The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-28
ACTOR COULDoCK DEAD
OLDEST ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE
PROFESSION PASSES AWAY.
In His Eighty-FOurth Year, and Had
Played Over sixty-TwO Yenrs-Dun-
stan Kirke His Greatest Role.

dropsy. Mr. Couldock was stricken on Nov.
8 with what was thought to be indigestion,
but afterwards diagnosed dropsy. On Nov.
Il his condition became critical and since
them, even though he has had several
slight rallies, death was expected. His son.
S. Y Couldock, a travelling salesman, sur
wives him.
Mr. Couldock, who was last seen in this
city at English's several years ago with
Efie Ellsler, was the oldest actor in the
| Engsh-speaking theatrical world, and had
been sixty-two years upon the stage Dur
ing that period he had supported such actors
| as Macready, Charles Kean, Nine. Vestris,
Charles Mathews, Fanny Kemble, John
Vandenhoff. Bucks, Webster and Ellen
Tree. Before he came into the sphere of
such famous people, however, he had acted
in barns and walked between the small
towns in which he played. His career in
| this country-for he was an Englishman by
birth-began in 1919. when he acted with
Charlotte Cushman in THE Stranger
Most of the younger generation of theater-
goers made the acquaintance of Mr. CouI-
dock when he was playing the father Dun
stan Kirke, in Hazel Kirke," at the Madi-
son-square Theater, New York in 1880. and
for five years afterwards on the road Born
in Long Acre, London, in April 1915. edu-
Gated by his aunt, at the age of thirteen he
was placed in a warehouse to begin a com
mercial career He went occasionally to the
theater, but it was not until he had seen
Macready in Lord Byron's Werner" that
he determined to become an actor himself
His aunt was Mortified at the announce
ment of this intention and he remained at
business, spending as much of his time and
a q han fnT &c hns .r...1z
said no more to his aunt about going ON the
stage, but joined the Aldersgate Institute
In In recent interview Mr.; Couldock related
the story of his theatrical life as follows:
"On my twenty-first birthday my aunt
died, and decided that as there was no.
body left who objected to my becoming an
actor, L would go on the stage A friend
who worked In the same warehouse with me
knew man who in turn knew an actor
named Burton who used to play second old
man parts at the Sadler's Wells Theater.
1hls actor was then about to have what
was then called a ticket night. which
meant that he got half the money taken in
for tickets Well, j got a letter of intro
duction to Burton and when / agreed to
take 910 worth of tickets for his benefit he
allowed me to perpetrate 'Othello.' He told
me to select whatever role / wanted and
as had been trying Othello on the boys at
the institute, / chose that role. IT must
have been a dreadful performance but the
house was crowded and the enthusiasm
something l had never seen excelled. All
the warehouse men in the city were there,
and they appauded whatever happened. /
had only to open my mouth and the APP
plause commenced. 1t was that enthusiasm
though, that kept me on the stage. After
the performance / found the greater part of
the audience waiting for me at the stage
door: They marched me to tavern in the
neighborhood, where we had speeches and
ale, and finally a committee was formed
which, 1t was decided. should look after my
artlsuc future. 1t did raise for me purse
OF $50 so l gave up my situation in the
warehouse and began to look about for one
on the stage
~
ways reported that nothing could be found
for me. At last had only co left and taxi
ing them to an agent named Simms 1 told
him he could have the whole thing If he
would get me an engagement Immediately
The next morning heard from him. and by
night | was a member of the Rogen COM
pany, which was to commence at Farnham
IN Surrey. / was promised a salary of Is
shillings week, which / never cote was
played the old comedies, Speed the Plough
and the like, and for four months | STAYED
with Rogen. acting in whatever kind of part
l was cast for. Then I Joined Jackmans
which was much better company and
played with them for year. We wouIo
stay in town from one to three weeks. de-
pending entirely on the amount of success
We had. We played everything from
Shakespeare to farce
After living in retirement for time I
went to Bath. which was just losing its pop
ularity as a fashionable resort and acted
with John Vanaenhoff, one. of the greatest
actors that ever lived. In 1913 Lester Wal
lack and | met in Southampton, and the
next year we both Joined the company at
the Edinburgh theater William Davidge was
in the COMPANY at the same time Two
years later / went to Birmingham as leading
nan at the Royal Theater The theater at
Liverpool was under the same management
and for four years l played in these two
houses, supporting Macready. who had first
inspired me to become an actor; Nine. YES
iris, Charles Kean. and finally Charlotte
Cushman, who made me an offer to come
with her to America. Macready had already
asked me to go with him to the Princess
Theater for a period of three years, but I
wanted to come to the United States and
sailed on the Cunard steamer America on
I'VE made our first appearance here to-
gether in The Stranger and I played the
After that we Travelled through the principal
cities and when Miss Cushman returned to
London had decided that 7 liked America
enough to stay here. often think of the
work had in those days compared to the
lot of our actors to-day. Miss Cushman at
n ne1, nenehts always played Macbeth and
that one EVENING" l had to dress after the
fight in. Macbeth and be ready as the Duke
| was usually exhausted, but no amount of
argument could persuade Miss Cushman to
change that programme. Her other benefit
was Henry VIII and Simpson & Co. and
was easier for the actors.
1T was i'm Philadelphia where I acted at
the Walnut-street Theater. after Miss Cush-
man went to Europe that I got hold of a
part in which I made. probably, the greatest
success Of my career. ! opened there as
I.
after this Nine. Celeste came to play an en-
gagement at the theater, bringing with her
a new play called The Willow Copse'
had the role of Luke Fielding and when
brought Nine. Celeste before the curtain
she refused to accept the applause for her.
self and introduced me TO the audience as
the most successful actor in the piece. AS
we left the stage she said to me:
After your acting as Luke Fielding this
play ought to belong to you. You shall have
copy of it and the right to produce 1t
wherever you want to-
II took q copy of the play and made my
first attempt as star in it. I remember
that it had of three nights in Pitts
burg on my first tour and that was re-
garded as something phenomenal for that
town in those days. For twenty years Luke
but even it was not proof against the de-
preston in theatricals that followed the
panic of 81 There was no money in star
ring, so I went back to New York and Joined
Laura keene's company at the old Olympic.
I'm the company were Joseph jefferson.
William Rufus Blake. Sothern and Mines
Levick. While we were there James Bur
new fve-act play called Our American
Cousin TO the,company. After the reading
he asked me whether ] would play the part
of Coylc. the lawyer. or his clerk Abel Muir
colt. I declined to play either part on the
ground that the piece was nothing more
than a fiVe-act Yankee farce. a kind OF play
familiar enough in one act rs an afterpiece
Sothern, who was cast for Lord Dundreary
declined to act in the piece for the same
reason But Miss Keene finally prevailed on
both of us. and Sothern's part made his
fame and Abel Murcott was considered one
of my best parts
A season with John Owens in New Or