Friday, August 15, 2008

Brunk's Comedians #1


SAVE0878, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Tho not quite as opulent, Rep Shows (Repertory Companies) were an important form of entertainment in the American hinterlands during the 1920's, 30's and early 40's.

Posted by Buckles at 8/15/2008 06:14:00 AM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe our noted circus historian, Bill Slout of San Bernardino, CA, came from a family of rep show folks. And I think he has written a book about them.

15 August, 2008 08:10
Anonymous said...

Slout's book is "Theater in a Tent," published originally in 1972 and re-issued in 2000. Bill continues to write and produce stage productions with his beautiful wife Marte. His most recent creation is "Somebody" starring ValLimar Jansen.

The book about the Brunk operation is Jerry L. Martin, "Henry L. Brunk and Brunk's Comedians," 1984. It and others were available from the Theater Museum of American Repertoire in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. They have the largest collection of repertoire tent theater documentation of anywhere in the world. http://www.oldthreshers.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.theatreMuseum

15 August, 2008 09:59
Anonymous said...

Some make a case for Fayette Lodawic "Yankee" Robinson [the only man to have his name placed in front of the Ringlings' when they were still living] for conceiving the original tent theater concept in the 1860s. There's been a good bit of crossover in people, techniques, etc., between the two types of shows.

The late Jimmy Davis, husband of Peggy MacDonald's niece Grace Swank Davis, operated the last of the repertoire tent shows in the 1990s.

Grace numbers among her relatives "Modernist Photographer" Luke Swank, who did some notable circus photography. His work is preserved in the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh and was the subject of a recent exhibition and book.

The late Peggy's MacDonald's family, the Hendersons, was also in the rep show business.

15 August, 2008 10:10
Anonymous said...

Corky Plunkett would marry June Brunk and thet would have two sons, James and Jeoffrey. The Engesser, Brunks, Plunketts, Harly Sadler. Tall Teeters, Cristy Obrechet were some 0f the noteworthy Rep Shows and Peggy Mac Donold Henderson was part of that. They have a Wonderful museum on "Rep Shows" in Mt. Pleasent, Iowa.

15 August, 2008 14:29
Anonymous said...

I just sent Peggy's obituary to the Theatre Museum and the Circus Report. Peggy was born in The Henderson Comedy Company's tent during the show. This is reported in Billboard, Pipes for Pitchmen, and the Glenwood Newspaper.
Dad owned the medicine show before opening The Lew Henderson Players repertoire company in 1926. I have presented several papers at the Theatre Seminars about the family.
All eight children were born on the show.

20 August, 2008 14:43
Anonymous said...

I just sent Peggy's obituary to the Theatre Museum and the Circus Report. Peggy was born in The Henderson Comedy Company's tent during the show. This is reported in Billboard, Pipes for Pitchmen, and the Glenwood Newspaper.
Dad owned the medicine show before opening The Lew Henderson Players repertoire company in 1926. I have presented several papers at the Theatre Seminars about the family.
All eight children were born on the show.

20 August, 2008 14:45

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