The Whites & The Browns

The Whites & The Browns is a farce by an unknown author.

Also found written as The Whites and The Browns, The Whites and the Browns, The Whites & the Browns, or The Whites and Browns.

The original text

The Whites & The Browns appears to have been a vaudeville style piece from the mid-19th century, since a All that can be found of such a play (besides the references to the South African performances below) is the following mention of a farce by this name that appeared in the "Amusements" section of the New York Times of August 4, 1862 (Page 5)[1]

"Gabriel Ravel, with his pantomimic and ballet troupe, in which are included the well-known names of the Marzettis, Axel and Tophoff, commence an engagement to-night at Niblo's. They do the pantomime of "The Four Lovers." The performances commence with the farce of "The Whites and the Browns," with Mr. Henry Placide, Mr. J.G. Burnett, Mr. Shewell, Miss Wells and Miss Emma Taylor in the principal characters. "Young America," the wonderful juvenile gymnast, also appears in a Zampillarostatic Act, perilously emulative of Leotard and William Hanlon."

Performance history in South Africa

1874: Performed as The Whites and Browns on 31 January in the Mutual Hall, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with Lady Audley's Secret (Hazlewood).

1875: Performed as The Whites and the Browns on 20 September in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Peep o' Day (Falconer).

1875: Performed as The Whites & the Browns on 22 September in the Bijou Theatre, Cape Town by the Disney Roebuck company, with The Peep O' Day or Savourneen Deelish (Falconer).

1876: Performed as The Whites & the Browns in the Athenaeum Theatre, Cape Town, by Disney Roebuck's company on 15 April, as an afterpiece to Blow for Blow (Byron).

Sources

The Whites & The Browns

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.311,327, 335, 338

William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.

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