John A. Arneaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John A. Arneaux
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Sketch of Bust of Arneaux from 1887
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| Born | 1855 Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Beach Institute, Berlitz School of Languages, Académie Royal Des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres et Morals et Politique, New York Grand Conservatory of Music and Elocution |
| Occupation | Actor, journalist |
| Political party | Republican |
John A. Arneaux (born in 1855) was a talented actor and journalist. He was known for performing plays by William Shakespeare in New York City and Paris. From 1884 to 1886, he owned and edited the New York Enterprise. This newspaper was the biggest African American newspaper in the country at that time.
John Arneaux was respected as a journalist and a civil rights activist. He also led an African American theater group called the Astor Place Tragedy company. Along with his friend Benjamin J. Ford, he was one of the most important black Shakespearean actors of his time.
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Early Life and Education
John A. Arneaux, also known as Jean, was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1855. His father was from Paris, France, and his mother was African American. John's mother passed away when he was twelve years old.
He started school in 1865 and later attended the Beach Institute for four years. After that, he moved to New York to study German and Latin. He then went to Providence, Rhode Island, where he learned French at the Berlitz School of Languages. John also visited Paris and took courses at the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. He later graduated from the New York Grand Conservatory of Music and Elocution.
Becoming an Actor
Arneaux began his acting career in vaudeville, a type of variety show. His first big stage performance was in 1876. He played Tom Walcott in a play called "Under the Yoke, or Bond and Free" in New York.
In 1883, he published a song titled "Jumbo, the Elephant King!". A theater manager encouraged him to act more. In 1884, he played the character Iago in Shakespeare's play Othello. He performed at the Brooklyn Athenaeum and received great praise for his role.
This Othello play was put together by Benjamin J. Ford. Ford had previously starred in an all-black cast production of Richard III in 1878. In their Othello production, Ford played Othello, Alice Brooks was Desdemona, and Marie Lavere played Emilia.
The Astor Place Tragedy Company
After their success, this group of actors formed what might have been the first Shakespearean theater company made up entirely of black actors. They called themselves the Astor Place Tragedy company. John Arneaux managed the company, and they performed plays all over New York City.
In November 1884, they performed John Banim's play Damon and Pythias at the Academy of Music. Arneaux played Damon, and Ford played Pythias. Other actors in this show included John Ladue, Henrietta Vinton Davis, and Belle Martin.
Famous Roles and Praise
In 1885, Arneaux took on the main role in Richard III. This play was part of an amateur theater contest. Arneaux won a gold medal for his performance. The company then took the play on tour to Providence, Rhode Island, and other stages in New York.
In October 1886, a newspaper in Baltimore called the Director praised Arneaux's acting. They said his performance as Richard III was "perfect." Around the same time, the New York Daily News called him "Black Booth." This was a big compliment, referring to the famous actor Edwin Booth.
In 1886, Arneaux played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet with Alice Franklin as Juliet. He also played Richard III again later that year. In January 1887, the play was performed in Philadelphia. Arneaux announced he wanted to take a break from acting to focus on journalism. However, he still performed sometimes. He acted in scenes from Macbeth in April 1887. In 1888, he performed scenes from Othello and Macbeth in Baltimore.
Acting Style and Legacy
John Arneaux based his performance of "Richard III" on the style of Edwin Booth. People often compared Arneaux favorably to Booth. Arneaux was also known for the long mustache he wore for that role.
Because of his roles in Othello, Arneaux was seen as following in the footsteps of the famous African American actor Ira Aldridge. Aldridge became well-known worldwide for his Othello performances from the 1820s to the 1860s. Arneaux was part of a line of black actors who played Othello, including Aldridge, John Hewlett, and Paul Robeson.
Journalism Career
John Arneaux also worked for many newspapers in New York. In 1883, he worked for the New York World. After a year, he moved to the New York Daily News and then the New York Sun.
In 1884, he left the Sun to become an editor at the Literary Enterprise. He soon became the owner of the paper and changed its name to New York Enterprise. In his newspaper, he supported using the term "Africo-American" instead of "colored." He also promoted other important causes, like creating industrial schools and an African Historical Society.
By 1886, the Enterprise was said to have the largest number of readers among all African American newspapers. It was called the best African American journal. Sadly, his office burned down on December 14, 1886, likely by accident, and the newspaper closed.
Arneaux was an important part of a group of African American journalists at that time. This group included T. Thomas Fortune, A. F. Bradley, John Wesley Cromwell, and Ida B. Wells. Arneaux was one of the few black journalists who wrote for newspapers that were not specifically for African Americans, like the Sun, World, and Daily News.
Later Life and Travels
In late 1887, Arneaux visited the Catskills. He planned to move to Paris to continue his acting career there. People often asked him if he would restart the Enterprise newspaper. However, he felt that running an African American journal often lost money, and after the fire, he wasn't sure it would be supported. He still hoped to return to journalism someday.
Around April 1888, Arneaux traveled to Canada, and later that year, he went to Paris. He was suffering from vertigo and was looking for a change of climate. He lived in Europe for at least ten years, but not much is known about his career during this time. He moved from Paris to London in 1890 and then traveled to Germany. A play was written about Arneaux in Paris, and he returned to the U.S. in October 1891 to produce it. In 1900, he was still living in Paris.
Activism and Other Interests
John Arneaux was a member of the Republican Party. He spoke out strongly against segregation and Jim Crow laws, which were unfair rules that separated people by race. He had strong opinions and, along with William A. Freeman, publicly disagreed with Frederick Douglass in December 1884. They felt Douglass was not doing enough to fight for civil rights.
Arneaux also wrote several poems and was active in freemasonry, a fraternal organization.
