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Parlor Theatricals
Parlor Theatricals were amateur theatrical presentations performed during social gatherings in the mid-to-late 19th Century. These consisted of pre-rehearsed theatre shows of various types, forms and lengths and were always performed by guests or hosts who were not professionals.

Origins
Parlor Theatricals were a form of home entertainment; they came about with the production of Fashion, opening in 1845, and the introduction of the concept of audiences laughing at their own lifestyle, a theme that would become popular in the parlor theatricals. A comedy of manners, Fashion is about the newly-rich Tiffany family of New York. Set in a drawing room, the play’s events revolve around Ms. Tiffany, who is obsessed with her family’s image and surrounds herself with fashionable visitors. She promises her daughter to a pompous and well-dressed Frenchman named Count Jolimatre, who turns out to be an imposter. The clashes about simplicity of life versus fashion are embodied in the play. Fashion gave way to popular entertainments in the home. Parlor theatricals also marked a cultural change that came by in the form of ‘self-mockery’ of status, especially evident in the play Fashion, with elements such as dress and social decorum, which started to change in the 19th century. Acceptance of social formalism, ritual, and self-display define middle-class culture, and the play Fashion is a direct commentary on these expressions.

Varieties
Parlor theatricals came in a select amount of varieties, namely: Acting Proverbs, Acting Charades and Tableaux Vivantes. Each has specific characteristics attached to them and, depending on the event a specific type of theatrical performance would be chosen to match its mood or elegance. In the book The Sociable, or, One Thousand and One Home Amusements many of the parlor theatrical types are detailed; since these types of entertainment were strictly for amateurs “care has been taken to avoid anything that would be difficult”. In addition, any performance would ultimately become an “educational experience” and would provide suited entertainment for any audience, should the right type be chosen to match the mood and class of the gathering.

Acting Proverbs
In The Sociable, acting proverbs are suited for smaller audiences and are supposed to be short and entertaining. These types of theatre pieces are decidedly meant to be a guessing game and are not very different from Acting Charades. In this type of performance, the “performers” would choose their teams and each would take turns being the performers, while the others would be the audience and watch. Once the performance was done the audience would have to guess what proverb was just performed before them; if the answer was correct, they would take their place as the performers, if not, the current performers would act once again.

Acting Charades
This form of parlor theatrical was the fastest and requires the least amount of training or preparation. Much alike Acting Proverbs, the form of having “teams” and having one perform while the other watches and guesses is still present - however, acting charades deal with words such as “Friendship” and “Pigtail” as these could be split into two parts and create two words to be guessed. For example, friendship could be split into friend and ship as could pigtail be split into pig and tail. These were considered appropriate for even the most family oriented events such as “Christmas dinner” and were said to require a “considerable [amount of] wit and ingenuity”.

Tableaux-Vivantes
Decidedly the type with the “great[est] scope for the exercise of artistic knowledge and taste, in their arrangement”, Tableaux Vivantes were considered the higher form of art out of the mentioned Parlor Theatricals. These still pictures were exactly that; actors would move and be still in an arranged position in order to describe a set. These included song and poetic discourse in order to embellish the scene. In addition to this poems may be read prior to the exhibition to "enable the audience to understand the subject more appreciably". Also the Tableaux needed one person to take on direction and managing; "his directions should be obeyed but he company implicitly; remembering that any loud talk or disorder behind the curtain is magnified to the audience, and destroys the interest by turning their attention from the tableaux".

Preparation
As home amusements were a popular form of entertainment in the 1850's, there existed a number of guidebooks which gave advice in preparing and performing parlor theatricals. In one such book, The Sociable, it is stated that “one of the most imperative of all rules”, is to “learn your parts thoroughly”. Another guidebook, Parlor Tableaux and Amateur Theatricals, advised two or three rehearsals before performing Tableaux Vivantes for a "perfect performance". It was also advised that one person should take on the role of stage manager, directing the entertainments and making sure everything went smoothly.

Technical Elements
These books also gave specific instructions on building and lighting the stage, attaining props and costumes, and applying make-up: for a typical parlor theatrical, a stage would be made of three or four beams stacked on top of boxes, around 1-2 ft in height, depending on the size of the room. Black or green fabric would then be hung from the edges of the stage to the floor in order to hide the empty space. On the sides of the stage, four frames would be constructed and covered with purple or black fabric to serve as wings. For some Tableaux Vivantes, a more complicated stage would be constructed with a rotating circular stage on a pivot with a rope wrapped around, which when pulled would rotate the stage so that the tableaux could be seen from every angle. Entrances and exits could be in and out of doors, windows, and curtained areas, and the front curtain could either be a draw-curtain or a drop-curtain. For lighting, foot-lights at least were advised, which could consist of gas lamps, candles, or kerosene-lamps with tin reflectors in front of them. Gill's guidebook encourages the use of magnesium light if possible; a new discovery at the time, it could be ignited with a common match and burned with "nearly forty times the intensity of gas, with a most brilliant white flame". Props and costumes were easily put together from items found about the house. Furniture and household objects were used as properties, and generally common material already in one’s possession was used for costuming. If the host of these theatricals wished to have a more sophisticated look, they could also choose to rent out professional-looking costumes at a small expense. Make-up supplies consisted of “a box of good water-colors, a little fine chalk, some camel’s-hair pencils, and dry rouge”. These supplies could be used to create different effects, from burnt cork for black eyes to india-ink to depict mustaches and beards.

Purpose
The main purpose that the parlor theatricals served was to educate the younger generation on proper etiquette and subsequent behavior. The Sociable states that “the amateur drama… teaches the young performer elocution, gesticulation, ease of manner, and a certain knowledge of the emotions and passions of humanity, which can rarely be acquired elsewhere”. As opposed to reflecting and commenting on their lifestyle, they used these parlor theatricals to extend its life. While it lists many guidelines for technicality, The Sociable concludes that “amusement and instruction are the grand objects, and it is evident that the more perfect the acting, the better are these aims accomplished”. Similarly, Gill's guidebook concludes with his hope for the use of it, which is that "it may prove the humble means of developing a love of the beautiful and of healthful amusement".