Jack Cade

Jack Cade (1835), a play by Robert T. Conrad. [Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia), in repertory.] The villainous Lord Say ( Mr. Connor), who typifies the arbitrary power of the nobles, cruelly oppresses his people. He has long since killed Jack Cade's father and exiled Jack ( Mr. Ingersoll), who now returns to take his revenge. Jack succeeds in capturing London, forcing the king to flee, and fatally stabbing Lord Say, but the evil lord finds enough strength before he dies to dig his poisoned dagger into Jack. As Jack is dying, his wife, Mariamne, appears, crazed by an attack on her by Lord Clifford ( Mr. Porter), whom she has murdered in self‐defense. She dies moments before her husband, whose last words are, “The bondman is avenged, my country free!” Conrad based his story on the Kentish rebellion of 1450, emphasizing the social rather than the political aspects of the revolt. The play was only a modest success until Edwin Forrest assumed the leading role in 1841 and kept it in his repertory until his death. Afterward John McCullough assumed the part on several occasions, and it was revived with some regularity as late as 1887. Robert T[aylor] CONRAD (1810–58), the son of a famous early American publisher, was himself a publisher and journalist as well as a lawyer, jurist, and mayor of his native Philadelphia. His tragedy Conrad of Naples was mounted at Philadelphia's Arch Street Theatre in 1832 with James E. Murdoch in the title role. In addition to Jack Cade, Conrad is also believed to be the author of a romantic tragedy, The Heretic, which was not produced until several years after his death.