Stark’s theatre company was still playing to packed houses at the Howard and Gruenwald Theatres. People loved his William Tell. Hamlet, Lear, Othello, Cardinal in Lytton’s Richelieu. James Stark was one of the best English-trained actors in the world. From Nova Scotia by way of Boston, he trained in London and strictly enforced naturalistic acting. The company stayed during a harsh winter and played Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew and King Lear. James Stark married the actress and theatre manager Sarah Kirby and were happy for a time until he caught the silver fever in Washoe and wouldn’t leave.