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Richard Golden (1854–1909) was a noted comedy actor of the stage whose most famous role was "Old Jed Prouty" in his play of the same name. The play helped to create and nationalize the genre of Down East humor, and helped make Golden one of the more celebrated comedians of his generation. Born in Bangor, Maine the son of an Irish immigrant and dry goods merchant, Golden joined a Mexican circus (Allie's Allied Shows) touring the U.S. at the age of 13.〔Obituary, ''New York Times'', August 11, 1909〕 He later married actor and singer, Dora Wiley, and initially toured with her as a member of the "Dora Wiley Opera Company". The company became stranded in Albany, New York in 1885 when it experienced financial difficulties and Golden contracted malaria.〔"Opera Company Stranded", ''New York Times'', August 11, 1885〕 The couple's fortunes had turned by 1888 when Wiley sang "Home, Sweet, Home" in front of President Grover Cleveland at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York,〔"Will Sing to the President", ''New York Times'', May 19, 1888〕 and, the following year, Golden impressed audiences in New York, and soon the country, for his portrayal of Old Jed Prouty in his original play of the same name. Wiley had a singing part in the production, and came to be known as "The Sweet Singer of Maine". Golden's ''Old Jed Prouty'', which he wrote with William Gill, premiered in New York's Union Square Theatre on May 14, 1889, and moved to the Harlem Opera House later that same year.〔Notes of the Stage, ''New York Times'', November 24, 1889〕 Prouty was a comedic Maine yankee tavern keeper living in the coastal town of Bucksport, the birthplace of his wife Dora Wiley and not far from Golden's own home-town of Bangor. The play began touring nationally in 1890 to rave reviews. Golden would go on to other plays and other parts, but would continually revive ''Prouty'' in the course of his career, ultimately playing it over 3,000 times in venues all over the eastern half of the U.S. Wiley divorced Golden in 1892, married her (much younger) business manager, and returned to her home in Bangor.〔"Dora Wiley Married Again", ''New York Times'', December 13, 1893〕 With Dora gone, Golden shut down ''Old Jed Prouty'' by 1893 and joined the Pauline Hall Opera Company at the Tremont Theatre in Boston.〔''New York Times'', July 23, 1893〕 By 1895 Golden was broke, and appeared in debtor's court declaring he had "not a cent in the world".〔"Golden Takes Poor Debtor's Oath", ''New York Times'', June 8, 1895〕 The following year (1894) found Golden in the alcoholic's ward at Bellevue Hospital, but by the end of the year he had returned to the stage with a revival of ''Jed Prouty''.〔"Richard Golden in Bellvue", ''New York Times'', March 21, 1894〕 Through the rest of the 1890s newspapers alternately reported him "critically ill" (usually in a hotel room), and drawing huge and appreciative crowds in a variety of comic roles. By the end of the decade he was one of the most celebrated stars of American comic opera. Around 1908 he also took a part in the London production of ''The Dollar Princess'', a German light opera.〔 Golden died suddenly in 1909 on a friend's houseboat in Gravesend Bay, New York, while preparing to return to Maine. He is buried in Bangor's Mount Hope Cemetery〔 Golden's daughter Bernice also became a professional actress. She was seriously injured by a piece of falling scenery while playing in ''The Greyhound'' at the Astor Theatre in New York, and could not work for several years, but returned to the stage in 1915, first in Chicago, and then in ''Alice in Wonderland'' at New York's Booth Theatre〔''New York Times'', March 25, 1915〕 An historic hotel in the town of Bucksport, Maine is named "The Jed Prouty Tavern" in honour of Golden's character. Golden himself briefly worked there as a clerk long before he'd become a professional actor, when the hotel was called The Robinson House.〔 ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Richard Golden」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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