New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
LAURA KEENE.


H ART FIsE 8ANAGER AND scHoLAR 10;
gcther with some Interesting "Reminiscences OF
Her Daughters. BY John Creahan. Emo, PIP.
ga With Fourteen Illustrations. Philadelphia:
The Rodgers Publishing Company.
Among the players who were exceptionally
popular about forty years ago. the figure of MISS
Laura Keene conspicuous,-largely because
of her personal beauty, but partly, also, because
OF her histrionic talent. Miss Keene was never
accounted a great actress. but competent judges
esteemed her a good One.-some of her decisive
successes having been gained as Marco in THE
Marble Heart" Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair
and Ogarita in THE Sea Of Ice" She was pro-
ficient also, as Peg Wellington in Masks and
Faces" Miss Hardcastle in she Stops to Con-
quer," Lady Gay Spanker in London Assur-
ance" and Lydia Languish in THE Rivals An
actress capable Of effective embodiment within
the range Of comedy thus indicated must nave
possessed unusual aptitude for acting, together
with trained and disciplined ability. Miss
Keene's professional achievement. however. was
ephemeral, exerting no considerable influence
upon the stage, and leaving no result other than
an impression Of her experiences and force. Mrs.
Barrow, Mrs. Gladstan. Mrs. Lander Mrs.
Wood Mrs Vernon and Mrs. Waiack, among
others, who belonged to the same period, ex-
erted a greater power and fascination. and, al
though getting to be forgotten. will be much
longer remembered and no judicious person
would think IT necessary to devote biography
to any Of them
Miss Keene was born in London, about 1920
her present biographer says 1876. and mentions
that her father was "a builder" and that she
"did not come Of theatrical family" In early
life she obtained employment in the London
Olympic under the management of Nine. Vestrs.
and at that theatre. in 1851, she played Pauline
in THE Lady of Lyons" thus attracting the at
tention of the elder Waack, who engaged her for
his New-York company and brought her to Amer
lea in 1852 Her first appearance here was made
on the opening night (September 20 1SJ2) of Wal
lacks Theatre.-the Broadway and Broome-st.
house-as Alpha Vaudeville in THE Will" She
remained there but short time. preferring to as
sert herself at once as star, and presently as a
manager In the course OF her wanderngs she
went to San Francisco and from that city, in
the dramatic company of Edwin Booth she went
to Australia. In 1866 she managed for a short
time the Metropolitan Theatre. New-YOrk, call
ing il Laura Keene's Varieties dt was the
house which afterward became the Winter Gar
DEM, and in the fall of 1856 she opened Laura
Keenes Theatre, at No. ga Broadway a short
distance south of Bleecker-st, where she con-
tinued to manage and act until 1863. when that
house was reftted by Mr. John Duff and became
Mrs John Woods Olympic Miss Keene's first
production there was "As You Like It," in which
she acted Rosalind, and thereafter she produced
many and various dramas including Camille"
Rachael the Reaper" David Copperfeld" and
"The Heart Of Midlothian" but perhaps her most
notable production that Of Our American
Cousin" October 1S, 1853, In which Mr.. Jefferson
as Asa Trenchard, and Mr.. Sothcrn, as Lord
Dundreary, laid the foundations Of their fame.
She also brought out r. Il. De Walden's Seven
Sisters" which had long run. After leaving that
theatre she again traversed the country as a star
and as all readers are aware. she was acting at
Fords Theatre. In Washington, In April. 1865,
when President Lincoln was assassnated: In
that dreadful emergency she displayed admirable
self command. helped to allay panic, and gave
such assistance as might he rendered by kind
hearted woman. In 1865 she visited England.
little later she was concerned In the publica-
ton Of n paper called Fine Arts" She died OF
consumption on November 4, 1873, and her grave
is I'm Greenwood. Miss Keene twice mar
ried,-frst to Mr.. John Taylor. and In 1860 TO Mr.
John Lutz.
The record OF the life OF Miss Keene was sufl-
GENTLY complete without Mr. Creahan's futile at
tempt at a biography. Statistics and Mysteries do
not constitute adequate memoir OF any
body This book, which has been made with a
scissors and a paste-pot, largely consists Of ex-
tracts from old newspapers blended with titles Of
plays and with insignificant private letters.-not
from Miss Keene. but from her deceased chill
dren. A most acrimonious spirit is manifested
toward writer's who do not happen to share Mr..
Creahan's wild admiration Of Miss Keens's act
Ing. and In at least one instance the language OF