An Archive of Art and Literature by the Bohemians of Antebellum New York
This multi-volume history of the New York City theater provides a wealth of information about the actors, actresses, and playwrights who were associated with Pfaff's.
Clifton appeared as Ophelia opposite Edwin Booth in Hamlet.
Clifton appeared as Ophelia opposite Edwin Booth in Hamlet.
Gave a lecture as part of the lecture series at the Institute in Brooklyn in the 1857-1858 season. Curtis returned to this venue in the 1858-1859 season. His Nov. 30, 1859, lecture was entitled Democracy and Education. Curtis also lectured during 1859-1860 season.
Curtis is listed as one of the few critics who "did justice to the drama" in reviewing Augustin Daly's Deborah. Curtis' review appears in the March 7, 1863, issue of Harper's Weekly (Odell reprints the text). Odell also reprints Curtis' review of J.S. Clarke's acting.
(Not confirmed that this is him)
He may have played the role of Rob Royland in Married for Monday at the Broadway at for the opening show of the 1857-1858 season.
Keene read at a "Panorama" for Charles Gaylor in 1858.
Loyalina, or Brigadier-General Fortunio and his Seven Gifted Servants, "adapted and confrmed to Olympic wants, without leave or license from Planche" played April 11, 1864, produced by "Mrs. Wood."
On June 10, 1858, a fight took place between Keene and Heron during a performance of Mathilde.
Jefferson makes a return to the stage with Laura Keene's theater company for the 1857-1858 season.
It is very likely that Ada Clare appeared onstage with Menken, Brougham, and others.
Montes also gave a series of talks: two autobiographical lectures and two lectures on other topics. Odell also mentions that Montes lectures in 1859-60 season "considerably chastened" (293).
Smith appears to have been relatively well-known. He is mentioned as being onstage at Burton's with Clifton. Smith also appeared with Booth and took part in one of one of Brougham's benefits. Odell mentions Smith's unemployment at the closing of Burton's. Odell also mentions, however, that Smith and his wife were employed at Buckley's in the 1858-59 season.
Odell mentions that Smith is a part of the "light and frivolous" summer season (1862-63) at Wallack's (?) with Emily Thorne. The 1862-63 season closed with a benefit to him (481-482).
Odell mentions that Sothern won much applause in the 1856-57 season for the role of "Armand." He played this role opposite Heron in 1857-58 season.
Sothern was one of the popular actors (including Booth and Jefferson) who firmly fixed their reputation in the 1856-57 and 1857-58 seasons at Wallack's. He made his first appearance at Keene's in a benefit for Jefferson in 1857-58 season. Sothern is listed as the manager of Keene's theater and is often involved in the personality conflicts that seem to have arisen there. Sothern's addition to Keene's company made it possible for Our American Cousin to be a success in the 1858-59 season (39). Keene's 1857-59 company is described as her best ever.
Odell discusses Sothern's versalitily as an actor in addition to the versatility of other members of Keene's company. Sothern seems to have been upset at his casting as Dundreary in Our American Cousin, but that role became his "stepping stone to fortune" (129). The success of Our American Cousin is described as the turning point in his and Jefferson's and Keene's careers.
Sothern was missing from Keene's company at the beginning of 1859-60 season. He later appeared in Gayler's sequel to Our American Cousin entitled Our American Cousin at Home, or, Lord Dundreary Abroad as Lord Dundreary on his travels in America and also as Dundreary's younger brother (319). This play was a mix of "fun and melodrama" and included Dundreary falling in a well, a panorama of the Hudson from NY to Albany with effects of sunset, moonlight, and sunrise, the destruction of Asa's mills, and a grand skating scene with the actors on roller skates. This play seems to have pleased the public in the early days of the Civil War (319-20).
Sothern brought out own his own play, Suspense in the 1860-1861 season.
Strakosch brought distinguished instrumentalists to New York on Feb.13, 1865 for the 1864-65 musical season at Niblo's Saloon.
Taylor gave a lecture at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute Dec. 7, 1858, entitled Moscow. He was also part of the Hamlitonian Literary Association lecture series given at the Odeon, 1959-60, in Brooklyn.
Wallack was a well-known actor and stage manager at Wallacks (run by his family). His salary at Wallack's is noted by Odell on p.19 - Odell includes his weekly salary plus numbers for what he was to receive from benefits and how many benefits he could hold for himself. His salary at the new theater is also listed by Odell.
Wallack became famous slightly earlier than Jefferson, Booth, and Sothern. The Happy Veteran, a "melodrama of glitterning Oriental accoutrements" was credited to him; he also performed in it. This show was also one of the last performances by the elder Wallack. The play was a financial success and ran for 66 nights, unaided by farce or afterpiece (124).
Wallack was part of a benefit for the Mount Vernon Association that also starred many other Pfaff's notables. Wallack was also part of a benefit for the American Dramatic Fund that seems to have brought together several of the important players in NY at the time: Keene, Brougham, and others.
Wallack's theater becames the leading New York (and possibly American) theater in the 1859-60 season. The Romance of a Poor Young Man required Wallack to leap from a tower that caused him an injury and the use of an understudy; however, Wallack was given positive reviews for the role (206).
Wallack claimed authorship of The House with Two Doors, played in Central Park. He was also credited as the author of the stage version of Lady Lee's Widowhood, a claim that is debatable (542).
At the new Wallack's the Rosedale, or the Rifle Ball received 125 performances in the 1863-64 season. For 25 years it became the best known feature of Lester Wallack's repetoire (542).
Wallack stopped acting in the 1864-1865 season. He seems to have been affected by bad health and his father's death(629). Wallack returned to the stage May 9, 1865, after a 4 month absence.
Wallack claimed that Our American Cousin had originally been offered to his father, but there was no actor in the company suitable to play the role of Asa Trenchard, so he advised the play be sent to Keene's as "an admirable medium for exploiting the popular Jefferson" (128).
His play, The Siam Light Guard, was performed Sept. 28, 1857, at Keene's. Wilkins also adapted Henriette. The adaptation of the play was originally billed as "translated from the French, and adapted to the American stage by a gentleman of this city" (308).
Odell also mentions that Wilkins was the dramatic critic for the Herald.
He disputed Gayler's claim that O'Brien wrote Rosedale.
The Vault at Pfaff's