The state herald., 1892-06-10

BooTH AS HAMLET.
had devoted himself to old comedy. II,
was thus that the late Mr.. Florence
had become identified with him. AS u
rule Jeffcrson's receipts in this line
were large, but rs u result he found
that the increased expense of IA first
class old comedy company ontdid the
Increased receipts.
With play like RIP" he would go
around the country at an exceedingly
slight expense, AT the same time doing a
very big business. This i at least broLa
BILE. II is true that the public shows n
good deal of WEAKNESS over the revival
of dramatic ''chcstnuts," but ii may be
different with n man of the celebrity
Of jefferson.
The singulnrity OF the matter is the
more a good actor is versatile the less
he is apt to impress himself upon the
public and make money. The late l..
l.. Davenport was one Of the mos,
versatile actors that ever lived. lie
could play tragedy, high comedy. farce
or burlcsquc at will, and was equally
good in all of them. lie was recognized
as great actor, but he never succeeded
very well pecuniarily. The same was
true of the late ..W Wallack, aud, in
fact, of Lester Wal'ack himself for
though that actor was best known
through "Roscdalc," there was hardly
an artist ON the American stage who
had appeared in so many diffcrcn,
pieces. HIS roles numbered between
400 and 500. Boucicault, who made an
enormous amount of money, frittcrcd
himself away during the latter part of
his life in a lot of different parts, and
he did leaving very little TO his widow,
CT rather widows.
The one part men have generally
been the gamers. The late Mr.. So,hern
| was closely identified with Our Ameri.
caa ccu.iu," and 1. r.sur-sssna-I 4
pail upon the public. Occasionally ht
would take ding at something else,
but the change was only OF slight du
ration; he would always return to tho
best known part because the people Ia
sisted upon 1t.
Mr.. Booth has played Hamlet foul
times as often ms any other part OF hi.
rcpertory, and yet 10 the very end oil
his active career he could always draw
twice MS much money in that part ms In
anything else. In fact the public had
ceased going to see him in anything
else, when he suddenly stopped acting
through increased feeblcness.
Frank Mayo, after swashng around
in the legitimate drama and then IL
sensational plays, found part to sui,
him In "Davy Crockett" lie suddenl,
began 10 make money; he stuck u
"Dayy Crockett" year after year. Al
last his receipts went down TO hardly q
paving standpoint and MIR. Mayo tool
TO the legitimate. lie desired To b,
appreciated In macbeth" and plays 81
that sort. lie was dreadful failure
He had played the one part so long thai
he could not play anything else we'll
and, although he tried "NordcclS" ant
other things, his ease seemed to b,
hopeless.
So, therefore, while the compcnsn
ton may bc large in keeping ut on,
thing long, II Is always great danger
Louis Harrison played ny Foo fol
1--WE years. lie played II too long. II,
found II dlficnlt TO get back 10 any
thing else, and even now the manner
of Ty Foo often comes To him.
james 4. Mnf,ltt has completely sum-
out Of sight, from the fact that he h u,
stuck 10 the part Of the Lone Fisher
man year after year, and even he fol
lowed another man. Harry Hunter. VIII,
had been doing nothing else for cigh
or nine years, when he died ut H. hnt
GEORGE fortcscuc In the snme wa,
played Catherine In that burlcspn,
season after season. until II got 40 thai
people would have him In nothing else
and will not have "Evnngellne' with
out him. In fact since he went 10 Au.
train with Edward y, Rice, "Eynnge
line" has been gradually going to the
dogs
Ada Gray N another old-timer. The
denr creature hns been playing East
Lynne" ever since the war, aud Their,
ARE chroniolcrs whose verncity regard
Ing most things cnn hardly bc doubted
who nay that she first played II about
1850, right after Lucille Western began
hsr mctcoric career with II.
But even Ada Gray cannot lay claim
20 being the real old woman Of the pro-
fcssioni there II ono left who beats her.
That one IA Mrs. q. C. Howard. II IA a
marvellous thing 10 relate that this
woman stili lives, mud yet was In the
original east OF "rnclc Toms Cabin, e
somewhere about 1888, She was tho
original Eva, aud then she became tho
most famous II fopsys.
II has been estimated that she played
In "unclc Toms Cabin" over 10000
times. but That cstlmnt. Ia too con.
servatIvo one. for II must bo rcmcm.
bcrrd that In tho old ilarnum's Museum
times they gave two aud sometimes
three performances n day. II Ia very
tiicly tina, Mrs Howard played In
"uncls Toms Cabin" fifteen or clgh.
teen thousand times. Atvarioul times
she hpd taken every part In H.
CAM breath. win mn open Meath
A frog cannot breathe with his
| , a A.. - a.