The Shakespeare riots

 This was new to me!

The Shakespeare Riot, also known as The Astor Place Riot occurred on May 10, 1849, at the now-demolished Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City.

Its ostensible genesis was a dispute between Edwin Forrest, one of the best-known American actors of that time, and William Charles Macready, a similarly notable English actor, which largely revolved around which of them was better than the other at acting the major roles of Shakespeare.

The riot left 22-31 rioters dead (accounts differ), and more than 120 people injured. 

Interestingly, theatre riots were not a rare occurrence in New York at the time. In the early 19th century, theatre as entertainment was a mass phenomenon, and theatres were the main gathering places in most towns and cities. At the time, audiences treated theatres as places to make their feelings known, not just towards the actors, but towards their fellow theatergoers of different classes or political persuasions. 

As can be imagined, star actors amassed an immensely loyal following, comparable to modern celebrities or sports stars. 

At the time, American theatre was dominated by British actors and managers. The rise of Edwin Forrest as the first American star and the fierce partisanship of his supporters was an early sign of a home-grown American entertainment business. 

It has been said that the riot had been brewing for more than 80 years, since the Stamp Act riots of 1765, when an entire theatre was torn apart while British actors were performing on stage. 

I wish they would record Nigel Cliff's The Shakespeare Riots as an audiobook!