organizations, students

Burlesques

The form of entertainment known as burlesque grew popular in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, drawing inspiration from Victorian British Burlesque, a form of musical theater parody that satirized canonical works of literature and drama through pastiche, puns, and the mocking of tropes. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, burlesque shows were a popular form of entertainment for Trinity College students. A distinctive feature of these shows was the presence of male students playing female roles. Throughout this period, several annual traditions featured burlesques written and performed by students.

The first known burlesque show put on by Trinity students was an operetta entitled “The Sweets of Matrimony.” It was performed by the Euterpean Society at the Philo Dramatic Hall in Hartford in February 1870. The burlesque was part of a longer program of performances by the student group, and the event was well attended by members of both the Hartford community and Trinity students alike. As the title of the operetta suggests, and The Trinity Tablet confirmed, the students portrayed a “truthful representation of the trials that one who ventures on the treacherous sea of matrimony must expect to experience.” ¹⁾ The show was a lively collage of numbers from various Italian, English, and French operas, performed in solos, duets, and an aria. The female roles were performed by male students, which contributed to the raucous atmosphere of outrageous farce. “The Sweets of Matrimony” was performed by the Euterpean Society at least three times in 1870, with additions to the run-of-show included with each presentation. Because many of the Euterpeans graduated that year, the group was not active in years following, and the burlesque show they had developed was not performed again.

On May 18, 1880, Trinity students performed William Brough’s The Field of the Cloth of Gold, based on the extravagantly opulent displays of wealth and pageantry at the 1520 summit meeting between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The show was made burlesque by more than 30 songs added to Brough’s play, including original tune, extracts from popular operas, and college songs. This production was a benefit for the Athletic Association. The audience was reportedly small, which the Tablet attributed to a general prejudice against the genre of burlesque for being “not altogether proper.” ²⁾ This was indeed the prevailing attitude of the time, which had grown since the decade prior, such that burlesque shows were no longer quite as socially acceptable as they’d once been. This was primarily due to a shift away from the English form of literary pastiche, and towards raunchier plot lines with less complexity. While burlesque shows in New York at this time had begun featuring scantily dressed women, the all-male Trinity burlesquers were still cross-dressing for the roles of Anne Boleyn, Lady Constance, and Queen Katherine. Management and costuming were outsourced to a locally known couple, Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Bull, who had experience with amateur theater production. An accompanist named Mr. Brainerd traveled from Portland, Connecticut to assist the students in rehearsing for the show several times a week.

The demand for burlesque apparently dropped off in the following decade, as there were no documented burlesque performances until February 5, 1889, when the Trinity Dramatic Association put on a production of “The Shakespeare Water-Cure” by pseudonymous author, The Larks. The play combined five of Shakespeare’s plays into what the Tablet deemed “a piece of profanity rarely enjoyed.” ³⁾ The Trinity Dramatic Association included some 'local' college numbers among the songs between acts, which brought the production much praise from the audience. As per tradition, all female roles were performed by male students, and no expense was spared on their costuming and make-up. Mrs. A. B. Bull was once again costumer and patroness as in the previous burlesque show, as well as several other local women, and two new accompanists furnished the musical numbers. Once again, the proceeds were in service to the College’s sports teams, this time split between the Baseball and Football Associations. The show was such a success that the Dramatic Association received an invitation to perform at Wesleyan, though the offer was declined due to impracticability. “Shakespeare Water-Cure” would be performed by Trinity students once again in November 1889.

For the next several years, the Dramatic Association primarily occupied itself with performing shorter non-musical plays. A proper burlesque show was not undertaken again until June 1898, when yet another production of “Shakespeare Water-Cure” was put on, nearly a decade after its first two performances. Unfortunately, the production value had declined since years prior. A scathing review in the Tablet expressed heartfelt dismay at the selection of songs interpolated throughout this particular rendition of the show. There was no lack of potential in the players, though, as according to this reviewer, the Dramatic Association simply needed to take advantage of its “good material.” ⁴⁾ In June 1903, the Senior Dramatics performed a four-act burlesque comedy entitled “Miss Duzenberry; or, Murder Will Out,” adapted from Eugene Labiche’s French exclusively for the Trinity players.

In 1907, the old classic “The Sweets of Matrimony” was brought back by the Glee Club for Senior Week. By this time, however, the vogue of burlesque had mostly worn off, and the production was tinged with an air of nostalgia rather than innovation. By the second decade of the twentieth century, burlesque had been replaced by the zeitgeist with farce and vaudeville.