in the United States....
adopted Hague's idea and sparked a new trend in minstrelsy.