Sunday, 13 May 2012

...Acting Could Kill You.

Only if you lived in the mid-18th century though. Something we often take for granted are all the ways we have to entertain ourselves. Besides sitting around with a pint, there are computers (games, internet, etc), phones, books (not many people could read in the 1850s), PlayStations, iPods/Pads, sports, and others I'm sure. In 1849, there was the theatre. In New York City the theatre was the place to be. People from all classes and backgrounds would go and was the only public forum available. Actors became huge stars and amassed quite the following. Fights often broke out and arguments were usually settled with giant rotten fruit fights. On May 10th, 1849 a riot broke that resulted in 25 dead and dozens more hurt. Today it's known as the Astor Place Riot.

Quelling riots since 1982
As it is today, Shakespeare was the man. Every show performed was one of his plays. Poor miners working in the middle of the Arizona desert would sit around and do his plays from memory. In New York two Shakespearean actors formed a bitter rivalry with each other and the audience took sides. Edwin Forrest became the leading American actor (supported by those who identified themselves as Natives and the working Irish, who just hated anything the British liked) and Charles Macready was a British actor (adored by the upper class New Yorkers who still saw themselves of British decent). The upper class population were tired of sitting themselves in the same space as the working class and opened up their own theatre, The Astor Place, where Macready performed. As expected, the working class didn't appreciate this and would crash the Macready performances. One day things just got so out of hand the city police and militia were called in.

To be or not to be cool
If you've seen Gangs Of New York you'll know where this goes next. The authorities shot into the crowd killing about 25 (one being a small child). This might seem extreme but you must remember that this was all they had. The two actors became symbols for cultural and class divide among the citizens. For once there was something the differing classes could unite around. The actors themselves hated each other but had no intention for this to happen. Macready was on his way out of the country when the riots broke. American playwrights started to become popular shortly after.

The 11th Hamlet.
And that is what I learned today.

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