Jack Langrishe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Langrishe
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| Born |
John Sewell Folds Jr.
September 24, 1825 |
| Died | December 12, 1895 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | actor, comedian, impresario |
John Sewell "Jack" Langrishe (born September 24, 1825 – died December 12, 1895) was a famous Irish-American actor and theater manager. People knew him as the "Comedian of the Frontier" because he traveled all over the American West. Later in his life, he even became one of the first State Senators in Idaho.
Contents
Jack Langrishe: A Life on Stage
Early Life and New Beginnings
Jack Langrishe was born John Sewell Folds Jr. in Dublin, Ireland, on September 24, 1825. His father owned a print shop, and young John learned how to set type for printing at a very young age.
When a fire destroyed his father's business, the family lost everything. They decided to move to the United States. They arrived in Boston on September 19, 1845. John wanted to become an actor in America.
He moved to New York City and worked for Horace Greeley at the New York Tribune newspaper. He was a reporter and also helped set type. Because Horace Greeley didn't like theater, John started using the stage name Langrishe. He took the name from a judge he knew in Ireland.
Becoming a Traveling Performer
Jack Langrishe had performed once in Ireland, but his first show in New York was on December 8, 1845. He acted in a play called The Irish Attorney at the Chatham Theater.
In 1847, he decided to become a full-time actor, comedian, and magician. Two years later, in 1849, he married another actor named Jeannette Allen in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They both performed in a theater company. By 1850, Langrishe had his own group called "Langrishe and Company." They performed all over New York, Ohio, and parts of Canada.
In 1851, Langrishe and his company traveled west. They crossed Lake Michigan to perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After that, they had shows in Chicago, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. His group received great reviews in the Midwest until about 1859. However, they started running out of money because of actor salaries and expensive costumes.
In 1860, they arrived in Central City, Colorado. Instead of big cities, Langrishe and Company performed in mining towns. Their shows were always sold out!
After almost ten years of performing in Colorado, the Langrishes moved to Helena, Montana, in 1870. There, they built their own theater, called the Langrishe Opera House.
After the Civil War, people's tastes in theater changed in the West. Serious plays became less popular. Instead, people liked minstrel shows and burlesque (a type of comedy show). Langrishe started losing money, so he changed his shows to fit what audiences wanted. After the Langrishe Opera House burned down in 1874, the company went back to traveling.
Deadwood Adventures
Jack Langrishe, his wife Jeannette, and their company arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota, on July 15, 1876. Their first show was at The Bella Union. Langrishe and his manager, Jonas Hellawell, then rented the McDaniels Theatre on July 22, 1876. This was the first theater built in Deadwood.
The Langrishe Theatre's first play was "Trodden Down" on July 29, 1876. This theater was very important to Deadwood. It hosted the trial of Jack McCall, who was accused of killing Wild Bill Hickok. It also held the first wedding in Deadwood on August 26, 1876. The theater was even a meeting place for a group called the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. General George Crook and his officers attended a performance there on September 23, 1876.
Langrishe played a big part in Deadwood's early history. He helped plan Fourth of July events and raised money for health charities. For example, on October 14, 1876, the Langrishe Company performed a special show. They donated over $73 from ticket sales to Deadwood's hospital fund.
Calamity Jane even appeared at the Langrishe Theatre in 1876. Many talented actors and actresses performed there nightly to packed houses. Other places in Deadwood offered different kinds of entertainment, like music, dancing, and acrobats.
In May 1879, Langrishe rented and updated the Tremont House in Deadwood. He also built new opera houses in nearby mining towns like Central City and Lead. On the opening night of the Langrishe Theatre on May 9, 1878, the best seats cost $25. After the show, people could enjoy strawberries and ice cream.
The old Langrishe Theatre building was later rented out to other theater groups. It continued to be a successful place for entertainment. It even served as a church for a while. Sadly, the building was destroyed in the Big Deadwood Fire on September 26, 1879.
Final Acts in Colorado and Idaho
Many miners and business people from Deadwood moved to Leadville, Colorado, in January 1879. They hoped to find new riches there. Jack Langrishe and his company also performed in Leadville. They joined another theater group to open the new Leadville Grand Central Theatre.
The Langrishe Troupe continued to perform for audiences in Deadwood, Central, and Lead. They also put on shows for soldiers at Ft. Meade through the summer of 1879. The Jack Langrishe Company's last performance for a Deadwood audience was the play "Our American Cousin" on August 15, 1879.
On November 23, 1879, Jack and Jeannette Langrishe opened a show at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. This theater was run by a wealthy silver miner named Horace Austin Warner Tabor.
Life After the Stage
Langrishe stopped acting in 1885 and moved to Idaho. He became a Justice of the Peace (a type of local judge) and sometimes wrote plays in Coeur d'Alene. In 1890, he was elected to the State Senate as a Republican. He served in Idaho's very first State Legislature. He was on committees that helped choose the state's flag and state seal.
In 1892, he went back to his roots as a newsman. He started publishing The Wardner News newspaper in Wardner, Idaho.
After a short illness, Jack Langrishe passed away in Wardner, Idaho, on December 12, 1895. He is buried in Kellogg, Idaho.
Images for kids
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Jack Langrishe, known as the "Comedian of the Frontier."
