John Augustus Stone


John Augustus Stone was an American actor, dramatist, and playwright, best known as the author of Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags.

Biography

He appeared on the New York stage beginning in 1822.
He wrote Metamora, as a vehicle for Edwin Forrest, who offered as a prize $500 and half of the proceeds from the third night. William Cullen Bryant headed a committee which chose Stone's play as the best of 14 submitted. The play, first produced in 1829, told the life of King Philip.
He married Mrs. Amelia Greene Legge, an actress. She later married Nathaniel Harrington Bannister.
Stone suffered periods of insanity and he committed suicide by jumping into the Schuylkill River. He was buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Philadelphia. That cemetery was closed in 1895 and the bodies moved to North Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon PA, which is not affiliated with the nearby Mount Moriah Cemetery, which was later abandoned. His grave at Machpelah was marked by a monument erected by Forrest. The inscription reads: "Erected to the memory of the author of 'Metamora' by his friend, Edwin Forrest". Some sources cite Forrest's success with Stone's plays and his paltry remuneration as causing his suicide.

Works

In addition to Metamora, Stone wrote a number of other plays:
None of them enjoyed Metamora's success.