c.2005 Stephen V. O'Rourke
Dublin 1813 saw the birth of one of the most interesting figures of the 19th century Victorian stage, Edmund O'Rourke. He would later take the stage name of Edmund Falconer but his keen O'Rourke wit would remain prevalent during his multi-layered career as actor, playwright, poet, songwriter and theater manager. Entering the theatrical world as a child he wouldn't become famous until he was over forty years of age and would best be remembered for his dramatic portrayal of Irish country life in plays like 'Peep O day' ' and 'Eileen oge'.
O'Rourke's acting career would first gain him renown at the age of forty-one in Liverpool in 1854, where he demonstrated his ability to perform on a very diverse scale by performing in 'Hamlet' and the contemporary comedy 'Three Fingered Jack' on the same night at the Adelphi Theater. Two years later he would adopt the stage name of 'Edmund Falconer' and have his first successful play in 'The Cagot or Heart for Heart', a five act performance written entirely in verse.
His ability to write verse next led him to compose two librettos- 'The Rose of Castile' and 'Satanella',both of which were for Balfe's operas. Falconer's prominence in the London stage scene would be solidified when he starred in Boucicault's 'The Colleen Bawn' in 1860.
Having made some strides financially Falconer would team up with Frederick Chatterly in 1862 and become the co-owner of the famed Drury Lane Theater in London. There at the Drury Falconer would experience both the highs and lows of theater life, staging a series of self-written works to popular success only to be undermined in 1866 by the dismal failure of an elaborate Shakespeare festival.The lack of public interest in the Shakespeare revival caused a drain on Falconer's finances and forced him to sell his ownership in the Drury back to Chatterly in early 1867.
All was not lost however for one with the creative energy the likes of Edmund Falconer O'Rourke for in the spring of 1867, at the recommendation of his fellow theatrical wizard Dion Boucicault, Falconer was in New York City overseeing the opening of his new play 'Night and Morning' at the Olympic Theater. New York would breathe new life into Falconer's career and provide him with a number of financially successful plays like 'Inisfallen' in 1870 and most notably 'Eileen Oge' in 1871.
The Irish virtually ruled the New York theater world in the1870's and Falconer himself would get more then a few accolades. The New York Times called him a"skillful dramatist"and his 'Eileen Oge' as "almost unprecedentedly successful". After staging it to great success back in London, Falconer sold the U.S. rights to the play at a large price and was able to retire in comfort in 1875.
He would die four years later at the age of 66 leaving a most distinguished collection of Irish literary and theatrical works.
