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The Madcap Players was a tent show production company that flourished from about 1931 to about 1945 in Dallas, Texas.

History

Henry Hearn (né Henry John Baker; 1877–1944) founded the Madcap Players around 1924.

The Madcap Players pitched their first tent in Dallas on East Grand, across the street from the Ford plant. W. M. Collins, owned and operated a service station on a part of the property. There was a space behind the station, so Mr. Collins rented that plot to the Madcap Players. It was here they pitched the first tent and performed. However, in 1931, a hailstorm blew in and destroyed the tent.

The Madcappers replaced the tent and moved to a rented space on North Haskell.

Every night at intermission they sold Cracker Jacks, and if you were lucky enough to get a coupon in your box, you could go up to the stage and claim a grand prize — a set of cheap glasses, one of those ugly multicolored table scarves that were popular during the 1930s and 1940s, or a ghastly lamp

Organist Jackie Caldwell was always on hand to play before and after the shows. He also played at intermission while lucky coupon holders were claiming their prizes. Every night, just before the curtain went up, Jackie played "Happy Days Are Here Again." The house/tent lights would dim, stage lights up, curtain up, and the show would start. What fun

The troupe was managed by Neil Fletcher, his wife Minnie, Toby Gunn (né Leon Oryn Gunn; 1892–1973), and his wife Jeanie.

After World War II, it was all over for the Madcap Players. Air conditioning was preferred to breezes that really weren't too cool anyway, and the fire marshal looked askance at the butane heater. In 1938, Neil Fletcher and his brother, Carl (né Carl Rufus Fletcher; 1894–1994), had introduced the corny dog to the Texas State Fair, so their time was spent at the Fair Park frying the battered hot dogs.

Selected personnel

• Wayne Babb (né Charles Wayne Babb; 1909–1987) went on to direct his own theater company, the Wayne Babb Players
• Jessie Adams
• Jack Marco
• Crawford Eagle (né Crawford Clarkson Eagle; 1897–1983) and Grace Van Winkle (born January 6, 1897) were stage names for a husband wife in the entertainment field since about 1928. Eagle married Grace Pringle February 16, 1923, in Salt Lake City. Eagle a singer and tent theater actor until about 1952, when his lost his voice. He and his wife went on to perfect team performances as puppeteers with marionettes. Both were former members of the 1921 Pringle's Comedians troupe.
• Grace Van Winkle (née Grace Van Winkle; 1897–1981) was a niece of Della Pringle
• Ethan Allan
• Irene Bryant