Vaudeville

Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the

Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. An evening's schedule of performances (or "bill") could run the gamut from acrobats to mathematicians, from song-and-dance duos to trick high divers. Indeed, the scope of the presentations was unique in the history of American live performance: music, comedy, feats of athleticism, magic, animal acts, opera, Shakespeare, banjo, acrobatics and gymnastics, and lectures by celebrities and intellectuals of every scale.

A bill usually began with a dumb (largely non-speaking) act, such as acrobats, trick bicyclists, and so on. This allowed late-arriving audience members to find their seats without interrupting important dialogue. The bill peaked in the penultimate spot with the headliner (the biggest draw on the bill and focus of that week's publicity effort). Finally, the show would conclude with a chaser, an act considered admirable enough to feature but dull enough to "chase" the audience from the theatre. Encouraging the audience to leave was especially important in houses that offered continuous performances.