The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-03

in 1856. he had become a finished and accom-
plished actor, and admiring public
quick 10 proclaim him a worthy successor to
his gifted father. He first appeared in Balti-
more where his success was instant and COM
piete and during the following four years he
was seen in nearly all of the leading cities of
the country. In the summer OF 1860 he visited
England and appeared in London, Liverpool
and Manchester. lie returned TO America in
1862. and from Sept. Fl, 1855, to March g. 1867.
he was manager of the Winter Garden theater
in New \ Ork- His management was made notable
b. some OF the most splendid revlvalS OF stand
ard plays ever witnessed IN America. One OF
the conspicuous features of his career at the
Winter Garden was revival of Ham
let" which ran for 100 nights. This event
deserves more than passing notice. Re
! terring to 1t Mr. Laurence Hutton,
without doubt is the most familiar
and the most popular in America today. lie Is
the ideal HaHl.et of hall the people in the
country, who have any idea OF Hdml6 what
ever. Mr.. Booths Hamlet is original in many
respects; it is intellectual. intelligent and care
fully studied; complete 10 the smallest detail
and greatly to be admired Nature has given
him the melancholy. romantic face. the mag
netio eye, the graceful person, the stately car
Tlage. the poetic temperament, which are IN so
marked a degree characteristic Of Hamlet.
while his genius in many scenes OF the tragedy
carries him Tar above the HdHliots the country
has seen In many generations OF players. lie
hrst assumed the part IN New y rk under Mr..
Burton's management at the Metropolitan the
alter in the month of May, 1857. The engage
ment was short. and Hamlet was presented
only two or three times. Even then,
however, il created no little excite
ment, and was considered very remark
able and finished representation in
! young man but twenty-four years OF age. Mr..
Booth next appeared 10 New \ oTk on Nov o,
| 1850, at the Winter Garden theater. lie opened
as Hamlet and this was his frat genuine metro
pOlitan success in the part although 1t was pre-
scented but i've times during the engagement oil
four weeks a year or 50 later he played EdBa-
tet 20 the OgheLia OF Mrs. Barrows. In 1868 tie
was supported By LswTenos Barrett, aud still
at the Winter Garden he appeared Ham e.,
from Nov. "a, 1864. until March 81, 1855. 100
successive nights. This was even entirely un-
pTeoecented in the history OF Hamlet in any
country, aud probably the longest run that
any tragedy whatever had AZ that time enjoyed.
IL moved Mr.. Booths many friends in New
York to present him. on Jan. ~, 1867. the cels-
barted Hamlet medal the most Omplimenta-
~ and well-meritsd testimonial any young act
or-nO matter how popular his eharacter-hgs
ever received from the American public IN the
history of ITS stage. During this famous
gagement he was associated with Thomas Pa
eide as GrarC-di ger; with Charles kemb!e Ma
son, an admirable Ghost; with Charles Waloott,
jr., as H0rdtiO; with Owen Faweett as OSgic;
with Mrs. James w. Wallok, ir., as the Queen;
aud with Mrs. Frank Chsnfrau as Opaet a; as
strong com olnation OF talent as this tragedy
has often seen.
A Critical Estimate of Booth an Actor.
On Feb. 3, 1862 Booth opened Booths the
ater. which he managed for five years. His
artistic success was brilliant in the extreme
but the venture proved improbable in a finan-
eial way. and when il ended, in 1874, il left the
actor-manager under 8 load of debts which
1t required years OF hard and
constant labor 90 wipe out tie re-
sumed his tours through the country, and
visit which he made TO the South in 1876 be-
came triumphal progress. The receipts OF an
eight weeks engagement in San Francisco ex-
ceeded 10000. a result then unprecedented in
the history OF the stage. Mr.. Booth had taken
his place as the most popular player of his
time, and that place hs has ever since retained.
On his merits as an artist, perhaps one is
better fitted 20 pass critical judgment than Mr..
William Winter. In his delightful shadows
of the Stage" this scholarly and appreoiative
critic Gays that in the earlier part of hs career
Edwin Booth was accustomed TO enact Sir Gtt.S
OusTTeach. SIR EdiCdTd Mortimer, PeScGTd Bad
a number of other parts of the terrific
order that he has since discarded. He was fine
In every of them. The first sound of his
voice when, SIR Ed,rdrf Mortimer, he was
hVard speaking OF the scene, was eloquent of