, 1879-05-04
THE STAGE.
THE DRAMA. -.


EDWIN BOOTH.
80 INTERESTING SKETCH or AN ACTORS ca
RERR.
. rrerY p1aysonp generation has its idol, 4pi
ar,ry country has 1ts representative actor. France
h,6 herlenaitre. Germany her Dcvriept, Italy he,
c,)y;pi. England has had her Garrick, her Kcepe,
h.rMacready, and now hus her1ryinC; while Ameri-
"a has boAeted and still boasts OF the greatness ol
bcr Forrest and the present gcncraton the
of them at least, have placed Edwin Booth in tue
ros1tion o! = dramatic master. There may be
e,rat difference Of opinion regarding his histrionc
oxers, there may be evidence thnt in certain
nuariers he is losing the hold be once had, but
there can be no doubt OF the univeraal affection
md the proud sense of proprictorship in his tri-
rmnhs entertained by the patrons Of the theatre
throughout the land The sympathetic expressions
of the press aud the people over his late attempted
assassination prove thls
No name ia moro familiar In this country than
that Of Edwin Booth. yet few outside the limits OF
the theatre arc acquainted with the events OF h,s
life For the benefit OF that few We will briefly
sketch then- Edwin was one of family OF ten
r,ildren the father Of whom, was Junius Bruins
Booth, star who Eeigned forty years ago. Nea.
baltimore, Nd, on the 18th Of November 1889.
Edwin vas born. Like many members OF the pro-
fesslon it s said, the father ayerse to his sons
adoption Of the stage: but this objection must
have been Of & passive nature, for frequent.
,v ..the elder Booth" would take the
boy from school to attend him on pro-
tessona travels, when he would act Us his fathers
attendant or ''drcsser." Thrown constantly.
within The clamor which the stage casts over every
youthful and imaginative mind, naturally cuoirI
be 1nbbed strong love for hiB future profession
long before any opportunity WAS offered to essay
heing crave beyond mis- years. but obseryant and
seI.-reliant anu wise in the knowledge OF sur
roundings and strong in reliance and self -poise."
father, who Was playing Richard III. ut the
Doslon Museum. It was here that, on the
niEht ei sept 10, :,o 1s4s. OWING to he
lis debut, The role was 7ressel, : small one, but
be acquitted himself we'll enough to surprise his
father: This arst appearance Was not made With
oppositiou undertook the role without his fathers
knowledge and. although he was satisfied with his
ems performance be was at somewhst disRlsssed ct
appetite was sharpened. and he soon appeared in
m6se ambitious roles. He, during the same sea-
ss se Providence and Subsequently Gtora <iio in
tThe Iron Chest" performance in which
II may be said his ability was first recognized lie
lion Of 7tius in s.Brutus." but it was not until
1851 that he won his first genuine triumph. It
was At the old National Theatre, New York City,
10 appesr as Richard III. Edwin's course had
been closely watched by the elder Booth, and be
determined now 10 put MS son TO test which
hin, Us one worthy 70 shine among its brightest
LIGHTS. The father feigned illness. and the son
undertook the paIt Win Inc disadvantage OF
scarcely time to learn his lines
hut yet with all the drawbacks incidental to hurry
nouucement Of The change had been made, the |
sos Won spceess ,s Of the mort marked character.
Lind Theatre % s.n Francisco, SUI SUPPORTING DC m se bis
father with his brother Junius, in pecunarily I
sacanleno Swallowed up tber Seasons earninqa n
and shortly after the elder Booth returned Est
aole. From that date until he LETT for Australia, !
and Nevada. undergoing the varied experiences Of
travelling actor. 20 far as business nent bnt !
imhib,nf knowledge through the variety of his
proved invaluable to him in after life While mon
this tour be first played Hanlet in San Francisco.
and he is sid to hays .'tske9 the town BY storm"
American stage uneoualed. Idoo was ars1 nerforn,s
ed in Nevada, and Othello during tue same tonr.
to San FIancisco alter most ENTHUSIASTICALLY omn ena
gagement the party we're showed in at 1irass VAL !
ley. Here 1t was that he nrst learned OF bis faith
er's death, which occurred on 3 M1ssissinni stcanx
er. 1t is worthy OF record. ssys a San Francisco
writer, that the profits OF his frst successfnl en-
rrgement after he returned East were devoted bv
Edwin to erecting monument to the memory Of
was consistently treadna, but with frmer and less
oe<1ons steps. Half broken hearted at this INTEL
liscnce, and almost lucking the means Of suGsist-
ence, he broke the snow blockade and tramped OH |
foot through the binding crifts to Marysrille "a
distance Of fifty miles. An instance OF tho In !
domltaolc pluck which has characterized his whole
lie:
About 1856 he sailed for Australia, accompanied ]
BY Mics Laura kcene and D. c. Anderson, where |
hs was only moderately successful. d failure in
Meloourne eating up the profits Of = successful
season IN sydney He returned 10 San |
francisco by way Of Honolulu, where he
played IN Rchard ILL.," and ''The Lady
oi Lyons, ana opened at the METROPOLITAN as
bsaedtek to Miss sinclairs Beatrice. - The Mar
ble Heart followed. lts first production in Amer
ca, that lady being the original Aarco. Mr, Booth
ne osae1nal hdphae!, and MI sed!eJ the original
'ofaoe- upon the conclusion OF this engagement
"a brief onc-Mr- Booth asn1n tried the mount
ANS, pur the fonr was attended a. before with
Unfortunate results. The manager deserted the
:ompany, and the horse which Mr. Booth rode
"as seized ior the managers debts
unrlns thls tour fhe TACT that every town he
s1aited shortly after the company left it took
Ire won him reputation akin to that OF Miss Kate
'iaxton, and he was known as 'the Fiery Star."
'saln reaching San Francisco be was rendered two
benefits. when he played. for the first time. .Eino
.taF and gained sufficient funds to return to BAL
imore, where he xas received with open arn,s, and
hostlv afterwards appeared At the Front Street |
Theatre IN that city. His engagement was IN every
esoect crest success, md 20 was his subsequent |
our through the South and Southwest, during |
which at Richmond be- drst met with Miss Mary |
}evllu, to whom he was afterwards married-in |