WeekInTime Issue 60: Stage Fight

The Astor Place Riot breaks out in 1849

The theater is full of drama queens, but the fans are probably worse. New York City was at a boiling point. Thousands of working-class protesters stood outside the doors of the Astor Place Theater — a building that represented all that they despised. It’s hard to believe that it all started with a disagreement between two Shakespearean actors. This week…