New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-18
EDWARD HARRIGAN.

TIE CAREER OF A TYPICAL NEW-YORKER
Edwa fIarrigan has a large and fairly comfortable
he-sing oom-a, actors dres-insfooms goat his
Theatre but the rod 10 Il Is beset with dangers TO the
unwarv visitor H. forced to pass In close proH-
Unity to the heels OF the mule and the horns OF the
diminutvo oxen who play important pantomimc parts
I'm Pete" Any who ha, from the auditorium
seen tn, hcelex ending proclviucs Of the ccn'r1ers
mule is ap TO give him a wide berth even when he
rcpos in apparent harmlcssncss In the secuson OF
private life, BIT I'm treating the distinguished hybrid
with due AMI courtesy. one f. apt to discover
that though the oxen are small their horns are aDor-
mally large and extremely sharp. and also mar thfse
mldeycd animals have a dccdd tendency to IN
vest gate the degree Of resistance that animate obJec's
are able to offer to their pointed attentions
1t was last Tuesday night. that reporter ailer
having .Lirtcd round Charybds mule and lodged the
sya oxen knocked at the author actors door and was
hidden to enter. Mr. Iair gan engaged IN putting
Ethlop's hue but needless 81 the condition OF
his hand extended H. After moment of h"-itaii"n'
the scribe solved the difficulty by sraspns the stars
wrist.
You are NEWCOMER by birth. believe, Mr. Iiar-
rlgan -
yes and so was my father. though he was OF irish
pqrcntagc My mother whose madn name was
Rog,r born in Norfolk. number OF her relatives
wore XII ed on board the Chesapeake I'm the great hight
with the Cnerricrc II was from my mother tina,
had a capital dialect and could dance and jump Jim
Crow A. well as ! ever saw II done. was born on
scammcll-st in tho Seventh Ward away over on the
Hook. ] took to the streets and the wafer az inc
New York boys Of that time all did, and for that mat
ter do now. l swan the docks, and Knew every olt
of tie city. and watched IT grow as I ercw-only IT
grew a great deal faster. At that time East Broad
way not far from my home. tho bon ton
quarter How It has changed But knew all
quarters the low end Just we'll as the other extrcmc
Tho characters learned to know then have been OF
the greatest value to me. never seem TO have any
difficulty in finding we'll marked and original charac-
tcrs or in giving them dialogue The inventinG and
bulldinc-up OF plots f. what gives me most trouble
As a boy used to sing Irish and negro songs for
nv own amusement and that Of nv companions, and
when quite small youth, was allowed to go
on one night at the Bowcry Theatre with Camp
BELLS MINISTRIES. | delivered stump speech OF my
own writing, and got and OF very well That was
my fr-t appearance on tho regular stag. Very soon
after this ] ran away from home, and went TO sea
Wien found myself ia san Francisco had had nough
Of old ocean and got first paying engagement on
the stage the Olympic Theatre in that city in tho
company there were Joe Murphy, Iotta and Maggie
Moore In those days the programme consisted OF
variety. mlnstrclsy and al least three act drama
I'm everything and got splendid training for tho
stage manager James Bowling. who had held the
same position with Burton, and knew his business
thoroughly. good many old actors VIII remember
his
at was in 1873. after had been back Fast some
time and played in Sketches with Hart that entered
into an arrangement with him and Mart Ianlcy, stin
my business manager, to mako A tour OF The country
IN piece called Tho Doylo Brcthers.' This was
or dnaly written I'm California by man named Wood
ward, but rcwrofe It. We opened with Mr. Field at
the Boston Museum, and had vcry successful tour
lasting almost eleven months and extending far a.
flD 4 W
poared a. a company Of the gallant Goth and dih
drilL was elderly Irishmsn who was always try
Ing TO get into tho ranks By tho way, II wa IN th-
p.ece that Hart and sang tho song buds Dandy
Dudes This long time In advance II the d"'h
becoming a recognized type and ! rally believe We
ped to create him II f. heavy SIN 10 have 20 an
swer for. ! know, but am afraid shall have TO
shout Ter my share 81 the blame.
awhile VIC we're travelling. Hanloy made ono or two
Aylng jump. into New York lo9'iu' hr theatre and
al last secured The ola Theatre CoaInc AZ 5l4 BROAD
way. We opened there ia tho fan ~ Ie'G with t"e
Doyle Brothers, which had lot Of variety performers
lnirodu. od nto It. Among them were the Original
Big a. composed Of smith, Wddrou, Morton and
Master Marin There have ben many Bg Iours
since, bui that We, the inst ana 10 va, Harlof Who
chr stoned them Among the Othrr- VINO dd Turns
during fhat aud tic cneuIn. -ca-on v tc lt Io'no',
y G. GOODWIN and Gcorse Knight. W. Away. wound
up thr entertainment win a short sketch tth "'o'
M fhe second l-ou determined o irF longer pr'o
vi icd n'o acts Tli- an Innovation Tia scent
thrn of horror through all my tiend- and Oh" entire
variety profession. Drp the cura nF tncy *
claimed. lou'l dleF II sou don't do song and
dance youn perish right here Wei, W, Obstinate
and wrote AMI brought ont The Major u was a
great success. Traditions shattered. and have
been goiu' writing longer PLAYS ever SINCE.
Squafter sovcrei snty was the ncN pee" ] wrote
III 1919 We moved mp to the second Theatre towllur.
opposite tho Nsw York Hotel We h1d ten years
leae % The ground AT GIG 600 Year and bar ." pn
up the building II opened with The Mayor
and InvcstigatO va lcng played WHOM 10 was
burned iwn. 81 ihs theatre hcrau with revival OF
Old Lavender which rewrOi" aud extended.
81 want 10 get away from the broader knh ~ fare"
that nccoasitacs winding mp act with slap-baug ana
a knock down. Many Of my Character arc ! think
good enough 10 havc better background Tho Mul
lran4 particularly to me 20 hc worth Doing IN
moro legitimate comedy. have IN : finished a four
act Irish play The scene are laid in lrcianl bur
rcro i. noih'ng about Irish wrong or English tyranny
! have accomplished I'm fhis what la generally con
Idle cd a dlGcnl feat IN Iri-h PLAYS and ht Is having
only one scene act in al 90 arta hut tho second
In that thrrc are only three snJ Of nv big
scenic effects Al the end Of H. have the part
OF Eng sh detective and assume five d gns-s ono
Fc Gilman. the others Il fcreni -tvlrs ~ Irish
men. There f. a funny school srenc I'm which am The
schOOlmasfer, There g. capital part for IN" GA
woman who PLAYS opposite 10 me. Ehc IA goose
plnckor-a Character well known In Ireland. have
also nearly I'M he'd fur-ac mclodrara or character
DIANA - Nsw-YOri lfo huf I begin 4" thilk neither
NJ he mic 10 oif f.