hey Larry, I LOVED your story. perhaps there IS some genetics involved here. I happen to have a Coats cousin who also is an English (lit I think) prof at another Texas university. Matter of fact, several Coats kin I know are involved in drama, public speaking and writing. I was watching "Jesus Christ, Superstar" the new remake version and there was a Coats (or Coates) in there. I beleive there was a Phyllis Coates who was in the first Superman program. Or maybe we're just naturally hams? <s> thanks for sharing this bit. I hope it's no problem that I reply this way. If it is, someone will tell me, won't they? ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Coats <larcoa@aspermont.esc14.net> To: <COATES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 8:01 AM Subject: [COATES-L] Robert "Romeo" Coates(1772-1842) > Let me post my caveat first regarding this entry....Robert Coates may > not have left any progeny, but I simply could not resist posting this. > My wife is an inveterate collector of trivia and in the course of this > mania of hers, she picked up a book and I found this article only last > night(and please don't ask for the title...you might get the wrong idea > about me<g>): > > "THE WORLD'S WORST ACTOR" > > Robert "Romeo" Coates. Background: born in Antigua, Coates had dark, > exotic looks that stood out in a British crowd. But he didn't rely on > nature to attract attention--he dressed in costumes covered with > diamonds and feathers. In 1807, a few days before his stage debut in > Bath, England, he arrived in town--in a diamond-studded carriage shaped > like a seashell. > > Claim to fame: Coates became wildly popular in England for butchering > Shakespeare. As Margaret Nicholas writes in THE WORLD'S GREATEST CRANKS > AND CRACKPOTS: > 'He constantly forgot his lines, invented scenes as he went along, and > turned to address the audience whenever he thought it was getting out of > hand. If he enjoyed playing a scene, he would quite happily repeat it > three or four times. He loved dramatic death scenes and had no qualms > about "breathing his last" several times over. Exasperated playgoers > would yell, "Why don't you die?" > > One night during ROMEO AND JULIET, Coates dashed off stage and returned > with a crowbar...which he used to pry open Juliet's tomb. He considered > it an improvement on Shakespeare. > > At another performance, someone hurled a fighting cock on stage (in > "tribute" to Coates' motto, "while I live, I'll crow.")The bird pecked > at Coates' feet, but the actor delivered his romantic speech without > missing a beat. > > Coates proved that bad acting can be very profitable. > > Nicholas writes: > 'His fame spread and soon he was playing to packed houses. People would > travel great distances to see if he really was as bad as everyone > reported. He became such an attraction that even the Prince Regent went > to see him. > When he played the part of Lothario in Rowe's THE FAIR PENITENT at > London's Haymarket Theater, at least a thousand people had to be turned > away....At another performance....his acting was so poor that several > people laughed themselves ill and had to be helped outside into the > fresh air and treated by a doctor.' > > Eventually the rowdy crowds became a problem. No actress, for fear of > injury, would play Juliet opposite Coates' Romeo(his favorite role). > And theater owners became less willing to risk damage to their > property. He often had to bribe them just to get a part in their plays. > > Without the income from acting to support his lavish style, Coates went > bankrupt. He was killed in 1848, at age 75, when he was run down by a > hansom taxi." > > Well, folks, I was a little appalled when I read this. I teach a > considerable amount of Shakespeare in my Honors/AP English classes. > Moreover, I also handle Theatre Arts classes and our school's One-Act > Play productions. I can certify to you, therefore, that this Robert > Coates is NOT in my particular lineage! :-) ) > > OK, Charlotte, you may beat me for wasting bandwidth or being off-topic, > but I couldn't resist this one. I mean, if it weren't for the > occasional oddball, crazy, or lunatic, wouldn't genealogy get to be > boring??!! <g> > And.... > my apologies to The Bard for having brought to light the wholesale > mangling of his work! > Regards to all, > > > > > > > -- > Larry D. Hamilton Coats > P.O. Box 823 > Aspermont, TX 79502 > > > > ==== COATES Mailing List ==== > Coates, Coate, Coats Digital Archive: > http://www.rootsquest.com/~coatsfar >