Background
William Pleater Davidge was born on April 17, 1814 at Ludgate Hill, London, England. He was the son of a merchant.
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Footlight Flashes (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Footlight Flashes The web of life is of a m...)
Excerpt from Footlight Flashes The web of life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together. Well that Ends Well. Act 4, Scene 8. IF there be anything more detestable than writing one's Autobiography, the individual who now essays the task, would be glad to know what it is. This assertion is made fearlessly, and without dread of contradiction; but, if one of my captious readers should consider me unworthy of credit, let him, or her, try the experiment, and allow me to sit in judgment on the document. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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William Pleater Davidge
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Career
When Davidge was only nine or ten years of age he loitered about the stage doors of theatres in order to catch a glimpse of the actors and actresses, whom he considered more than mortal. When he was about fourteen, some one discovered that he could sing and he was immediately given vocal lessons.
He made his stage debut in June 1836, at Nottingham, playing Adam Winterton in The Iron Chest. Following this he filled engagements at the Queens, Victoria, Olympic, and Drury Lane theatres.
In 1845 he gave an entertainment based on the works of Dickens, in whom he was intensely interested. Through mutual friends he later met the author and spent several happy evenings with him.
He came to America in 1850 and made his first appearance as Sir Peter Teazle at the Old Broadway Theatre in New York City. During the next five years he supported many of the stage favorites of that time, then went on the road with stock companies and appeared in the leading American cities.
From 1860 to 1868 he played again in New York City, appearing at various theatres. He was happiest when playing Shakespearian comedy.
He joined Augustin Daly’s company in 1869 and remained with him until 1877.
Probably his most noted and important role was that of Dick Deadeye in the first American presentation of H. M. S. Pinafore, at the Standard Theatre in New York. In 1885 he joined the Madison Square Theatre Company and was traveling with them in Wyoming at the time of his death.
In addition to playing eleven hundred different roles during his career, he wrote a play, The Family Party (which Daly promised to produce but never did), articles for newspapers, and an autobiographical book, Footlight Flashes (1866), which possesses no literary value and contains little information.
In 1859 he attracted some attention by a paper, The Drama Defended, written in reply to an article by the Rev. Dr. Cuyler attacking theatricals and theatre folk.
Achievements
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Davidge played over one thousand parts during his career. Among his best parts, besides those already mentioned, were Bishopriggs in Man and Wife, Old Hardy in The Belle's Stratagem, Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, and Croaker in The Good-Natur'd Man. In Shakespeare's comedies he was successful as Caliban, Touchstone, Dogberry, Nick Bottom, and Old Gobbo.
Works
book
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Footlight Flashes (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Footlight Flashes The web of life is of a m...)
- The drama defended: Addressed, with respect, to the public generally, and with commiseration, to Messrs. the Rev. Strickland, T.L. Cuyler, &c., &c., &c (The Minor drama)
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Footlight Flashes (Classic Reprint)
Connections
On September 30, 1842 Davidge married Elizabeth Clark. For her and their three children he maintained as a home in Brooklyn a house he had won in a lottery in 1858.
