Augustus J. "Gus" Heege (1862 â€" February 2, 1898) was an American
playwright and actor, whose works were popular at the end of the 19th
century.A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Gus Heege was the son of a
prominent member of the city's police department. He attended the
district school in nearby Brecksville where he entertained his fellow
students with all manner of performances, giving an early indication
of his acting talents. Soon after graduating from Cleveland's Central
High School, he headed East to seek his fortune on the New York
stage.A talented actor, Heege often took the leading role in his
productions. Although his output was varied, he is largely remembered
for the Swedish immigrant trilogy, Ole Olson (1889), Yon Yonson (1890)
and Yenuine Yentleman (1895). These plays established the character of
the comic Swedish immigrant in American theater.Heege, who was of
German ancestry, maintained that careful observation of the newcomers
had enabled him to faithfully portray them on stage. A newspaper
account told of his field research in the "Little Scandinavia" of
northern Wisconsin, where large numbers of Swedes, Norwegians and
Danes had settled.
playwright and actor, whose works were popular at the end of the 19th
century.A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Gus Heege was the son of a
prominent member of the city's police department. He attended the
district school in nearby Brecksville where he entertained his fellow
students with all manner of performances, giving an early indication
of his acting talents. Soon after graduating from Cleveland's Central
High School, he headed East to seek his fortune on the New York
stage.A talented actor, Heege often took the leading role in his
productions. Although his output was varied, he is largely remembered
for the Swedish immigrant trilogy, Ole Olson (1889), Yon Yonson (1890)
and Yenuine Yentleman (1895). These plays established the character of
the comic Swedish immigrant in American theater.Heege, who was of
German ancestry, maintained that careful observation of the newcomers
had enabled him to faithfully portray them on stage. A newspaper
account told of his field research in the "Little Scandinavia" of
northern Wisconsin, where large numbers of Swedes, Norwegians and
Danes had settled.
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