John Sowdon letter to Barry Spranger

              Unfinished letter from (John Sowdon?) to Spanger Barry expressing high dissatisfaction with his behavior as a member of the Company and his lack of cooperation with management and cast.  Mr Barry Your repeated Refusal to see me obliges me to take this method to acquaint you with my grievances occasion'd by your Behaviour.  The Managemof the Theatre have engag'd you at a great Salary to perform with them such Characters as you have already perform'd at the Theatres in London. They often desir'd and expected you would name a Number of Plays sufficient for two or three weeks Performances, that Rehearsals might be regularly order'd and the Parts in those Plays properly and in Time distributed as well for the advantage of every Performer as the Satisfaction the Public must receive from a well regulated Theatre, instead of your complying with this Request, we have not known 'till very late on Friday Night what Play to advertise in the Paper of Saturday for the ensuing Monday or 'till very late on Monday Night what Play to advertise in Tuesday's Paper for the Wednesday following. This unaccountable Behaviour has occasion'd the loss of many Rehearsals, has been very irksome to several of our Performers and sufficiently mortified Mr Victor &me.  Frid~ Night last at our Earnest Request you nam'd the Plays for Wednesday and Friday next, Venice preserv'd and Epox, We sent an Advertisement to the Printer at night for your Benefit Play, Venice preserv'd on Wednesday and a Comedy on Thursday, a few minutes after which we receiv'd a message by our Prompter, if we advertis'd any Play besides your Benefit, you wou'd not perform but wou'd give up your night, (notwithstanding your Boxes were all engag'd) Mr Victor and I imagin'd you might have spoke to us yourself on this occasion and in a ge~tler manner, however, we without Hesitation sent to the Printer desiring him to advertise your Benefit Play alone, tho odd appearance of this single Advertisement to the Public I leave to their Determination but surely it