Young Men’s Institute

The Young Men’s Institute (YMI) was an organization founded in Cape Town in 18**.

The club and venue

They initially met in the Mutual Hall, but in 1868 the Cape Town Institute and Club Limited opened their own new building - the Cape Town Institute and Club - in Burg Street.

Theatrical activities and entertainments

The Young Men’s Institute hosted a popular entertainments (mainly "Literary" and "Musical") in Cape Town from 1867 to 1870.

Young Men’s Institute Amateur Christy’s

During the heyday of the minstrelsy period (circa 1870), the YMI club hosted a very active amateur dramatic society which was informally known as the Amateur Christy's or Young Men’s Institute Amateur Christy’s. It was one of three Christy's companies active in the city at the time. They initially performed in the Mutual Hall, but when the Cape Town Institute and Club Limited opened their own new building in Burg Street on 15 July, 1868, they shifted their activities and used that as their normal venue.

Among the people involved appears to have been a Mr Toogood, possibly one of the leading figures, E. Clifton, Mr Trevenen, Mr Vincent and Mr Charlton.

Their performances consisted of minstrelsy shows and so-called Ethiopian burlesques or Negro farces. Among the presentations mentioned were:

The "negro farces" included The Returned Volunteer from Abessynia; The Young Scamp and The United States Mail.

In November 1868 they did The Nervous Cures and The United States Mail as a benefit for the Oddfellows Library and Reading Room.

In 1869 they were active once more, a highlight being their involvement in the great Juvenile Fancy Fair and Grand Fête organized in the Cape Gardens on 25 February by the Cape Town Institute and Club in support of the victims of the great fires in Uitenhage and Knysna.

The Young Men's Institute and Club Dramatic Company (YMI)

This appears to be a revival of the Young Men’s Institute Amateur Christy’s in a new guise, as the interest in Christy's style performances apparently declined. It would become the major company active in the Cape in 1870 and according to Bosman (1980) the most important, besides the Garrison Players, for the entire period 1863-1873.

[JH/TH]

Sources

F.C.L. Bosman, 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 272-3,

P.J. du Toit, 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica

Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg.

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