The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-30
81 AM THE BLACK BoOTH.p
Declaration of "a CoIOred Man Who
Aspires to the Stage.
From the Baltimore Sun.

OOOA' Co4OIeui Dutler IN the
household of Bishop Paret makes the
claim that he is the only black tragedian
that the city of Baltimore has ever pro-
duced While Bishop Paret was at home
Thomas restrained the manifestation of
his dramatic ardor. but now that the
bishop has sailed for Europe Thomas feels
al liberty to speak.
Thomas Cook was born in Hartford coun-
~, long the home of the elder Booth. and
Is about 10 years old and very dark. He
is slightly lame dresses in dark. solemn
looking clothes and talks in a bass voice
that echoes and thunders through the lit
tie house where he is staying. His ex-
preston is intense, and he takes life serj-
ously.
I am said Thomas, rising from his
chair and stetching out his right hand
me black Booth of the South. and |
VIII yet make my mark. An the world
Is stage; We have our entrances and our
exits. My entrance l trust will soon be
made. All that I want is a manager and
chance, and it viii be seen that I am
not a made tragedian, but one natural
born. Shakespeare appeals to me more
than the Bible, and for that reason l do
not care 10 play before my own race. who
understood little of the Bard of Avon.
l am more of a tragedian than [ am
lover, and my best parts are Hamlet
Otheio and Richard III. I am the only
Otheilo, and would like to play that part.
Othello suits my color and | suit Othello
Thomas arose, and, leaning over a couch
upon which, in imagination, lay BESIDE
mona, he recited OtheliO's lines at is
the cause, my soul; let me not name it
10 you, you chaste stars. Yet / viii not
shed her blood nor scar that white skin
of hers, as smooth as monumental ala
baster; yet she must die lest she betray
more men"
These lines were given in a grief-strick-
en-, passion-laden voice that vibrated
through the little room and attracted spec
tators on the outside. His gestures as he
finished grew weird, and in closing when
OthellO says. zone mOre-the last" Thorn
as tenderly kissed the edge of a tin kettle
which lay on the couch and which was
supposed TO represent the lips of BESIDE
mona.
But it is in Richard III that am real
ly great" said Thomas. My lameness
peculiarly fits me for the part and as
Gloucester before becoming King I am
very strong. You remember the terrible
fight on BOswOr,h field. when the King
cries a horse. a horse! my kingdom for
a hoss!" The stentoran tones in which
he acclaimed these famous words caused
Two women in a back room to stop wash
The tragedian seemed 10 have been swept
away by his passion He switched to
Hamlet" the melancholy Dane quoting
the great soliloquy with deeply wr.nked
brow and folded arms while he gloOmily
stalked, or rather limped from one side
of the room TO the other. TO be, or nor 10
be-that is the question" he said and con-
cluded the speech, seemingly Obvious of
his surroundings. He held an interview
in, bo told her
ITO nunnery 60! Why would'st thou
live?" Then followed in quick succession
snatches from the various characters in
trcduced in the first act of Hamlet" Ho-
ratio, Marcellus, Bernado and the Ghost.
| Cock delivered their various speeches,
making rapid changes in his voice and
manner.
Thomas Cook said that the character of
Hamlet is not properly conceived by the
public. and few actors costume the part
correctly. His idea is, he said, that Hamlet
was melancholy and should be SO attired.
If he ever played Hamlet" again, he
would wear a garb like that of the ancient
monks, black and sad-looking.
when I played 'Othello' l wore a scar
| let robe with white sandals in the first
oct when I say to the dukes and lords
assembled, Most potent, grave and rev.
| cred seniors, my very noble and approved
good mans daughter It's true In the sec
ond act I wore white robes and in the
| fourth and fifth acts l wore armor and a
sword. This l think, is right because in
| the first act Othello was lover, in the
second he was a married man, and in The
! others a warrior. He steals Desdemona in
| the first act marries her in the second,
and then he and Cassie and Iago fall out
| in the others.
| II played Othello last with Charlotte
| Strongman, coored girl as my Desdemo-
ma. and she was an actress of the very best
kind 1t was after that that
1 decided that I was a tragedian and not
a lover loved that Desdemona not wise
ly but too well. My heart is too easily PEN
Grated for me to take the part Of a lover
! and since l cannot prove lover, l have
| almost determined to a william be-
"Women's eyes have got to be fed and
! am nobody's pretty man. A woman wants
| 10 have something good to look upon and
why should she want TO lock at the
devil? That's why L don play lover any
! more. / never married that Desdemona
and Just never married at all Desdemona
should wear white satin in the first act and
a muslin dress in the fourth act when she
Is murdered.
4 have seen all the great stars and have
stud ed them and Lelieve that Robert Man
tell is a more heller Othello than Booth oil
/ Salyini He knows how to costume and
! was up 10 date. A good actor must make
| the people leave their boxes and their seats
and bring the gods out of the gallery, al
on the stage united with him. II he can
do this. then I say he is a successful ac-
for. Mansfield Is alright 1 believe, in
Richard Ill but he has not got it here. u
| Thomas pointed TO his throat to signify
| that he meant the voice. Then he lacks
proper gesticulauon, but stll he does well
! Creston Clarke is no actor a all. He ought
never to say he is a tragedian. because
| he won't do.
.'Of course can play any part at an In
Hamlet right through and am about IA
miliar enough with all the other heroes
but | never took much pride in the come
/ dies of Shakespeare. 1 am not fitted for
! tbnt might be TOO comic If got 10 beioG
funny and then a man has got to like his
| work and tragedy is my pleasure all The
way through. =.
you may ask me, Thomas, how is II
! that YOU claim to be such fine tragedian
ard VET YOU are a wailer?' Very well, you
NAV ask. am a waiter because can find
no o,zn;ug and cannot discover any chance
/ for The black man on the stage. l have
| ,rouble 10 get manager and ! SIMPLY