129: Dark History: How a Shakespeare Play Caused New York's Deadliest Riot

Publish Date: 2024/4/10

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Did you guys hear about that representative from Colorado, Lauren Boebert?

I don't know why this is one of those stories that caught my eye. Of course it did. But apparently she attended a play in Denver, Colorado. This was in 2023 and it was just not any play. It was Beetlejuice the musical, which that's already a lot to take in. But apparently Miss Lauren upstaged the show. I know, like how do you upstage the Beetlejuice musical? In my personal opinion, upon viewing the clip,

It seemed like she was giving this guy next to her a handy while vaping. Just really not paying attention to the show. I know, I was like, so why are you there, girl? It's so high school. Like, I heard Christy gave Bobby a handy in the auditorium. And here's this government employee, a grown adult, doing this. Like, what about the children who saw? Also, if he finished, what about those children that never got to be?

They died on those seats. Anyway, she was causing such a scene that she was kicked out of the theater for, quote, causing a disturbance. And it became this huge thing. But Lauren wasn't the first to cause a ruckus at the theater. Oh,

Oh, nay, nay. One of America's deadliest riots actually started inside a theater in New York. This rivalry turned into a blood-soaked tragedy in the streets. And I was like, what? I never heard anyone talk about this before. This is the story of the Astor Place Riot. Astor Place Riot

Hi friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe history does not have to be boring. I mean, yes, it might be tragic. Sometimes it's happy. But either way, it's our dark history. So all you have to do is sit back, relax, and let's talk about that hot, juicy history gasp.

So today our story focuses on a feud so petty and so blown out of proportion that people were literally killed in the streets. This is the story of the first celebrity beef in America and it starts all the way back in 1776. After the revolution, America essentially broke up with England and ever since that day it feels like

We have had issues. Like even today, right? Right after the breakup, anything that looked British, tasted British, smelled British, we didn't want any part of it. Pretty much America wanted to go like no contact. Because of this, Congress forbids any trade with England. And this meant stuff you would expect like food or animals, even clothes, but also entertainment. Entertainment.

I was like, how do you ban entertainment? I mean, it's not something you can eat or hold like food or clothes, but they did it. No British actors, no British plays, no Shakespeare for you, Timmy. No. Now this was a major bummer because most entertainment back then was British theater. I mean, they were the masters at it. But eventually as the years went on, Americans kind of forgot why they were mad at England.

They're like, I kind of like tea, you guys. Like, what's wrong with tea? So the U.S. government throws out those anti-trade laws that were set in the first place. So after 1815, British stuff starts making its way into America, like manufactured goods, but also British entertainment, like theater.

Eventually, Shakespeare's plays are legally allowed to be printed in the U.S. Now, this was huge because not only was Shakespeare a big deal back then, but also it was really like the only way to escape from early 1800s life and see like something entertaining, you know? There's tragedy, comedy, sex.

wigs, I mean, it had it all. So now the everyday person had access to this like never before. Reading Shakespeare back in the early 1800s wasn't like the same as it is today. Today, many of us think of it as kind of, I think like maybe a word scramble, kind of bougie. I mean, it feels like you gotta be smart to understand it. I don't want the Shakespeare people to come after me. Don't come after me. I know you love it and I get it, but I kind of don't.

But back then, like everyone read Shakespeare. High class, low class, old, young, you name it, they liked it, okay? It was like Dan Brown, you know, like airport books. In Boston and Philadelphia, which were like the biggest American cities at the time, they started building new theaters to show some Shakespeare plays. And everyone was hoping and praying theater would become everyone's go-to entertainment. I mean, back then, like what else are people gonna do?

Obviously, when you set up a theater, the first thing you gotta do is like bring in actors. And where there's actors, there's drama. So two of the biggest theater actors in the 1800s was a British guy named William McCready and an American guy named Edwin Forrest. Now right off the top, the two had beef. It's kinda like if you watch "Housewives," think like Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump, same thing.

Kinda. But instead, two drama nerds and they hated each other. And their hate would take the tragedy from the stage and into the streets. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time. But maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love.

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

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William Charles Macready was born in London on March 3rd, 1793. His father was a theater manager and his mother was an actress. So you could say like he was born into this world and it was in his blood. It turns out when William went to school, he discovered that he loved acting and he was actually like pretty good at it too.

So William naturally seemed to gravitate towards reading plays. He loved Shakespeare and performing long monologues for the people, you know. He would even ditch school to like go see performances. And he was obsessed with the whole thing. The actors, the showmanship, the drama.

He loved it. In 1803, when William was just 10 years old, his mother passed away. And after that, William's dad couldn't afford to send him to the fancy school he was attending anymore. So William comes back home and he finds out his father is in like a bunch of debt

And now he has to start making money for the family. So it was like, oh man, like no more performing for fun, you know, time to work. Because his dad was struggling financially, William had to help out with the family business of theater management. And he's able to turn all this into a pretty positive experience. William is now like getting a behind the scenes look at the industry by day. And by night he stays to watch the plays. And also he's like studying the best actors in London.

I mean, really, this was better than going to that fancy school. And he's hustling. He's a responsible young lad. He's more passionate than ever to just follow his dreams. So when he's 17, William got his big breakout role, starring as Romeo in Romeo and Juliette.

And this really like sealed the deal for William. Once he heard the audience's standing ovation, I mean, he was hooked. He wanted more. And more is what he got. William would end up playing something like 70 roles over the next few years. Many people loved William, but you know what they say, you could be the ripest, juiciest peach on the tree, and there's still one person out there who hates peaches.

You know what I mean? Like there was one popular critic, his name was Lee Hunt, who described William as quote, "One of the plainest and most awkwardly made men that ever trod the stage." End quote. I think what he's trying to say is that like William was a dud.

I mean to be fair, William wasn't like the most attractive man out there, but he had this charisma that people just loved. He just understood human emotion and it really showed on stage. Because of that, audiences just really gravitated towards him. So when he's 22 years old, William gets offered an amazing five-year contract to play at a theater called Covent Garden.

Now this was on the West End, which is like the British version of Broadway. So this was a very big deal. And he was like, "I made it, daddy!" You know, and just like roles just start being offered to him left and right. But there was one role William was dying to play. Actually, every actor wanted to play this role. It was the lead role in "King Lear," which was a play about a king who was like losing his mind. Well, here's the tea.

The actual King of England at the time, I guess he was going deaf and blind. And the people kind of thought he was, you know, a little insane. So the King actually banned this play from ever being performed while he was alive. He's like, "You guys, oh my God, please don't make fun of me. I'm the King." So when the actual King finally died,

William was ready to put on a show. He gets a starring role in King Lear and performs so well that it completely changes the theater scene. Like everyone wanted to go see his performance, even people who didn't care about theater.

And that's when, you know, the money comes rolling in. In 1828, William becomes the highest paid actor in all of Britain. So this is major. Yeah, that's major. Good for him, right? So as William's career is thriving over in England, there's another actor who is coming into popularity across the pond in America. And he was coming for William's crown.

So over on the East Coast of America, a boy named Edwin Forrest was born on March 9th, 1806 in Philadelphia. Now Edwin didn't have any family connections to the theater, but he started reading Shakespeare in his free time at a very young age.

I know, he's a very fancy young man. Now William and Edwin actually had a lot in common. When Edwin was young, he also suffered a major loss. Edwin's father died from tuberculosis when Edwin was just 12 years old. For a while, Edwin worked on the docks of Philly to help his mom cover the household bills. Then, when he was 14 years old, he tried out for a play and got a part. Not any old part.

He played the leading man in a play called Douglas. And he must have like done well because the critics loved Edwin. Now this was big because back then there was this belief that all the best plays and the best actors only came from England. But Edwin over here, he was breaking boundaries. Okay, well, after this performance, you'd think Edwin would be getting offered like role after role.

But then out of nowhere, the theater manager pulls Edwin aside and he pretty much says, we need stars, not actors. And the stars at this time were the Brits. So the theater manager essentially told Edwin, like, you're American trash, go away.

Go away. Go back to working on the dogs. So people think this is where Edwin's dislike of the Brits began, after being fired for not being British. But this only drove Edwin even harder to keep following his passion. He was gonna prove them all wrong.

And after this, Edwin starts performing with a traveling theater company where he toured all around America. This really fed his love for the country and his belief that no matter what the haters said, America had just as much culture to offer as England.

Edwin, who was said to be a bit of a narcissist, really started to reject the British style of acting. That style was like very subtle and held back. Their whole thing was like less is more. But Edwin was like, no, I'm not doing that. I'm going to do me. I want all eyes on me. So his acting style was very in your face, loud, dramatic, passionate. And honestly, he really wasn't that bad to look at either.

Okay, well, he really wasn't that bad to look at for the 1800s, if you know what I mean. So now at the age of 19, he really starts catching people's attention. Edwin performs Shakespeare in Albany and it gets great press. I mean, people were even saying that he was better than some of those British actors. They did. They said that. And within the next year, Edwin was a superstar.

He had made it. So he was looking for a place to call his own where people could like come see him perform instead of him traveling to them. It's kind of like the Las Vegas residency, you know, people would come to him. He wouldn't have to go to them.

I saw Christina not that long ago in Vegas. It was okay. It was like three out of five stars. There was some weird role play that I didn't quite understand, but whatever. Okay, anyways. During this time, there was a new theater being built in New York City called the Bowery, but people knew it better as the Slaughterhouse. I know, I was like, what the fuck?

Sounds aggressive. I guess that's because they did like all the most violent and gory plays there. Like there's this one where two men get baked into pies and then their mom eats them without knowing. It's very like kind of Sweeney Todd-ish.

And anyways, but Edwin loved it there. He decided that if the pay was right, this would be his permanent residency. So on November 6, 1826, Edwin took the stage at the Bowery playing Othello in Othello. The theater nearly doubled his salary from $26 a week to $40 a week.

And since the reviews were so good, I mean, it brought in great PR. So the investment in Edwin was really paying off for this theater. Now, meanwhile, William, remember our guy over in London? Okay.

Well, he got offered a gig performing at the Park Theatre in New York. So he takes the offer and comes to America ready to own theatre just like he did in England. It was kind of like a new challenge for him. Now, the Park Theatre was more traditionally British, snobby, you know, people wore suits and...

suits and stuff. But the Bowery Theater that Edwin was at was more American, relaxed, and really becoming its own. It was figuring out what American theater was, really. Because remember, theater is still seen as a very British thing at this time. And American theater is new, and it's finding its own identity. So both William and Edwin are performing at their theaters, but the newspapers were mainly focusing on William's performance.

And those papers barely mentioned what Edwin was doing at the Bowery. Edwin was like, "What the heck's going on? He's getting pissed." He's feeling like William was stealing his thunder on his own territory. He's like, "Killing myself to die upon a kiss." And also, hello, pay attention to me. Do you not see how amazing I'm doing over here? Have you not seen this performance?

So the press, they started pitting them against each other. Edwin in one corner was the people's actor and William in the other corner was like the critic's favorite. And naturally these two really start to hate each other because there's only room for one person in the theater spotlight. It's gonna be me.

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love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

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So Edwin is fuming over all the attention William is getting and he's like, "I gotta one-up this guy." So first thing he's thinking is like, "Okay, I need to stop performing all that same stuff that William is performing." He wanted to do something different. He wanted to stand out and create roles that only he could play. So first, Edwin is like, "Okay, I need some new scripts." So...

In 1828, he sponsors the first ever playwriting competition in the United States. Edwin announces that he's offering a prize of $500 and the money from one night of ticket sales to the winner of this competition. And like, mind you, $500 back then is like $16,000 today. So...

That's nice. You know, very generous. But Edwin was really doing this to just kind of get a bunch of free plays written for him. He's like, "Tee hee hee hee, no one will know." So to enter the contest, there were some rules. One, you had to be American. And two, the play had to be about an indigenous person of this country, meaning it should be a play about indigenous Americans.

So the contest is released to the public and the submissions just come pouring in. But Edwin reads this one script called Metamora and it was written by a man named John Augustus Stone. It was about an indigenous American who tries to befriend white settlers, but is betrayed and killed. Edwin thought, well, this script is...

Perfect. Edwin would star as the main character in the play, an indigenous American named Metamora. Was Edwin indigenous? Of course not. Metamora would debut on December 15th, 1829, but this performance would not be at the Bowery Theater. He was thinking, you know, maybe a new location. How about the Park Theater?

aka William's new territory. Yeah, Edwin knew what he was doing. I mean, this was William's new audience, but Edwin, he was up for the challenge. Now, I'm assuming the performance did well because it led to him creating over 200 more plays about Indigenous Americans and riding on the high of his success at the Park Theater. Edwin was

was ready for a new challenge. And in 1834, he set sail to London to conquer the British theater scene. Or, you know, maybe Edwin just really wanted to stick it to William in his homeland. So when Edwin gets to London, he shows up and performs some Shakespeare, you know, giving the audience what they wanted. And he even performed some of his own American plays. But to his surprise, he does not get a warm welcome from the Brits.

He's like, "No fruit basket, nothing? Do you not know who I am? I am Edwin." So this is interesting. William hears about this lukewarm reception that Edwin is getting in London. So William's like, "Aw, that's so sad. I should go watch." Also, he attends several of Edwin's performances. As the years pass, the tables start to turn and the audience kind of like starts to get Edwin's whole thing.

And even if critics were bashing him, his name was like still being said, which was bringing in sales. And really that's all that mattered because it made Edwin relevant in London. So it's 1843 and William decided to do another tour in America, but this one would be a little different. He starts his tour in New York at his favorite location, the Park Theatre, with the performance of Macbeth. But this time William is no longer the Prince of Park Theatre.

So, William was like all sorts of confused. I mean the American press and public were still in love with Edwin after his playwriting contest that really no one else could compare. People wanted new stories, no longer this boring Shakespeare stuff. So when William performs Macbeth, he doesn't get anywhere near the attention he had expected.

And I guess he does not take that very kindly. In fact, it refuels his deep hate towards Edwin. But Edwin, yeah, he's a little older now. He has like more experience under his belt and he wanted to play nice. You know, he was like, "I'm over this petty drama." So when William plays in New York,

Edwin actually reaches out and invites him over to his house for a friendly conversation. And William accepts. I guess William even stays at Edwin's home for a few days before he goes on the rest of his tour. But all seems well. Almost too well.

William's tour only lasts about a year and he cries himself back to England in 1844. Edwin's like, "Ah, beautiful." And he's feeling, you know, a little cocky. So Edwin decides he's gonna go back to England again. And when he shows up, he decides to take over William's stomping grounds in England once more. It's like, "What's going on, Edwin? I thought you were being nice." "Oh, nay, nay."

Edwin performs Othello, a role that he knew he was good at. So it's the middle of the performance. Edwin is on stage being like, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. You know, when someone in the crowd literally gets up and hisses, I imagine that's how it sounds. And Edwin is like,

Excuse me? What is this? Like he's very confused. At this time hissing was worse than booing or like flipping someone off. It was the ultimate disrespect, especially if it was done in public. So Edwin's like, what the fuck?

But Edwin continues on like nothing happens, a professional you could say. He thinks to himself like maybe it was a sneeze. So he carries on. But then it happens again. This time a different person stands up and hisses at him. Edwin tries to ignore it. But then another person gets up and hisses. And then another. How's that?

It's just like a snake storm. Everyone is just heckling and hissing at Edwin. I mean, look, it was a bad night. And Edwin kind of like shakes that off and is like, you know what? Tomorrow's a new day. It's going to be better for me. So he goes back to the theater the next night. But the exact same thing happens during his performance. A snake storm. Just hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss.

I don't know how to hiss, but you get it. In Edwin's mind, he's thinking these must be snakes sent by William. On that second night, some of the audience members stand up for Edwin and tell the hissers to shut up. And it was like Team Edward versus Team Jacob. You know Twilight? It was like that.

But things were getting ugly between the actors and now the fans were getting in on it. Now, then the reviews start coming out about Edwin's performance and they were not looking good. They were basically saying like, "Edwin is a tacky American knockoff of William."

Fighting words. Not long after this, Edwin was on his way to perform in Paris, but suddenly his tour plans just fall through. The Paris stage manager won't talk to him. The British playwright won't let him use the scripts that he was going to perform.

He was like basically shut out from the theater. Come to find out some of the reviews that were written about his performance were written by William's friends. And that Paris stage manager and playwright that shut Edwin out? Well, they were also friends of William. Coincidence? I think not. Of course not.

Well, when Edwin finds out the truth, oh, he was ready to fight. Edwin decides to get- You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. William a taste of his own medicine. So Edwin goes to Edinburgh, Scotland, where William is appearing as Hamlet. Now Edwin buys one of those expensive box seats, dresses all fancy. And when he enters the theater, he makes sure everybody can see that he's there.

It's like, "Hello, hello, you know me, hi." Well, in the middle of Hamlet, William is on stage delivering one of the famous lines, you know, "To be or not to be." And Edwin takes this moment to stand up in his box where everyone can see him and he hisses. How do you hiss loud enough for them to hear you? I don't know, but . Now this was a big deal because normally people would pay audience members to like hiss for them. Edwin,

a recognizable celebrity, stood up and hissed in full view on purpose, sending the message to William that, "Hey, there's beef, my guy. There's beef."

Now, apparently after the hiss, Edwin just sits back down and watches the rest of the show. Like, no big deal. I mean, he still wanted to get his money's worth. I mean, he got those fancy box seats. Might as well stay. Now, of course, everyone in the audience noticed this. I mean, how could you not?

and the press went crazy. There was one article that called it, quote, "The loudest hiss in theatrical annals, for it resounded over the British Isles and the continent of North America," end quote. In other words, he's like, "It's the hiss heard around the world."

Edwin even publishes a letter in the London Times basically defending his right to hiss. In the letter, he essentially said that William had ruined Hamlet and that he wasn't the only one who felt this way. Spicy. Now this got a lot of attention. Friends of Edwin and William clapped back. I mean, they were sending in their own letters and it

Drama. It was drama. Even after Edwin returned to America, there continued to be heated exchanges between the actors and different newspapers.

Well, mostly from Edwin. Meanwhile, this feud went from petty theater drama to a bloody riot in the streets. Okay, so listen. On November 22nd, 1847, a new theater was opened in New York City and it was called the Astor Place Opera House. It was financed by America's first millionaire, John Jacob Astor.

And it was like a super bougie theater having huge columns at the entrance, about 2000 seats. And it was in the super nice area of Manhattan. So basically Astor Place was like the new hotspot in town. It represented the future of theater in America.

and all the richest people in the city wanted to go see a show here. So if you got in the door of Astor Place, I mean everyone knew that you had money and you were part of like the elite class. Well in 1848 William came back to America for a farewell tour. He's like "one last ride in the states and then I'm retiring" and the main role he performs this time around is again Macbeth.

So I could pick a new one, but he's good at it, whatever, okay. William's first New York show at the Astor goes splendidly. It goes so well that at the end of the night, William decides to make a speech. He comes out after the show and thanks the audience for supporting him. And he's like, "I know there's been a lot of drama between me and that other guy, but I'm glad I'm performing in front of this audience tonight, an audience who really understands the art."

Thank you for being here today. Now, it kind of sounds polite, but essentially, he was dragging Edwin and his fans without saying their names specifically. But, you know, naturally, everyone knew who he was talking about. Little does William know about Edwin.

A friend of Edwin's was in the audience. His name is James Oakes. Well, when he hears this, he runs and tells not only Edwin, but the whole town what William said. Yeah, James hears a little pot stir.

I like him from afar. Then James publishes a letter in the Boston Mail tearing into William. He brings up all the stuff about Edwin getting booed back in England, getting blacklisted out of performing in Paris, all because of William. The truth is coming out. And Team Edwin is like, wait a minute, I didn't know William was the one behind all of that slander of Edwin. So they're getting a little spicy, a little beefed up, and they're mad. But

But Edwin decides to, you know, bam, just kick it up a notch. He decides to put up a production of Macbeth starring himself just a few blocks from where William's performing. So he would be performing the exact same play as William at the exact same time and essentially the exact same location. Not great. You know, it's like when Dunkin' Donuts and like Starbucks open across the street from each other and you're like...

Well, which line's shorter? Because I'll go there. This is like the straw that finally breaks the camel's back. Or William's back, you could say. But he was done fighting with Edwin. William literally writes in his diary, I cannot stomach the United States as a nation. Let me get out from this country and give me a dungeon or a hovel in any other. Just so I be free of this.

Very dramatic, I love it. The performance just like keeps escalating. At one of William's performances, a fan of Edwin's throws a dead sheep on stage right at William. Yes, a dead sheep, blood guts, sheep. I know, I was like, first of all, how'd they get into the theater carrying a dead sheep? Okay, no one caught that? Did he have to buy an extra ticket for the sheep? Unsure. Could you imagine?

So on May 7th, 1849, William McCready takes the stage at the Astor Place Opera House to perform "Macbeth," like usual, you know? But this time the atmosphere's a little tense. Everyone is waiting for the next dramatic thing to happen, you know?

Is there going to be another sheet? Is anyone going to hiss? What's it going to be today? So the show starts and it initially seems to be going okay. Little does William know, hundreds of Edwin's fans got their hands on his tickets. Now there were rumors that Edwin himself bought the tickets and gave them to some of his more...

rambunctious fans. It's like a little giveaway, perhaps. Edwin's like, wink wink, make sure you behave yourself, you know, don't hiss. And definitely don't try to ruin the performance. Only if you have to.

As soon as William's show starts, Edwin's fans, they start throwing stuff onto the stage. Then they start throwing stuff directly at William. Now at first William was like dodging pennies being thrown at him. Yeah, pennies. And then came the potatoes. People were throwing potatoes. So he's like dodging potatoes. Oh shit. And then splat.

Someone was out there throwing rotten eggs, then apples. You name it, it was being thrown. No sheep though, no sheep. By the end of the show, the crowd was ripping chairs off the floor and just going full WWE.

Just knocking people out of their ways, throwing stuff on the ground. It was chaos. And here's the crazy part. After all that, William was up there just trying to keep going. But it gets a little scary to the point where William is like, you know what? You win. I'm just going to go now. And he walks off the stage. Now William almost gives up completely and like moves back to England. But his fans beg him to stay. You know, please don't go.

Ignore the haters. So he does. He stays. Then, three nights later, the same thing happens. Both actors show up for their rival Macbeth shows. But this time, signs are put up around town that say, Working men, shall America or England rule in this city? Basically implying that people had to pick a side.

If they supported William, they were little snitches who loved England and only re- You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

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Still Americans supported Edwin.

On the evening of May 10th, 1849, our divas, William and Edwin, were gearing up once again for their rival shows. So just a few blocks away from each other, they each take the stage to perform Macbeth. Now that night, somehow more Edwin supporters get into the Astor Place Theater. But the bigger problem was actually happening outside. A crowd starts to form.

Some people were there because they wanted to actually see the performance, but some people were there strictly for the

for the drama they had heard about. Some reports claim that the crowd swells to around 10,000 people outside the Astor Place Theater. Other reports say it could have been as high as 20,000. This was more than just some petty theater drama. So this now represented the tensions between the working class Americans and the elite Brits and the wealthy Americans who sided with the Brits. This was bigger than Edwin or William could have ever imagined.

Inside where William was performing, the Edwin supporters who snuck in began causing a scene once again. They start throwing stuff, being violent. I mean, just like they did a few nights before. But this time, the police show up and are able to round a few people up, okay? And then like store them in the basement for now. The cops are hoping to like keep them out of everyone's way until the show is over. But outside, girl,

The crowd starts handing out pamphlets about how William and his fans are trying to make America British again. They're like, "We've fought hard for our independence. Are you gonna let this happen?" And people are like, "Yeah, I don't want to live in Britain. I want to live in America!" So they're getting all riled up. And then people in the crowd start picking up bricks and throwing them at the Astor Place Opera House.

And then they try to storm the theater. The police were there. I mean, they do what they can to stop it, but they're outnumbered. I mean, there are over 10,000 people there.

Back inside, William gets worried about what's happening outside. And he knows how this story goes, I mean, from his experience a few nights ago. So William, he's like, I'm getting the hell out of here, okay? And he goes back to his hotel room and he hides there for the rest of the night. He would end up spending the rest of the night just in fear that the angry fans would find where he was staying and maybe kill him. So...

He's hiding. So the people who were locked in the basement of the Astor place somehow like start a fire. Now I'm not sure what their end goal was here, but this is what they did. So now smoke is pouring out of the basement.

And it was clear like, uh-oh, the theater is on fire. Okay, there's smoke everywhere. So, you know, people are in the theater, there's like smoke everywhere, their eyes are watering, they're reaching out looking for their friends like, "Bursa, is this how Macbeth is supposed to end?

Is this supposed to be an experience like this? By 9:15 p.m., the crowd in the streets is so violent, the government ends up sending in the National Guard. Now these guys are supposed to like be able to really get things under control.

but even these soldiers were unable to stop the crowd from rioting. The National Guards are firing their guns into the air as a warning, but you know that's cute. He doesn't do anything. So they pull out their guns and they start firing directly at

The crowd. One by one, the bullets just rip through flesh. Blood is spilled and like people start dropping dead in the streets. It was complete and total chaos. Now this, it does start breaking up the crowd, but it doesn't end things immediately. It takes hours for things to calm down. When they finally do, there are dozens of dead bodies laying in the street. The beautiful opulent Astor Place Theater is half on fire and half destroyed.

The kicker is, during all of this, Edwin managed to put on an almost uninterrupted performance of Macbeth. Yeah, just a few blocks away. Unbothered, moisturized, he's just staying in his lane. He's like, "What happened? I couldn't hear anything over the clapping I received. I hope the actors are okay."

So the New York Tribune wrote, quote, All because two actors quarreled.

End quote. I mean, facts, yes. So the day after the riot, William packed his bags and he headed back to London. He never returned to America. He's like, I'm done with you pigs. Harsh, maybe. I said it, not him. He's kind of like that Homer Simpson meme, you know, where Homer just like disappears into the bushes. Yeah, that's William.

In February of 1851, William performed One Final Time.

Macbeth, of course, and then he retired. He lived a quiet life for the next 22 years in the English countryside, where he then died in 1873. By September of 1849, 10 people were held responsible for inciting the bloody Astor Place riot and sent to prison. During the trials, the National Guard and the New York police were found totally innocent. The courts ruled that they had acted, quote, "...within reason."

The total number of people killed during the riot was around 31 people, but over 100 others were seriously injured. Many of the people killed were working class people who got caught up in the first celebrity beef in America.

Unfortunately, in one night, the Astor Place Opera House had become the scene of the most deadly riot in the history of the United States, and it stayed that way for over a decade. The Astor Place Opera was completely ruined. It permanently closed its doors and was sold off for like $140,000. In 1890, the building was renamed Clinton Hall.

and I guess it still stands in New York today. So much for its big promise of bringing more theater to the masses, huh? Edwin Forrest continued to act for two decades after the riot, just completely unfazed. He was on the stage until his death in 1872, and I think it's safe to say Edwin was the winner of this beef.

Even though everyone is long gone, we can still see the effects of the riot today. For one, according to Professor Bruce McConnachie, Astor Place was basically the first and last theater riot ever. And as a direct result of the Astor Place riot, the New York police started to carry guns.

But for all this, the NYPD wasn't armed, which is why they had to bring in the National Guard in the first place. And overall, security at most theaters around the world tightened, and audiences were more divided than ever. Shakespeare and plays in general became more reserved for like the middle and upper classes, while fewer working class people went to the theater. Instead, they like flocked to other forms of entertainment.

like vaudeville shows. The entire event just made the class division that existed in America a little worse. And it makes you wonder, is this the reason why theater feels so out of touch? Like so many people, especially in America, don't have access to theater or don't even want it. Maybe because it still kind of feels like an upper class privilege thing. I mean, do you think this riot has anything to do with this?

Let me know down below. Seems like it's all connected, but maybe here in America, we just don't care. I don't know. We like McDonald's and movie theaters. Maybe it's just that simple.

And speaking of crap hitting the fan, next week we're going to dig into one of America's greatest tragedies of all time. Back in 1986, millions of people were glued to their television sets as NASA was about to put the first teacher in space. Her name was Krista McAuliffe.

And this was set to be the event of the decade. She and six other crew members of the Challenger space shuttle blasted off on January 28th, 1986. Just 73 seconds into this horrific flight, the world was shocked as the shuttle exploded on live TV. This event was seared into everyone's minds, but I realized like,

I know nothing about it. Like, what actually happened? Why did it go so wrong? And was there anyone to blame for this disaster? Turns out the answer is yes. Jeez. So come back next week when we talk about the dark history of the Challenger disaster.

Join me over on my YouTube where you can actually watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs and while you're there you can also catch my murder mystery in makeup. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story so make sure to use the hashtag dark history over on social media so I can follow along. Now let's read a couple of comments you guys left me. Amber S. V. left me a comment about this set saying "Totally random but I love the owl in the fireplace frame."

Thanks Amber SV. Facebook marketplace. I know someone was selling this and I was like, oh my God, I gotta have it. Rebecca Walker 5313 left a comment saying, "Am I the only one who wants Bailey on Hot Ones? I think that'd be quite the interview." Hot Ones? Do I have to show my titties or anything? What's that? Hot Ones? Is that like Girls Gone Wild? Let me know. I'm down. Oh, it has to do with chicken wings. My bad. Do I flash the chickens? What do I do?

I'm down. MaxSE8PN left us an episode suggestion saying, "If you want to do some dark history from Europe, I think the story about when the Dutch 8th their prime minister may interest you."

Huh? Wait, Max, Max, Max, you know me so well. You have piqued my interest. I will be up Googling late tonight. I will circle back and let you know what I find because what? They ate their prime minister? Deep fried, stir fried? Did they cook him? Did they just eat it raw? I need to know. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hey, thank you guys so much for leaving comments. I mean, I love reading them every week, you know, so just keep them coming and maybe I'll read them here. Yeah. And hey, if you don't know, Dark History is an Audioboom original. A special thank you to our expert, Dr. Scott Martin, and I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. You make good choices. Don't be dumb. Great. I'll be talking to you next week. Goodbye.

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I'm Stanzi Potenza. And I'm Brad Padre. Launching June 13th is our new podcast, Late to the Party. In this post-ironic chat show, we'll show you a window into our world of crazy post-ironic thoughts. An unlikely friendship founded on a shared love for riffs, ranting, and getting absolutely wrecked.

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129: Dark History: How a Shakespeare Play Caused New York's Deadliest Riot

Dark History

Chapters

How Did a Shakespeare Play Lead to New York's Deadliest Riot?

What Was the Aftermath of the Astor Place Riot?

Shownotes Transcript

PodQuest PodQuest Podcast Discovery Engine tailors playlist for your curiosity

129: Dark History: How a Shakespeare Play Caused New York's Deadliest Riot 44:05

Dark History

Chapters

How Did a Shakespeare Play Lead to New York's Deadliest Riot?

What Was the Aftermath of the Astor Place Riot?

Shownotes Transcript

PodQuest PodQuest Podcast Discovery Engine tailors playlist for your curiosity

129: Dark History: How a Shakespeare Play Caused New York's Deadliest Riot