J Augustus Keogh

Born in Dublin (Joseph Augustus Keogh). Trained for the stage at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin. Made 1^st appearance at the Gaiety Theatre, Hastings, July 1903, as ‘Trip’ in ‘School for Scandal’ with the Compton Comedy Company playing in all the old comedies for 2 years. An engagement with a large Shakesperean Repertory for 5 years followed, finishing as stage manager and playing the principal comedy parts. An excursion into Grand Opera came next, ‘The Moody Manners Opera Company’, stage managing a repertoire of 32 operas on the road and at the Lyric Theatre, London. A long engagement with Miss Horniman’s Company at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester followed this, playing everything from Shakespeare to Shaw and Greek tragedy to children’s plays. Toured the Shaw plays, 1912–1914. Became General Manager and Stage Director for Miss Darragh in 1914, produced ‘*****’, ‘Miss Dane’s Defence’, ‘The Li***’, ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’, ‘Lady Patricia’ etc.. With Vedrenne and Eadie at the Royalty Theatre, London, 1915–16. Became general Manager and Stage Director at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, August 1916. (see Malone’s ‘History of Irish Drama’). Stage managed the command performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’, 23^rd April 1916, at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. The Tricentenary Celebration of Shakespeare’s death. Toured France, Germany and Belgium as ‘Shylock’, Sir Peter Teazle’ and ‘David Garrick’ in 1919. Went to the United States in 1925. Made 1^st appearance there with Augustin Duncan in ‘Juno and the Paycock’ at the Mayfaire Theatre. Has supported William Gillette in ‘Sherlock Holmes, E.H. Southern and Margaret Anglin. Stage directed for the Boston Repertory Theatre, 1928–29. Played with the Chicago Civic Shakespeare Society at the Civic Theatre, Chicago, 1930–31. Has also directed for the Irish Theatre in Greenwich Village and for the Institute of Science and Arts at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The above information was taken from a programme of the Irish Repertory Players presenting ‘Juno and the Paycock’ at the Hecksher Theatre on 5^th Avenue and 104^th Street, 21–23 May 1936. J Augustus Keogh was the Director.