New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-07
STUART ROBSON.
A Biographical sketch.

This commedian was born in the city o
Annapolis, Maryland, on the fourth day o
March, 1886. His father was clergyman
of the Methodist Church, and designed his
son for the same calling; but although The
social habits Of the youth were always on the
serious order-notwithstanding the power
ne subsequently acquired OF making Others
as jolly as possible-he preferred selecting
profession for himself, and having the
good fortune at very early age TO obtain
stealthy view of the performances OF small
company Of travelling players, he speediiy y
formed a resolution to '.be one of en-" A
resolution which was as speedily checked as
formed. when discovered by his reverend
father.
Methodist folks and the followers Of % the
profession which Shakespeare ennobled,
were not SO kindly disposed toward each
other in those days as they might have
| been, and it can well De imagined what
difficulties the youngster encountered in
order to crafty his love for the forbidden
| pleasures of the drama.
! At the age Of fourteen he was sent to the
! University of Virginia, an institution he
did not leave until he had acquired a fair
| English education, and 10 small knowledge
| of the troublesome mysteries OF Latin and
| Greek.
! In 1852 the conference called his father
| to Baltimore, and to that city shortly fol-
| lowed the son, Ostensibiy to resume his
| theological studies under the parental eye.
| but in reality, as it shortly proved, to give
| most of his attention to the works of the
various dramatic authors, whose plays he
| not unfrequently saw performed. Form
| ing the acquaintance of several boys of his
| own age, as stage-struck as himself, an
amateur" association was not long in be-
| ing established; and tie good mother of
| one Of the young Thes. ians, having no
picus horror for such amusements in her
kind heart, actually allowed them the use
CT her hay-loft for their performances.
Here it was that the boys, on Wednesday
| of each week, "strutted and tretted" to the
delight of many an admiring urchin; the
stage on level with the auditorium, and
divided only by three candles of tie
penny Dip persuasion. 1t is OF no little
interest to remark that several Of tAe
youths who were numbered in this 'com-
bination' afterward adopted the stage as a
profession. some of whom are now famous,
| namely: John S. Clark. the American
comedian. now playing in London: Edwin
Booth, John Wilkes Booth and Stuart
Robson. Edwin Booth shares with Ny
Forrest and Lawrence Barrett the leader
snip of the American tragic stage. John 5.
Clark is millionaire, and the first favorite
of England. Stuart Robson is idolized bv
the playgoers of Phila phia and Boston,
and Wilkes Booth is in his grave.
Mr.. Robson made his first appearance on
the regular stage at the Museum, Balt:
more. on the third of November. 1888, under
the management of John L. Owens as
Horace Courtenuy in Uncle Toms Cabin
As 1t Is''-a play written in opposition to
Mrs. Stoves book. which at that time
created such a commotiOn n the political
world. His success was not vc-y lettering,
for he had scarcely spoken half a dozen
lines OF his small part before he was at
tackled by what our theatrical friends term
stage fright" and, in the laidst of the
laughter of audience and actors. he rushed
from the scene, gained his dressin room at
(. bound, and, seizing his hat. coat and IN
mentionables, lost no time in reaching the
street and making good time for the par
sonage.
This event seems to have cooled his sta ye
love for some time, for it is not
until January l3, 1873. that we fnd
him playing at the little theatre at
alexandria, Virginia. where the play
b:ll tells us he performed Cassius il
Julius Caesar Tragedy seems 10 have
been his ambition at this time: but that he
met with but little success seems quite GER
tain, for shortly after this We read OF his
playing such small parts as R0sc1cr0ntc in
Hamlet" and the SertoN5 in the Lady OF
Lyons
II the fall of 1879. NJ Robson appears to
have relinquished al! hope of being success
tai in tragedy; perhaps, pSor fellow, with
many bitter regret, for we find him play
ing second low comedy parts in Troy, New
New York. From tbs time to the present,
his career is plain. After playing with va
ried fortune in the smaller Western cities,
Mr. Robson was secured for the position o.
principal comedian Of the Holiday Street
Theatre. Baltimore. for the season of 1888.
where he must have been favorably re-
ceived, to judge from the fact that Mr. JET
ferson, then comedian of the Richmond
Theatre, having been engaged TO play a
short engagement IN Baltimore, he was sent
to Richmond as his substitute and made his
first appearance in that city as TOuchstone
in Gas You Like It. and Crack in the
Turnpike Gate" After playing engage
ments in several Southern theatres, Mr..
Robson made his first appearance at Laura
Keene's Theatre, New York, November %,
1862, as Bob in "Old Heads and Young
Hearts" to the Jesse R,troi of Mr.. w. Il.
Blake, and Alice Howthormc Of Miss Laura
Keene, aud was received with much favor.
In 1861 he appeared as Bob 4cres in the
Rivals" and Sno-=le in To Paris and Back
for Co." at the Arch Street Theatre, Phila-
delpia He was received Unfavorably, at
first, by both press and audience, one of the
papers advising him the morning after t!ae
performance, to ''get out Of the city as soon
as possible.
In this theatre. however, he remained
three years, but before leaving it for "other
scenes and pastures new this same paper
declared that Mr.. Robson was the greatest
favorite and best comedian Philadelphia