San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-26
HIS FAREWELL.
G. ". OOULDOOK, THE OLDEST AMER
loan ACTOR.
Will Celebrate His Birthday and
Bid Farewell to the Stage.

NEW YORK, April &c. w.
COuldOck, the Oldest American &C
tor, will celebrate this week both
his eightieth birthday and his re-
tirement from the stage. He is
American by adoption only, as he
was born April 20, 1915, in London.
When boy he was magnetized
by Macready until he determined
to go on the stage. AS youth he
worked in warehouses and used to
recite to his companions during
the noon hour. In his twenty-first
year he began his stage career by
playing "Othello" at a benefit.
His warehouse friends packed the
house and subscribed fifty pounds
to give him start on the stage.
In 1914, while playing in Edin-
burgh. Lester WallaCk, subse-
Quently to capture the affections
Of America, joined the same COM
pany. Five years later the chance
Of his life came when he was Sc
cured to play Sir Giles Overreach
at Birmingham. For four years
he played with Macready, Charlotte
Cushman, Charles Kean, and other
| lights. One day there came a crisis
in his life. Macready asked him
to go to London to support him at
the Princess. Charlotte CuShman
then DESTROYS Of visiting the states,
asked him to go with her to Amer
lea. 1t was a tossup for several
hours until one OF the company
said to him, "See here, COuldoCk,
you want to see some other coun-
try than England before YOU die"
That decided him and in Septem-
Der, 1919, he sailed with the Cush-
man company for New York. Dur
ing the year he supported Cush-
man in all the leading cities, and
when she returned to England af-
| ter twelve month, he had become
50 charmed with America that he
could not tear himself away. He
became leading man at the Walnut
Street Theatre, Philadelphia. There
he played Jacques in GAS You Like
It," and in 1872 made a great hit in
Pittsburg in the swallow Corpse"
In the season. lSJS-J0 he played
with Laura Keene's company in
New York. Soon afterward the
american Cousin" was brought
out. Couldock smiles now when
he recalls that Southern and he at
first objected to playing In it as
beneath them. He played around
at the various theatres until 1879,
when he joined the Madison
Square company. He was an old
man then, and he didn't see how
there could be any more successes
in store for him, but the greatest
hit OF his life came right here.
"Hazel Kirke" was put on and he
| was cast for DunstOn kirke. The
first night the house was crowded
then business dropped Off, and the
| managers were on the point Of
taking off the piece. Then some
critic pointed out that COuldock's
portrayal Of the blind miller was
great piece OF character acting.
The play began to boom and was
not taken of the boards till 1t had
broken all records for continuous
performance. For five consecutive
years he played Dunston Kirke.
Among his last parts was the old
man in alabama" 1t was re.
ported some weeks ago that the
veteran favorite was to enter the
Forest Home for INDECENT actors.
This made his friends indignant,
but it awakened them to realiza-
tiOn OF his need OF aid, and they set
to work to arrange a big benefit
for him. Joseph Jefferson is one
of the leading spirits in it. 1t is
scheduled for May 81 at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre, when the "Rivals"
will be presented with a cast in
GLIDING jefferson, Mrs. John Drew,
Nat Goodwin, William II. Crane
and Sol Smith Russell, the great
est comedy "star" cast ever seen in
. III