August 18, 1890

The play Hendrik Hudson opened at the 14th Street Theater in New York City, in which Fay Templeton played the title role. It was a “trouser role,” in which an actress appears in men’s clothing, then a popular feature of operettas. The character of Hendrik Hudson was a faithless husband. Templeton won accolades singing “The Same Old Thing,” but the show itself lasted only sixteen performances. Templeton was born in Little Rock (Pulaski County), where her parents were starring with the Templeton Opera Company. Templeton excelled on the legitimate and vaudeville stages for more than half a century. As an actress, singer, and comedian, she was a favorite headliner and heroine of popular theater.