Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-06-06
VISIT TO NEw-YORK.
tcoNTINCEp.1


In comparing Mr.. Forrest with Mr.. Macrea-
dy, it should be remembered, that the latter
gentleman has had the advantage Of finished
| education, and was fitted for the stage, by the
best Of masters, and was reared in the FIRST
! dramatic schools Of the age. On the contrary,
Mr.. Forrest is sclf-taught, and is indeAed sole
y to his own industry, perseverance and appli-
cation, for what attainmcnts he can boast Of
He was not, like Macready, educated from his
| infancy for the stage; but assumed its arduous
duties at period in life, when the drama afford
cd but few facilities, and when there were
| thousand obstacles reared to impede his pro-
gress. But he possesses talents which cannot
be depressed by opposition, and they have burst
like meteor-light upon the world, and he who
possesses them, ranks among the first of theI
| heroes Of the Drama. Mr.. Forrest, IN his per-
! formances, discovers the native feelings oil the
character he personates; he acts from the
! springs and impulses Of nature; he Associates
| with the emotions of Lear, Richard, Vir-
| g.nis, or Sir Edward Mortimer; and the SEN
thrill through his bosom, aud in giving vent 10
| them, lie holds up faithful portraiturc of tie
| original.
Mr.. Macrcady feels nothing, lie acts by
line and by rule, he is perfectly mechanical.
and the contortion of a feature, or the move
| ment Of muscle, is measured as accurately
| an architcc, measures parolollogram, or an
| angle. BY this we do not mean to say that
| Mr.. Macrcady is not n great actor; We only
mean TO say, that great hc may be, in tho
estimation of the world, he does not please us
as well as Mr. Forrest, and that we consider
the latter gentleman, SO far as talent is con-
corncd, decidedly superior 20 the former.
Mr.. Forrest, is, we believe, a native of Phil
adclpha, and was educated book-bindcr but
not relishing the vocation, and becoming ena-
incurred OF Shakespeare, turned his attention 10
the drama, and not meeting with that success,
| in the Atlantic States that he anticipated, MI
grated to the West, that fruitful nursery oithc
drama. If We are correctly informed, he con-
tnued two or three years in the Kentucky,
Ohio and Louisiana Theatres, where he made
the drama his only study; aud, VIXEN he had
become favortc with the people of those hos
pitable regions, returned TO the East, to try his
fortunes in the land of his nativity.
On his first appearance in PiiAadelph;a. Lo
was received with marks of decided arproba-
ton but as the audience could not conceive,
how it were possible, that man who had stud
led the drama in the schools Of the west, could
be great actor, they at first treated him sim
| ply as good performer, and were not exact
ly prepared TO set him down as equal TO Coop
er Conway or Macrcady. But II did not re-.
Guire much time on the part OF Mr.. Forrest, 10
| introduce a radical change in public opinion,
and in a little period, he developed the NIGH
mess Of his powers, and the public awarded 10
| him the Attributes Of excellence, and pre-cln-
| nence.
| Mr.. Forrest is now about twenty-five years
of age, and his person is unusually interesting.
| To the excelcnccs Of the actor, he adds tie
refinements of the accomplished gentleman.
! and in priv.t', or public, lie is equally respect
! cd He is Il great iavoritc with the profess
| ion, and what is not common, be has not an
enemy attached to the stage; and by his corr-
tcols department, mingled with due propor-
| ton of dignity, and manly and dccorous famil-
! iarity, he has won the hearts of the members
| of all tho Theatres he has visited, from TIE
| manager, down to the call-boy. OF his great
merits, we shall not speak any further, as lie
will soon be with us, when the public and the
play-going people, will be prepared to judge
and decide for themselves.
These remarks, favorable TO Mr.. Forrest,
have been elected by our admiration OF his
| talents, and not by that partial friendship.
which personal acquaintance so often engen-
never had the pleasure of his personal acqua:r-
| tance.
Mr.. Forrest, will be accompanied 10 this
place by Mr.. Wilson, a native Of Ncw-Iork,
but who like his friend and companion, rcce;v-
ed his dramatic education in the Western The
a,rcs. He is a good actor, some degrees bc- >
yond med.ocrty, and has many and great
claims on the patronage oftho public. We do
not recollect Of seeing him, but tie critics, and
report, speak volumes in his pr'.-o.
One Of the great attractions at the Bowery
Theatre, .s Madame fIutin. lady from Italy,
who was educated al one of tho Opera Uous-
es Of the " Classic Land" and WHO, when slo
first arrived in this country caused little ex-