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A Glimpse of Theater History |
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Nat C. Goodwin, Actor Nathaniel
Carl Goodwin Jr, best known as Nat Goodwin, was born in Boston July 25,
1857. While he was a schoolboy and a student at the Little Blue Academy
in Farmington, Me., he was noted for his ability as a mimic. He was graduated
by the college in 1873 and became a clerk in the dry goods store of Wellington
Brothers in Boston. After two months there he became a clerk in an upholsterer's
shop. He remained there a month, and then entered upon his stage career.
His chief desire, from the day he had first recognized his prowess as
a mimic, had been to be an actor, and through his college and clerkship
days he had studied Shakespeare and taken lessons in dramatic art. When
he left the upholsterer he gave dramatic readings for a time and then
obtained a place at Niblo's Garden, New York, as general utility man.
He next went to the Boston Museum to fill a like place. He made his first
legitimate appearance, and fainted for the first and last time in his
life, at the Providence Opera House with William Henderson's stock company.
He was cast for the part of Sir George Hounslow in a melodrama, "The
Bottle." When his cue came he rushed to the stage, raised his arm
and opened his lips to speak. But no sound came from them. He was so overcome
by stage fright that he dropped unconscious. He next found himself on
a train-wig, grease paint, stage costume and all-bound for Boston. This
experience for a time banished all thoughts of a stage career, and Mr.
Goodwin again became a clerk, this time in a shoe store. But the old longing
soon reasserted itself, and he resumed giving his mimicry at public and
private entertainments. The late Stuart Robson happened to see him at
one of these entertainments and prevailed on John B. Stetson, who was
about to star Robson in "Law in New York" at the Howard Athenaeum,
Boston, to engage Mr. Goodwin to appear as a shoeblack and give his imitations
of well-known actors, at a salary of five dollars a week. He was so successful
in this, really his debut, that Joseph Brad ford wrote a sketch for him,
"The Rehearsal," in which he again appeared at the Athenaeum.
In 1875 he made his first New York appearance in a speaking part at Tony
Pastor.'s Theatre. Soon afterward he appeared with Miss Minnie Palmer
at the Fourteenth Street Theatre. He played Captain Crosstree in "Black-Eyed
Susan" and was then engaged by Edward E. Rice to create the part
of Captain Dietrich in "Evangeline." He did so well in this
that he was soon playing the leading part, that of Le Blanc, which he
continued to do for three years. After playing the Pirate Chief in Rice's
production of "The Corsair: and in "Pippins" a burlesque
by J. Cheever Goodwin, he organized in 1877 a company under the name of
the Froliques, and with this he appeared for the next three years, presenting,
among other plays, "Cruets," "Hobbies," "Rambles:
and "Ripples." In 1880 he made a tour with "The Member
for Slocum." In
1882 Mr. Goodwin again became his own manager, and in the next few years
produced many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas: "Confusion,"
"The Skating Rink: "Big Pony: "Our selves," "The
Black Flag: "Sparks," "A Gay Deceiver," "Colonel
Torn," "Turned Up," "A Royal Reveng," : "Lend
Me Five Shillings," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in which
he was the Bottom, and "The Viper on the Hearth." In May, 1883,
he played Modus in "The Hunchback," and the First Gravedigger
in "Hamlet" at the Cincinnati Dramatic Festival. About this
time he also played Marc Antony in "' Julius Caesar" at a benefit
for Tony Hart in New York. In 1889-90
he produced Henry Guy Carleton's "A Gilded Fool" and brought
out "A Gold Mine" in London, and also played a cockney part
in "The Bookmaker" under the management of George Edwardes.
In May, 1890, he produced for the first time at Portland, Ore., "The
Nominee" in which he created one of the most successful characters
of his career, and which later had a long run at the Bijou Theatre, New
York.
In 1896 he was the Sir Lucius O'Trigger (left) in an all star cast
revival of "The Rivals" and produced Madeleine Lucette Ryley
's "An American Citizen." In 1898 he produced Clyde
Fitch's "Nathan Hale" and in 1899 he went to London under
the management of Charles Frohman, where he appeared with his wife, Maxine
Elliott, in Clyde Fitch's "The Cowboy and the Lady." In
February, 1900, he produced "When We Were Twentyone" supported
by Miss Elliott, at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York. "Gringoire,"
"David Garrick: "In Mizzoura," and " Ambition"
were other plays which he produced at this time. In twelve years he had
created thirty-one different characters. In 1901 he made an elaborate
production of "The Merchant of Venice" playing the role of Shylock,
opening at the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York, and taking the production
on tour. The same season he presented "The Altar of Friendship: by
Madeleine Lucette Ryley . In 1903 he played in "The Usurper"
by I. C. Morris, for a season. In 1904 with Klaw
and Erlanger he made a lavish production of "A Midsummer Night's
Dream" as the opening play for the New Amsterdarn Theatre, New York,
his role being that of Bottom. In 1905-6 Mr. Goodwin appeared in W. W.
Jacobs's "The Beauty and the Barge" Alfred Henry Lewis's "Wolfville:
and "The Genius," formerly "The Genius and the Model"
by W. C. and Cecil de Mille, which he first produced in Albany, N. Y.,
April 20, 1906, and played at the Bijou Theatre, New York, during the
fall season. The season of 1907-8 Mr. Goodwin toured with his own company
in repertoire, appearing in "The Master Hand" in Boston, Mass.,
December 26, 1907. Mr. Goodwin's first wife was Eliza Weathersby, a well-known
comedy actress, who died in 1887. In February, 1898, Mr. Goodwin married
Maxine Elliott, the well-known actress. His home was at Ocean Park, Southern
California.
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