BY DANNY McCARTHY
On page nine within Becky Terry’s Scrapbooks volume titled North Fork Nostalgia - there is an entry regarding Southold Lyceum Association ~ which is theater-related carrying this:
“Summer theater involves our local youth … and offers a healthy outlet for talent with the proceeds going to a worthy cause. Just so in the years 1871-78 did a group of young Southolders become involved.
The Southold Lyceum Association was organized in 1871 – its object {-} the improvement and entertainment of the members. The men paid dues of $1, and the females paid 50 cents! Under the direction of Alvah M. Salmon of Peconic{,} the group presented plays and lectures. Their playhouse was the Universalist Church. Because of a controversy over Spiritualism the Universalists had closed their doors. This left the building available for other groups to use. The Lyceum Association built a stage in the vacant sanctuary and opened the season with Handy Andy. As with any new venture there was criticism with some villagers, but {The Long Island} Traveler gave its stamp of approval…”
NORTH FORK NOSTALGIA was available from Southold Historical Museum.
https://www.worthpoint.com/wor...
In combining available research from the Suffolk Historic Newspaper s online website:
The Long Island Traveler dated January 29, 1874:
“LYCEUM REUNION
The Southold Lyceum Association {members} 'Reunioned' {should be re-united} at the Southold Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 22. Thirty-nine were among the amount there. Some played dominoes.”
Taking a look-back like days-in-our-past ~ The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated November 28, 1974: "The Southold Players met at Charles Kramer's. The members present were very much interested in some old posters of plays given by the Southold Lyceum Society. These posters had been loaned to the Players by H. H. Huntting. Some were dated as far back as 1872.”
