McKee Rankin and the heyday of the American theater / David Beasley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beasley, David R., 1931-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rankin, McKee, 1844-1914.

Rankin, McKee.

Actors--United States--Biography.

Actors.

Theatrical managers.

United States.

Theatrical managers--United States--Biography.

Theater--United States--History--19th century.

Theater.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xvii, 520 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Waterloo, Ont. : Wilfrid Laurier University Press, [2002]

Contents:

1860: The Tyro in Rochester 7

Act 1 Repertory Theater 15

1863: Cincinnati 15

1863-1864

Indianapolis 24

Lexington 31

Kitty Blanchard 33

Rankin on Canadian Stages 38

1864-1865

Pittsburgh 40

Boston 44

1865-1866

Leading Man: Philadelphia 49

Boston and E.L. Davenport 61

1866-1867

New York City and Light Comedy 63

Chicago and St Louis 66

On the Road 67

The Burlesquing of American Drama 69

1867-1868

Rankin Tours as Actor-Manager 75

1868-1869

Variety and Chicago's Plaudits 82

Act 2 Stardom 89

New York City in 1869 89

1869-1870

Pike's Dramatic Company 93

Acting in Tandem 95

1870-1871: Go West, Young Actor 100

1871-1872: St Louis and Rankin's Comedy Theatre 112

1872-1873: Fame as Rip Van Winkle and Bankruptcy 118

1873-1875

The Boucicault Interlude 122

The Union Square Theatre Company 123

The Two Orphans 129

1875-1876: The Two Orphans on Tour 136

1876-1877: Philadelphia 139

1877-1878: The Fabulous Danites 149

1878-1879: The Theater Changes 158

1879-1880: England Welcomes the West 164

1881-1882

Blanchard's Troubles 172

'49, Successor to The Danites 176

1882-1883: Stock and Saxe-Meiningen 181

1883-1884: Rankin's Third Avenue Theatre 185

1884-1885

Rankin's Cooperative Stock Company 190

1885-1886

Successful San Francisco Days 198

Macbeth 211

The American Theatre Company Continues 218

Act 3 Obsession 237

1886-1887: The Rise of Mabel Bert 237

1887-1888: Reversals 243

1888-1889: The Runaway Wife versus

The Golden Giant Mine 247

1889-1890: The Canuck 254

1890-1891: Sued for Support 257

1891-1892: Abraham Lincoln and Frank Mayo 261

1892-1893: Setback and Reconciliation 266

1893-1894

The Drew-Barrymore-Rankin Connection 271

The Great Discovery 274

1894-1895: Lamson Blossoms into O'Neil 279

1895-1896: Interlude with "Gentleman Jim" Corbett 283

Act 4 The Reign of Nance O'Neil 285

1896-1897: Creating a Star 285

1897-1898

The Murray Hill Experience 291

Nance O'Neil's Star Begins to Rise 294

1898-1899

Homecoming 299

London Bound 306

1899: Star Rising 309

1900

The Australian Experience 312

Melbourne and Adelaide 317

1901

Au Revoir Sydney 319

New Zealand 323

1901-1902: Africa 326

1902

London 330

The Syndicate 334

1903

Retrieving Lost Fortunes 336

The Debacle in Chicago 346

1904

Boston: Unimaginable Success 354

Lizzie Borden Interlude 368

New York City: The Big Chance 370

1905

Licking the Wounds 375

The Great Australasia Return 379

1906: Coming through Disaster 384

1906-1907: The Last Chance 391

1907-1908: Vaudeville

Where the Money Is 395

1908: Agnes and the Shubert Imbroglio 400

1909: Larkin Bunce, Belasco, and The Lily 408

Act 5 Rankin on the Rebound 417

1909-1911: Lionel, Doris, and Mac 417

1911-1913: Margaret Drew and the West 422

1914: Death 430

Appendix A Progeny 435

Appendix B Plays by McKee Rankin 439.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0889203903 :

OCLC:

48670846