The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-11-08
lew YORK LOSES
lore LANDMARKS
Istoric Old Union Square Thea
ter to Be Raced.
|ORT0N HOUSE ALSO TO GO

story of Morton House and the tn.
alter Are Closely Linked-Theate
once First-CIass Producing Play
mouse, In Which Many Of tn,
Famous Actors and Actresses Of tn,
Present Day Made Their Debut
Ended Up as 6urIesque House.
Two historic landmarks of New
rk-the Union Square theater an6
Morton house-Which have stood
halr a century in Union square. al
e time New York's rialto, are to be
zed to make way for more modern
ructures.
The Union Square theater, built and
ened by Sheridan Shook In 1871 be-
p as variety house. Later II be-
me first-class producing playhouse.
which many of the famous actors
"a actresses Of the present day made
cir debut. 1t winds up it's career as
burlesQue theater.
In Days of A. M. Palmer.
AS a variety or vaudeville house II
pened with program including the
artinette-Ravel troupe Of pantomim-
IS, the team of Harrigan and Hart.
10 JEFFERSON de Angels. When A. M.
almar, who afterward made the
almer Stock company famous in
mer1ca and England, was placed in
large of the theater, he began
aging series of London REVEALS
It'll Miss Agnes Ethel, once leading
dy for Augustin DAILY, in the lead.
Ehers In the company were Kate
axton, Clara Morris, Eliza Weather
!, who afterwards became Mrs. Nat
>odwfn; Clara Jennings and Emily
estayer. James O'Neil, later Of
fonte Cristo" fame; J. II. Stoddard
ark Smith, Charles r. Thorne. Jr
aude Harrison and Agnes Booth
me later.
New plays were soon added bv the
mpany, which took on other plav-
$, including, Mckee Rankin. Ioui.
drich, John Parselle, c. T. Psrsole.
lnnie Palmer, Rose Eytinge, F. f.
ackay, Marie Wilkins, Charles Cogh-
n and Richard Mansfield.
The most famous success of the
lion Square was the 1.-TWO Orphansn
anslated from the French and |
wked about for $500 until Palmer
I'D it. 1t ran $50 nights and was
sensation of the theatrical season.
ate Claxton, who played Louise the
nd girl, bought it outright and
aged 1t for twenty years.
Other famous plays produced were
he Bankers Daughter" "My Part
rs, THE Celebrated Case" "Ark-
lights Wife, and brighton The
ccesses were followed by stock pro-
lctions, in which Frank Mayo, Min
Palmer, Nelly Howard, owen
lwcett, Kate Denim Wilson, Charles
Harris, Lawrence d'Orsay and Au-
stus Cook and others played.
The first performance Of 1.-THE MI
do" In New York was given in the
don Square, with Roland Reed and
Ice Harrison in the title roles.
harlie Chaplin Made Debut Here.
n 1885 James M. Hill took the the
r and brought out a new and I'M
lrd-of star, Margaret Mather, and
on Romeo and Juliet" During
management Chauncey Olcott OBJ
ned his first engagement In opera.
little later Charlie Chaplin, now IA
us moving-picture comedian, made
debut In New York, with a small
t in 4 speciality company, which
ed a week and was a frost"
er the theater was turned over to
tn, who operated 1t as a vaudeville
Sc for many years, after which 1t
anne burlesQue stock house.
he history Of the theater and the
ton house are closely linked, as
= adjoined. The latter was great !
e for the meeting of the actors
managers. 1t was also the home
q group of politicians of the. old !
'ol, of which John Reilly, the old {
strar and Tammany leader Of the /
side, was dean. His table in the :
ton was always surrounded by :
ads Of that day.