Scott, I highly recommend the Chapter "Getting the Level" in John Kendrick Bangs' wonderful book, *From Pillar to Post: Leaves from a Lecturer's Note-book* (1916) where Bangs does a great job trying to categorize his platform lecture audiences (he can't). I suspect Twain encountered the same types in his audiences. Bangs started his lecture career on the road with my great-grandfather, R.K. Munkittrick, and their disastrous "opening night" for Major Pond in Albany is included in the book. Hilarious. - Alain Alain Munkittrick, Associate Rosemary Munkittrick, Associate MUNKITTRICK ASSOCIATES, LLC Architecture, Interior Design and Space Planning PO Box 167 Cobalt, CT 06414 Tel: 860.342.4333 Street Delivery: 235 Middle Haddam Road Portland, CT 06480 This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information and is for use by the designated addressee(s) named above only. Any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended addressee, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any use or reproduction of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you. Munkittrick Associates. On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 12:58 PM, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Trying to come up with a description or a summary of Mark Twain's > audience, I think, is ultimately un-doable. As I've been collecting the > reviews for his shows with George Cable I have wondered if anything of > substance can be gleaned from them. The comments I can recall about the > audience(s) have all been rather subjective statements about them being > the upper crust of the local population - the most literate, the best > dressed, the most intelligent. It's difficult to tell what this says in > truth about any particular show as opposed to what it tells us about any > particular reviewer (who remains nameless behind the masthead). > > At best, I think, we wind up with a collection of anecdotes. But as > with most things related to Twain - it's fun to try. > > > -- > There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of > in your philosophy. > http://bscottholmes.com >