The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-08
EDWIN

The removal OF Edwin Booth would
not be so serious n loss to the stage II
the modern school Of English tragedy
could furnish moro than one actor
with but a semblanco OF his genius and
art. Unfortunately it cannot. The
divergence Is too great to admit OF COM
parison, if we except Irving, whose act
ing is co~noededly inferior to that OF Mr..
Booth, but who has undoubtedly done
more for the advancement of the stage
than any man OF his generation. MIR.
Irving, too, gave one of the best defini-
tions Of acting, SO far as 1t relates to
tragedy, when he said: ut is the art OF
embodying the poets creations, OF giving
them flesh aud blood, OF making the
figures which appeal to your minds eye
in tho printed drama, live before you on
the stage"
Edwin Booth and the elder Salvini
could do this better than any mon OF
their time. In n greater measure, Booth
could divest Shakespearian characters
Of the forms which appear to us SO
stilted in the reading and bring them
close- to our sympathies. The impress
sions left by his acting are the most en-
during, because they seem the most nat
urnl pictures OF what Shakespeare In
tended as types Of different characters
and times. The Hamlet of Mr.. Booth has
been called his masterpiece; it ap-
proaches to a closer degree u ideal OF
that character, or, in other words,
the great actors stimulation was n
living and moving embodiment OF the
figure which appeals to your minds
eye in the printed drama, as Mr.. Irving
says. 1t was a rendition neve to be
forgotten by those who were fortunate
enough to live and soc this famous
actor OF a famous family Of actors.
MIR. Booth had a superb equipment
for the practice Of his art. Nature, as
il intending him for the stage, had be.
slowed a fine and graceful, though moi
over robust physique, a true actors face
with expressive lines and large. lustrous
eyes to light its changes. Finally, he
inherited from his great parent a love
and inspiration for the stage, in the at
mosphere of which he lived from child.
hood. 1t is related that when but
boy OF eighteen, he was once suddenl,
called to fill the performance of hi
father, Junius Brntus Booth, and st
great was his success that his future
seemed assured. His school of acting
was that which has developed the great
est of tragedians. His art was rounded
and strengthened by the study of man,
characters. The plays were not built TO
him, as happens often nowadays wher
many Of our actors, in lieu OF failure
must have characters constructed t.
suit a particular style or certain man
nerisms or eccentricities. He Learned
the road to success in the hard school o
experience, such us other tragedians fol
lowed but failed to reach Booth becaus
they lacked one of his many qualities
paramount of which was his finely de
veloped INTELLECT and sensitive apprecia
ton of the little things which combin
to make a great actor.
In the performance of the Englis
speaking drama, Mr.. Booths rank ha
long been fixed by our best critics. W
ore to consider him in his period as tn
great historic figure Of the Englis'
stage, such a figure as Kean was in h
, time and Garrick more than one hun
, dred years ago.