United States Mail
United States Mail is a sketch in one scene by Charles T. White (best known as "Chas.", "Charlie" or "Charley" White, 1821–1891)[1].
Also found as The United States Mail in South Africa (See Bosman, 1980).
Contents
The original text
Described as an Ethiopian sketch it is a Christy's style piece written for his own use by the early blackface minstrel performer.
Performed in America on 19 January 1857 by White's Serenaders.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1868: Performed as The United States Mail by the Young Men’s Institute Amateur Christy’s in either the Mutual Hall or the Cape Town Institute and Club, Cape Town. (Billed as a "Negro farce")
1868: In November it was apparently performed again by Young Men’s Institute Amateur Christy’s, this time with a burlesque called The Nervous Cures (Brown and Norton), the performance being in aid of the Oddfellows Library and Reading Room.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_%22Charlie%22_White
W.J. Mahar. 1999. Behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early Blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American Popular Culture. Volume 442 of Music in American life. University of Illinois Press, 1999
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: p. 272.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
