Shore Acres (play)


Shore Acres is four-act a play written by James A. Herne. The play debuted at McVicker's Theater in Chicago on May 23, 1892, initially under the title Shore Acres Subdivision. Later in the Chicago run, it was retitled Uncle Nat. In February 1893, the play opened as Shore Acres at the Boston Museum, where it ran for several months. Following the play's success in Boston, Henry C. Miner staged it on Broadway, where it opened at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on October 30, 1893.

Cast and characters

The characters and opening night cast from the Broadway production are given below:
CharacterBroadway cast
Nathan'l Berry James A. Herne
Martin BerryCharles G. Craig
Joel GatesGeorge W. Wilson
Josiah BlakeFranklin Garland
Sam WarrenDavid M. Murray
Captain Ben HutchinsPhineas Leach
Dr. LeonardJames Barrows
Squire AndrewsAlden Bass
Tim HayesCarl Fey
Young Nat BerryCharles B. Hamlin
Ann BerryGrace Gayler Clark
Helen BerryKatharine Grey
PerleyLizzle Corner
Mandy GatesFlorence Richards

Reception

The New York Times gave a positive review to the Broadway production, calling it "more than worth seeing". Critic Alan Dale gave it a positive review in The Evening World. The New-York Tribune reviewer disliked Herne's use of theatrical realism, saying the play was dull and filled with an "interminable mass of insipidities and platitudes". The reviewer for The Sun thought parts of the play were boring, but overall it was "an excellent work".

Adaptations

The play was adapted into a silent film, also titled Shore Acres, in 1914. A second film adaptation, again titled Shore Acres, was released in 1920.