The New York herald., 1845-04-12
The Alleghanian Actors I'm England.
LONDON, March 5th, lS45.


mean now to give you a dish OF theatricas.
When Mr. Hsckctr reached London, he found Mr..
L aurent in full blast, running and making money
BY "Autgone," but the weather became severely
cold and stormy, which checked the attendance
upon all the theatres. Mr.. Laurent proposed TO
Hackeu, as his pantomime was worn out and ne
wished to withdraw it, to play after Antigone,"
in one or two Of his (Hacketl's) lighter pieces,
which he consented to DO, Oh certain terms,
nc, and to his opening in Henry w. and
It's repetition in the course Of ten nights. Things
We mt well enough for a few nights, but Laurent
must then produce " Honesty" a rejected and pub
lished comedy, because he could have 1t tor no.
thing from its author, and be furnished, gratultous-
y by him, or at his expense, with some scenic ap-
polntments. "Antigone"was then Sci aside for few
nights to do this. The result fatal to both the
houses fell down, and at the end OF Hacketts tenth
night, Laurent suddenly closed, just -four nights
salary" in arrears TO everybody, Laurent says ne
s poor Frenchman, and stands forfeited his
lease from the proprletors OF Covent Garden; pre-
ager Laurent took the theatre without shilling
capital, promising one-eighth Of each nights re-
ceipts for rent and, as report says, cannot have
carried much money out oil It,.
Drury Lane is daily expected to shut also. Iney
say that Bum pays nobody If he can help 1t. The
houses have been poer for a long time, but his
pockets are helped by some pcklngs got by private
pass keys furnished 10 certain of the diss0ute no
b,lity to allow them to minge behind the scenes
with his meretrlcious French corps Ge ballet The
"Sunday Times" two or three Sundays back,
paragraphed the fact, and recommended It to the
notice of the Lord Chamberlain.
The Haymarket is doing we'll, and has the only
decent company in London. With the run OF Bourl-
caults " Old Heads, &C., and productions TO fol-
low, the house would be full until May next, else
Hackett would have been there, but had hopes that
he would at the end Of that month. He started on
the 4th for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle, Dublin,
Birmingham, which would keep him away from
London until that time.
Miss Cushman was treated very cavalicrly by the
Covent Garden managers, but was Immediately en-
gagged by Maddox. She had letter to Kenny,
VINO has taken great lnteresti IN her, and from his
ing intimate with Oxenford, the chief theatrical
celtic, he has done her great good by making the
most of the certainly favorable opinion Of the audi
ence towards her.
But '.the greatest is behind" Forrest, your
particular friend, shut out at Paris, engaged and
appeared at the same theatre in "Othello," the
week after Miss Cushman's debut, was cordially
greeted, little appauded, called out at the end,
but severely handled by all the press, save
The Times, because the late Mr. Bacon, (Stephen
Prices friend,) OF the Times, was few years ago
his staunch supporter. Bacon's successor, as an
editor in that paper, g, Mr.. De Laine. who mar
ried Bacon's widow, (Horace Iwiss's daughter by
the way,) and Forrest and his wife, nave
met at dinner. and Oxentord has been, of
face upon all Forests attempts yet Oxentord's
duty to his journal and his own reputation, has
compelled him to state certain facts, though alb
staining from comments. Suffice It to state, that
thlnly attended, Oa his third night he PLAYED
" Macbeth" Henry Inman, who returns per Great
Western on the 29lh, accompanied Hacket to the
theatre on his first visit to that place. Forrest
was greeted with considerable applause at his en-
tree; he looked more fat, fuzzy and clumsy, than
l ever saw hln before; his plaid tunic being TOO
short behind, bad ludicrous effect, rather entire
nous, he attempted to be expressively intellectual
ia 8 ST hsta frOm hep mi M
ldlion and recourse 10 the powers OF his lungs,
and by substitution OF a smothered sublime sobu-
lating ulterance, which rendered him saite inau-
oiole and lnartlcuate even to the audience mmc-
diately about him. In the dagger scene, his style
became lntoierable to the gallery, and one cried
out, "speak up! at which he suddenly fiirted his
'dy, as when shot In "Metamora," and striking an
attitude OF defiance, looked unutterable things at
them tor some seconds. Another who had got
ured OF his continual superfluous and unmeaning
paxsss, calculated, "Oh, come! 60 n" A litter
followed, and from that time either dead silence
xned in his scenes or loud laughter and Missing
soubly redoubled; particularly when he "came the
Bowery grlmaces and piled up the agony, 'as in the
discovery OF the alr-drawn dagger, ana that lnru-
ashamed OF Forests palpable dement's, yet | be-
gan to be patriotically savage at hearing him
",alk'd" and laughed at, and hlssed hoped he
would bring up IN his gladiatoriai combat; but alas
poor Forrest! 'the last end of that man was worse
than the hrst tor he was treated the public for
merly received John Reeve, in burlesque; and, in
deed, when Forrest came to guard with Macduff,
he ratified his blade against the other, In
and when he whirled about and said, in
hurried and comical Indian tone, i" ri not fight
with thee there was, lrresistlbly, one univer-
sal shout OF laughter He fell without applause and
the curtain descended amidst a shower OF hisses,
AID received practical insult, in the fact that
oHc voice was raised for him, whilst there was
general call for a Mr.. Graham. who played $ Mac
duff" second rate part by third rate actor of
minor theatre, who was received with great ap-
pause as he came forward Then another cry was
raised for Miss Cushman, who had been much ap-
plAuded throughout, as Lady Macbeth" She
aud other demonstrations Of appreciation. | did
go to that theatre atterwardsbut according 10 re-
port, every thing had been done to sustain Forrest
IN his repetltlons OF "Macbeth," until "Metamo-
"a" could b. got ready, which was then in some
dramatists hands tor rewriting The houses had
been wretched since the repettions OF "Mac.
beth" though some people, 'in kindness of heart,
formed 1t too," by applauding him and getting him
out on the second night; but 1t is all up with him
as an actor.
Macready was at New Castle, and had behaved
III friendly manner towards Hackett Mr. and
Mrs. kean were at Plymouth, and invited Hacketl
to spend Passion week with them, at their seat in
Hampshire; he had to be ia Scotland at that
period, therefore was Obliged 10 refuse: but pro
missed to visit them during the summer.
RED RIVER RAFr.-By a letter from Arkansas,
just received IN this city, we learn that on the 10Th
Of Frebruary last the steamboat Col Harney commanded
by Captain thomas More Of Louisville made her way
unaided through the raft on Red River. The writer
states that The boat arrived the Of the raft on
the l5h and found about fifteen hundred yards OF sod
ra and the water at the low stage Of from three and
hnlf to four fee and after hard work for days.
succeeded in passing through We the first boat of
ths season. and made the passage without assistance
from the United States boat (the South westerly Which
did not arrive at the foot o the raft till we were within
one hundred and fifty two hundred yerds of the heed
Of III and the day after her srrvel we worked through
The steamboat Frontier came up in company with the
Government boat and followed us through with aid
from the latter The boat cmpoye ed BY the Government
belongs to the person who owned Frontier
We informed here that the Frontier is to be paid by
the United States for working though the ra task that
had already been performed by the Col. Harney. The
commander OF the latter Capt More, neither asks
pects as'we understand, any compensation Tor the ad
vcnurous task his boat has performed but is certainly
due 10 him that the credit being first work his
way unaidsd through difficult barrier, suppos
ed be absolutely should be given tonimnd