BANCROFT, Squire (1841-1926). Actor Manager.
Autograph Letter Signed ("S B Bancroft") to "Dear Stone" [Marcus Stone, artist] organising tickets for his production of The Merchant of Venice,
Tickets for The Merchant of Venice
BANCROFT, Squire (1841-1926). Actor Manager.
Autograph Letter Signed ("S B Bancroft") to "Dear Stone" [Marcus Stone, artist] organising tickets for his production of The Merchant of Venice,
“The box-keeper has put your name down as you wished for the 17th (“Ye Merchant”) You will have a splendid chance for bullying me next Sunday, while you are red hot!” The 17th April 1875 was opening night for the Bancrofts’ Merchant of Venice - it was a Saturday, giving prime opportunity for Stone to give his friend his honest opinion the following day, while “red hot”.
The Bancrofts said of their their production that they had aimed to make the sets realistic and scenic: “Our ultimate object was to get to Venice, where we had arranged to meet our scenic artist at the beginning of September [1874], to see what nooks and spots we best could choose for our proposed bold attempt to place The Merchant of Venice upon our little stage” (Shakespearian Criticism (1984), p.43). However, it only ran for 36 performances, so not one of the Bancrofts best successes.
Good content. Closed tear, about three inches, through part of the signature.
