[Program for Daly"s Theatre New York, "Much Ado About Nothing"]
Date
1897-01-05
Production
Much Ado About Nothing
Character roles
Herbert Gresham (Don Pedro); Sidney Herbert (Don John); John Craig (Claudio); Charles Richman (Benedick); George Clarke (Leonato); Tyrone Power (Antonio); William Hazeltine (Borachio); Hobart Bosworth (Conrade); Neil McCay (Balthasar); Frederick Truesdell (A Messenger); Clara Emory (Page); Edwin Varrey (Friar Francis); William Griffith (Dogberry); William Sampson (Verges); Dean Pratt (Seacoal); Robert Shepherd (Oatcake); George Lesoir (Sexton); Ada Rehan (Beatrice); Nancy McIntosh (Hero); Mrs. G. H. Gilbert (Ursula); Marie St. John (Margaret); Miss Hathaway (Innogen, the mother of Hero); Maude Carter; Marion Stuart; Rose Marston; Mabel Strickland; Alethe Craig
Artistic roles
Augustin Daly (Producer, Director); Ada Rehan (Actor); Sidney Herbert (Actor)
Genre
Shakespeare Comedy
Theme
Shakespeare; Famous Companies; Women in 19th C. Theatre
Places
New York (N.Y.)
Item description
Daly's Theatre Program for "Much Ado About Nothing" from January 5, 1897. The program, folded in half, is printed on a single sheet of paper 10 x 13. It lists Herbert Gresham as Don Pedro, John Craig as Claudio, and William Griffith as Dogberry. The front cover features a photograph of Miss Rehan and a listing of the performances at Daly's Theatre for the remainder of that week in January. The back cover depicts the Lyceum Theatre in London and Theatre Du Vaudeville in Paris, the Theatres of Mr. Daly's Successes Abroad, along with a photograph of Mr. William Sampson as Wun-Hi in "The Geisha." There is advertising for future performances of "The Geisha" by way of a cast list on the front cover, and advertisements for Mehlin Pianos, M. Block, B Altman & Co., James McCreery & Co., Purssell M'F'G Co., and the Windsor Hotel and Restaurant scattered throughout the program.
Object narrative
Daly's Theatre Program for "Much Ado About Nothing" from January 5, 1897. The 1896-1897 theatre season in New York was an arduous one for all theatres, as there was a business depression underway. Many stand-alone theatres were closing, such as Richard Mansfield's Theatre and Palmer's Theatre. Legitimate drama was not doing well in the economic atmosphere. Daly resorted to old standards and musical comedies for this theatre season, of which "Much Ado About Nothing" was a part. Daly's brother remarks in Daly's biography that the production was very costly (expenses exceeding that of musical comedies), but worth the investment as the production was splendid, receiving warm reviews from the press and playing successfully for the remainder of the season. Ada Rehan played the role of Beatrice, and Charles Richman, Benedick. However, the actor who seemed to garner the most praise was Sidney Herbert in the role of Don John, a finished picture of malignity (Daly 604). Nancy McIntosh played Hero. Daly's sets were based upon models of the Theatre Odeon of Paris.
The program, folded in half, is printed on a single sheet of paper 10 x 13. It lists Herbert Gresham as Don Pedro, John Craig as Claudio, and William Griffith as Dogberry. The front cover features a photograph of Miss Rehan and a listing of the performances at Daly's Theatre for the remainder of that week in January. The back cover depicts the Lyceum Theatre in London and Theatre Du Vaudeville in Paris, the Theatres of Mr. Daly's Successes Abroad, along with a photograph of Mr. William Sampson as Wun-Hi in The Geisha, an extremely popular musical comedy offering at Daly's that season.
Type
Text
Original format
Programs
Original publisher
[Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified]
[Identification of item], Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection, 1753-2006 (MSS255), Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives and Manuscripts, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA.
NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES. This item has been determined to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. The user is responsible for determing actual copyright status for any reuse of the material.
Object ID
MSS255.001.005
Digital publisher
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, 336.334.5304
[Identification of item], Robert C. Hansen Performing Arts Collection, 1753-2006 (MSS255), Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives and Manuscripts, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA.
