The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-06-23
HAMLET BEHIND THE SCENES
Interesting Conversation with Boot

Interesting Conversation with Booth.
Anew York correspondent gives this ac-
count of an Interview with Booth while he
was playing Hamlet:
A few evenings since, In company with a
couple OF literary friends, went to see Edwin
Booth play Hamlet. The theatre was crowded
to overfowing. After sitting through the first
three acts, and while witnessing the splendid
acting of the interview with his mother,
of INV friends suggested that we should call
upon the great tragedian behind the scenes.
/ had never seen him before, and the tempta-
tion of seeing Hamlet as he was, was too
strong 10 be overcome by any hesitancy about
intruding upon the great actors retirement.
The conversation was mainly up0n dramatic
matters Hamlet, who had just LETT his mother
against her marriage, was sitting on lounge
In an easy posture, smoking dark meers-
chaum pipe. Beyond his stage costume, his
makeup for the play was but little more than
his natural appearance. He wore his own
hair, and beyond the faintest possible tinge OF
rouge on his cheeks there was no attempt to
identity himself with the character by any
mere accessories OF art or fashion.
Mr.. Booth has made his home in the theatre.
He had suite Of eight rooms on the upper
floors. which were Intended for studios, but he
found that 1t would be better to convert them
Into dwelling. He said he was so tired after
acting that It was torture to 60 through the
trouble of dressing to travel four or nVe
blocks.
Hamlet, he said, did not exhaust him, except
by its intensity. Richard was the most ex-
hausting character. He wanted to produce it,
but did not like to attempt 1t until he had for
gotten Colley Cibber's wretched version, and
could be able to produce It as written by
Shakespeare. One Of the party suggested that
many Of Cibber's emendations were of adVan-
tage.
play that cannot be counterbalanced by the
original text. Shakespeare, as Shakespeare
wrote 1t, is great deal stronger than Cibber's
variation. Anyhow, shall make the expert
ment with it.
Correspondent. "Do you intend to play
Richard after Hamlet?"
Mrs. Booth 'Oh no, indeed Richard after
Booth (smiing.) "No, don't think ] can
reach Richard this season. intend to bring
out Ma cbeth."
in it,"
Booth. 81 have the same trouble with Mac
beth as with Richard. The adaptation is not
good. had not played 1t for 30 long that
j
a Louisville manager asked me to perform It.
| said was trying to forget 1t, but would make
the effort. He took the book, and though l
had not recalled ten lines OF It In eight years.
went straight through without missing a
word"
Correspondent. 81 see that some Of the crit
les think your Hamlet too realistic"
Booth with animation.) what am ! TO 40
If read Hamlet as / read Manfred, 1t is sim
ply poem. The intellectual few will .appre-
ciate it, and probably after have read 1t two
or three times the interest will die out, be-
cause the people who would be interested In O
mere reading are comparatively few. l play
it as il is written, and put it on the stage ac-
cording to every authority. There Is not
costume, or decoration. or painting, tnat
have not some reason for introducing. Now.
in nv speech about the bare b0dkin, touched
nv dagger. 1t has been complained OF, but 1t
is o very natural motion to make In my ad-
dress to Rosencrantz I throw over his neck In
disgust the miniature. That action has been
criticised, but it Is natural and proper. There
Is not an attitude nor situation that is not an
effort to express what regard to De the mean
ing OF Shakespeare"
One of tile company suggested that the
speech in the second act to Rosencrantz anu
Guildenstern should be soliloquy and not dec
lamaton.
Booth. II think Shakespeare meant to have
it declaimed, because when Hamlet says, Man
delights me not, nor woman neither, Gnilden-
stern laughs. He asks him, why do you
laugh ? Now, if he had been musing or solilo-
auizing, OF course Guldenstern would not
have interrupted him."
One of the company asked him what he
thought Of Fechters Hamlet.
Booth. 1T Is altogether new. In some re-
spects like revelation. know Fechterr, and
like him very much. hope he will play in
my theatre before he returns"
1t was noticed that Mr. Booth did not desire
to enter into a criticism of Fechter, and rather
avoided the subject.
Correspondent ''Does an audience affect
you?"
Booth. mo-; play as carefully totem as to
ten thousand"
Correspondent. "Do you believe an actor
can thoroughly learn part, so that 1t cannot
become routine to him p
Booth. Al have never found it so. find
new meaning in Hamlet every time / play it
some subtle Shade of feeling that comes sud-
denly upon me. should feel that if l was not
playing my part better this year than last,
was neglecting my profession"
The conversation ran along from acting to
other topics, which probably should not be in
troduced here. This was during the fourth
act, while Ophela was dying. We could hear
no sound save the echo of her voice when she
sank. Finally door opens and a boy screams
out Fifth act, stage waits !"
Booth arose, retired to an adjoining room,
and returned furred and draped for his journey
back to England. While bidding his friends
pleasant goodbye, the door again opened, and
the voice came, "Stage waits for Mr.. Booth !"
In moment he vanished through the door,
and in another we were back in our seats list
K,,l hAfr- 11t