M’Liss opening night lady ticket, People’s Theatre Company

A nineteenth-century ticket for a production of M’Liss, an 1877 play based on a short story by Bret Harte. It’s likely that the ticket dates to sometime in the 1880s before Harry L. Churchill, manager of the repertory company that performed the play, became ill and was hospitalized in 1890 (see the newspaper account below).

The all-caps Glyptic is for used “People’s Theatre Company,” “Harry L. Churchill,” the C in “Compliments,” and the M in “Manager”. It’s paired with lowercase letters from a Latin Condensed. The IDs of the two romans are uncertain. The one of regular width sits somewhere between a Modern/Scotch and a beefier Ionic. The wider one could be Lightface Extended or similar.

People’s Theatre Company.
This Ticket and Ten Cents will Admit one Lady to best Reserved Seat, on presentation at Box Office, or Advance Sale.
Opening Night: M’liss.
Compliments Harry L. Churchill, Manager

From the New York Clipper, July 12, 1890, p. 276.

Harry L. Churchill, who for some time has managed various repertory companies through New England, is said to be confined in an insane asylum at Greenfield, Mass. Dave Seymour, writing for Mrs. Churchill, says: “Mr. Churchill is suffering from a complication of diseases, among which are softening and paralysis of the brain. The best physicians have been consulted, and all pronounce him incurable. The diseases were brought on by overwork and mental anxiety, as of late his companies had been doing a losing business. His last work was with the C. D. Henry People’s Theatre Co. His wife, Florence Churchill, is a faithful attendant.”