He Was Employed in a Chicago Store
and Spent Many of His Evenings
in Amateur Dramatics.
Reference to the premiere of "Mrs. Dane's Defense," in the paragraph on
Margaret Anglin, recalls the fact that that occasion marked the first
appearance of Charles Richman with the Empire stock company, he having the
opposite role to Miss Anglin. He had won golden spurs as leading man with
Annie Russell in "Miss Hobbs" and "A Royal Family," to which company he
had passed from "The Great Ruby" at Daly's, where he had been playing with
Ada Rehan at the time of Mr. Daly's death.
Mr. Richman went from trade to the theater by way of the amateur stage. He
was employed in a Chicago store, and spent many of his evenings with an
amateur dramatic association, of which he was one of the most active
members. A benefit performance for some charity on one occasion proved
such a success that a friend with money and a desire to sprout the wings
of an "angel" proposed to put the troupe on the road for a summer season.
"I was immensely excited and pleased over the notion," Mr. Richman
explained in telling me of his start as a professional, "but the rest of
the cast were rather dubious about undertaking the experiment, and their
friends and relatives were decidedly opposed to it. But I persuaded and my
wealthy friend cajoled, and finally we set out.
"Three mothers insisted on going along, so we must have resembled a moving
boarding-house. The outcome may be imagined. The man of money parted with
this in exchange for experience, but, happily, nobody had to walk the ties
home. However, the die was cast so far as I was concerned. I had smelled
of the calcium, and there was no more clerking for me. I came to New York,
managed to meet the late James A. Herne, who cast me for _Philip Fleming_
to the _Margaret_ of his wife. Under his management I was also _The
Stranger_ in that oddly impressive play, 'Hannele.'"
Mr. Richman, who was sadly handicapped by mismanagement in his starring
venture of two seasons ago, is now awaiting the completion of a new play
to launch forth once more into the active midstream of theatrical
endeavor, where his undoubted ability justifies his presence. During his
career as leading man at Daly's he demonstrated his right to that high
post by the worthy portrayal of characters as wide apart as Shakespeare
comedies and Drury Lane melodrama could make them.