Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-13
Indianapolis Journal

10. -, DSNN" 1850 Aio hAoe aplcaieuCO
as hermaya in the "Apostate''Ai /. ~
IAN old fashioned play never given
now" explained Mr.. b M ai n,
In the Apostate, at his fathers
benefit, at the old National theater, in
Chatham street, New York, about
1850 He was eighteen years old, and
really did not seem to have any talent
at all for acting. He was very dis
NAL young man, and used to travel
with his father, the elder Booth, to
dress him. v a1aep $40 Ems
"And keep him sober, sdded Mr..
Beissenherz." i n.nf i'Aa i-f
II haven't seen Edwin Booth since
he became great, 80 that opinion is an
sntiquated one," said Nr. Beissen.
herr Young Junius was then all
/ fire." .
People who attend theaters now
don't get as much for the money as
in those old days" said Mr.. b. 81
was at the National theater 10 New
York in 1915 The curtain rose at
and seldom fell before o'clock.
| have seen audiences held until 100
nearly 2 o'clock." We would have
Macbeth played with all its music,
then a thirty minute .pantomime, say
The Rose OF Sharon and after that. q
melodrama The French SPY 4 The
Wizard Skiff, or something Of that
kind. Now they take a thing that
would make a thirty minute farce,
dilute it, divide 1t into five acts, and
string it out to make it last through
40 evening. AT the new Bowery in
New YORK, in 1863, when N. B Clark
was manager-he was called Cast,
iron Clark, on account OF being stiff
and pedantic -they played twenty,f five
pieces week for each night and Eve
on benefit night. In those days the
orchestra and the actors used to Get
home about the time the chickens
were getting up" M -,.., s,o..
bus"J, r. Scott in those dave said
Mrs. b., VI thought had greater possi-
bllities than any actor on the stage.
de was versatile man, and could
play heavy tragedy like Macbeth a
comedy like Don Caesar de Bazan or
Black Eyed Susan. and dance, a
hornpipe in the same night. Forrest
said OF him thatif it hadn't been for
brandy thereueSer would have been
an Edwin Forrest, meaning that
Scott $ incorporate habits had kept
him from taking first place.
omen, said Mrs. B., "did not
have the prominent place in the pro.
fession they had afterward. | mean
that there we're few lady stars, TRACE,
dians, Julia Dean Hayne, Charlotte
Oushmaa, Mrs. Farren, Kate aud Sue
Denim comprising most OF the list.
Charlotte Champion also did tragedy,
but she was more on the melodramatic
order.p f-g arEad II
I'VE were talking Of Macbeth
said Mr., B. "Its absurd the way
keene gave it the other night, with.
out Locke's music, which adds SO ma.
i terially to,the strength and beauty Of
this play. Keene made his first an
pearance as professional at the new
Boweryt IN 1853, 10 small part, a.
Frank Evans, whom you have seen
here as Pierre in The Two Orphans.
They shad belonged previous t0that "a
an amateur dramatic association and
got in as regulars by taking and sell.
ing a number OF tickets for the priv.
ilege Of playing parts.p ril s.,,,,,
II met Mr. Barrett when he wa.
last here, said Mrs. B. NJ was sit,
ting at the wings and did not think
| he would recognize me, but he did
He told me that he brought the
French flag on at Detroit, Ia 1856
when way playing The French Spy.
That was his beginning. he told NJ,
he thought himself immense on thai
occasion. Stock companies nwer,
schools for actors. The way business
lis dcns nov is not calculated TO De
velop talent. This thing Of com
4 lanies travelling over the country ant
! the same piece being played by tn,
same persons thousands of consecu
4 tive times destroys all the talent. Al
\ originality, and makes the performer
not actors, but mere machines.
y T The variety business has, 10 grea
extent, taken the glaoe of the legiti
mate and the better class OF theatri
cal performers, 2 said Mr.. B /
I was started BY Dick Williams, a Cos
! tuner in New York. he vent b
4 England Ia 1851, and in Londol
saw the English music hallsW Ii
January. 1888, he came to me an,
| said he knew how money was 10 B
made, asked him how, and h
4 took me about New York to numbe
Of free7and-easies, where there was
stage with chairs and tables and wher
beer was sold. | said, iNotin tina
styleg He answered. Not exaotly
but like it.' He engaged me as leade
q his orchestra, took an old carriag
shop on Broadway near Spring street
altered il considerably, fitted sun
stage and put ia chairs and tables 10
the audience, He called it the SAINT
Claus, and had waiter girls. Well, i
began with a good quartette, two mel
and two women; each could siugly SIM
Z song. Then there was some lanc'
dancing and il ended up with farce
! tho ofchestra to help spin the per
formance out After a while mar
came out and gave Bob Ridley il
black, and moro Niger business fol
lowed 10 time. Atfrst leaders would
not play in a Niger Performance, 80
song or dance man had 20 furnish hi
own banjo player The variety bust
ness got great boom during the wsr
when snide companies were sorapet
together TO follow up the army and
amuse the soldiers. Lydia Thomp
son popularized loud dressing. Before
that the women ia the variety business
dressed 10 long dresses and made pre-
tentions 10 modesty." fa III
Yes, said Mts. Beissenherz, "and
tho kissing was not as perfect as now,
10 Pauline and Claude Melnoite, and
ia Romeo aud Juliet, the nearest an.
pFoach 70 kissing was putting the faces