New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
EDWIN BOOTH.
MP WINTERS BIOGRAPHY OF THE ACTOR.
LIFE AND Art OF EDWIN BOOTH by yu " giS iS-
H:ew-York AID l.ordon Macm an & CO.

/,
Forrest Charlotte Cushman ard f. l.. Davenport.
who later dominated In the sphere OF the "c'''
drama he attributes the origin Of what we suppose
will some day be called the American tradition FH-
win Booth did much t. develop and enrch tha' ira
dlton. and epoch Of splendid advancement l.
Approached in crossing the threshold OF MS career
We may be sure that the public when hal aPPrfC'-
ated Junius Br,itus Booth did not need to be mlde
over again to sympathize with and appreciate MS
SON but National culture was in tr1nSitloh" state
during the late dfties when Edwin returned from
his adventurous apprenticeship in the far West TO
fry his fortune in New-York and Boston. ara the
distinguishing feature Of his work from that time on
was that It stimulated. and in many directions
created a wider and deeper taste FOR really al
eauate art than had existed before. the ne OF the
actor IS therefore illustrative in two ways per
sonally and historically He was great tragedlan
and he was pioneer at a critical period OF our
his,orv "O,her forces" SAYS Mr.. Winter. nave
helped 20 accelerate progress AMI 10 foster the
higher elements OF the drama: but II was IN" IN
fuence OF Edwin Booth that cleared ana smoothed
the way Every appellant TO the best order Of
taste found a reader hearing AMI an eas'e;
conquest because Edwin Booths minstrations had
deve,oped acutencss Of perception. dihused refine
ment. awakened crloiion impaired spiritual know
edge OF n lofty ideal and provided high standard
OF dramatic art
The narrative which Mr. Winter Celebrates as a
basis for his conclusion just quoted is full and
thorough for the writer knew Booth intimately
during many years. and the latter supplied him with
all necessary biographical data. knowing tho pur-
nose TO which they were to be put. The book also
draws lts quality OF finish OF completeness from
the character Of It's subject There IL much talk
nowadays about the art of acting: ana the "H-
tension OF the activity of the comede Francois"
and OF its independent members to countries
other than France. has renewed livey argument
as to whether the artist IL Is not To BE- separated
from his personality in the creation OF dramatic
role The question is as old as art itself. /; need
be resumed here for the purpose Of recall
ing Booths unanswerlblc contribution 20 the praci-
cal eluclation OF the difficulty lie proved. and
proved beyond the snaIow OF a doubt. that the best
acting is that In which art l. irradiatel by genius,
in which the outline Of the poet is flied by the
personality OF the actor. This Is what gave unity
to his life and work. and what gives unity To Mr.
Winters book about him. Art and rlture were"
with him. !nextricab'y blended. ana in depicting
him and Of the stage the historian follows IN"
unfolding Of one Indvisble and symmetrical theme
Booths whole illustrates The natural victory
Of natural g.fis lie haG art-no actor - hi time
had more. In the best sense OF the w1ri-but in -"
analysis Of it It is Impossible 20 reduce IL 20 any
such considerations of technique. OF method. Of
ecu;ioD as are associated with the interesting art
Of VI. Got. for example. Nj. Winter speaks OF
Booths disasic for recent theories of dramatic art
and OF his adherence to ihe tradition 81 his father
and Of Edmund Kean." Booth could not have he'd
other tencts. II was the condition - his power
that he held art a means Of expresslon-as his
father and Kean and Garrick and Mrs Sldions
and every other great ruler OF the boards had held
1t before him-and not as something sufficient IN
itself to only dazzle the eye but the heart
The drudgery o! the theatre. for which he had al
ways deep aversion. was of course n"ccfsnry -
him. Early in his career. when h" was acting sue
f,
fornia the latter was penetrating enough to say to
him: You have had wonderful success for
young man. but you have much - learn" ON the
other hand. his father tho root of the mat
ter when. ne Put Edwn's UNFRAMED faculties to the
test By forcing him to make his frat appearance
az Richard the Third with scarcely any warning.
The event occurred in New-York. In ISL. when
Booth was only eighteen. The testimony Of eye
witnesses IS that he rose TO 'hc situation with the
inspiration OF one born to the stage lie wore his
fathers mantle as an Inevitable right \ period OF
about five years interycncd however between the
great episode Of his youth AMI his entrance into
the undspu,ed control OF his artistic Inheritance.
and Mr.. Winters survey OF that long and now
welknown struggle In Western and Antlpodcan
regions discovers unrcmiitng study and labor
the actors part He saw the justice OF his brothers
criticism. and when the latter cast him Tor utility
parts In comedy. farce and burlesque he aba andoncd
without murmur his continuous performance Of
reach. Hamlet and Macbeth 1T was a lesson for
crushed tragedian." he said to Mr. Winter
Whether conscious or not OF his unmstakablc
gifts. Booth had curiousy expectation OF attain
Ing the eminence which hc subsequently enjoyed.
and in "A note to MIR Winters manuscript he wrote
that the height OF his expectation TO become
a leading actor in NewYork theatre" is a
star he felt that he was sure to wane In a sea son
or two. The verdict OF the public instantly
and unequivocally In favor Of his retaining a posi-
ton OF prominence. His audacity and energy were
immense, and his triumph was commensurate In
scale His handling OF very wide range Of char
acters was hailed with ardor. and 1t WAS a steady
stream OF prosperity. interrupted only by brief
retirement upon the death OF Lincoln. that bore him
on to the erection OF his theatre In New York. one
of the most substantial proofs Of an actors ropu-
lary which the history OF the American stage has
TO Offer Not the least Of Mr. Winters gorvces 10
students OF Booths life is the light which he throws
the vcissltu1es Of Booths Theatre II is clearly
shown in this volume that the enterprise was never
the failure which it has been frequently and -
ca reessly called Booths skill In finance
GUS to degree ana insufficient to tide him over
the universal panic OF 1873. But he hal the conf
dence of the public and his management was so
far enlightened and potent in everything bearing
upon artistic matters that only sagacous bust
ness man. who would have made the actors inter
ests his own. was needed 10 bring him safely past
the crisis In which his property was lost. Mr.. Win
adds that Booths personal bankruptcy. declared
some months after his withdrawal from the the
atrcal scheme. was I'm no way consequent upon
the earlier misfortune. but was due solely to his
imperfect command OF financial details. How we'll
qualified Booth actor to carry through
anything he undertook is proved by the fact that
after his bankruptcy he paid his debts and earned
another fortune" Occurrences following the
called failure demonstrated beyond dispute that he
might have carried his theatre had he chosen to
remain at the head OF IT," But he could not main
tain the leadership in such an adventure ii
irreconcilable with his poetic. visionary genius.
and the course OF events which his biographer de-
scrbes after parting with the subject Of Booths
experience In management. WAS wholly normal
The record Of the years extending from 1915 to the
late autumn Of the actors life Is record Of
diminished success as travelling star. Its termIna
ton introduces the second division Of Mr.. Winters
book an analysis OF the Of Booth In mis- princi
pal characters
When am enrapt in a character ] am per-
sonating" said Booth, There seems to lie another