Travel

   From its beginnings, American theatre seemed to be situated in a few East Coast cities, but as the United States expanded, actors and productions took to the road with great frequency. During the first half of the 19th century, rivers served as highways into the wilderness, and some troupes—like that with which Joseph Jefferson toured as a boy—made their way by a combination of boat and overland wagon, and sometimes even by using the wagon as a sleigh on frozen rivers. After the Civil War, railroad travel rapidly replaced river travel. By the late 1880s, a vast network of trains connected the nation, and theatrical chains or circuits were formed to facilitate bookings along given railroad lines. Traveling was often arduous, particularly when it involved long jumps and one-night stands. Unknown actors built their reputations on tour, while a waning star could extend a career by touring. A few top stars (Sarah Bernhardt, Joseph Jefferson, Richard Mansfield, Adelina Patti) could afford private railroad cars.

   Circuses made use of entire trains to transport performers, equipment, and animals. Showboats—floating theatres—on the Mississippi River and elsewhere continued until the 1930s. The Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.-produced musical drama Show Boat (1927) offered a theatrical valentine to the era of touring by boat just as the tradition was dying away.