The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-28
MEMORIES OF AN OLD ACTRESS.
Mrs. Maria II. WIIks' Recollection.
of Forrest.
oFrom the Philadelphia North American.)

(From the Philadelphia North AmericanO
At eighty-five years of age. Mrs Maria
II. Wilks. $50 SAMSON Street, the oldest
living American actress. from her assoc
citation with great names OF the American
stage. remains to the world an interesting,
memory. The long annals Of the stage
are revealed the moment one begins to
review Mrs. Wilks achievements and to
consider the persons with whom she as
soclated TWO generations ago. Edwin For
rest, Fanny Mallack Charlotte C,usbn,a,,
the Booths, McCready. Mrs. Drew and
Joe Jefferson are some of the renowned
names which start up in remembrance
Inc modern stage accomplishes much
by picture that the old actors could only
accomplish by good acting" she says 1T
was the power developed in overcoming
obstacles that made men and women IN
the times of Booth and Forrest the mas
tiers we look for I'm vain among their sue
cessors. Ii wasn't beauty, but talent
that won recognition.
And. after all, how many reputed stage
beauties are beautiful? / have seen only
two in a lifetime-Mary Duff and Mrs
Conway. 1t is the makeup that usually
is applauded in these days of the ro-
mance-novel plays"
What about Edwin Forests life?"
she was asked
The life of Edwin Forrest was un-
usually crowded with such incidents as
naturally attend the career of n nnnuIar
actor, and also with such incidents as
are too apt to attend the DEVELOPMENT of
an energetic character He was a man
OF great ability, OF al enormous character
ana boundless ambition. 1 remember well
a story told of his very early DAYS IL
was in the old Walnut Street Theatre
while acting female part, that Forrest
was Missed by q young man in the audi
ence whom he recognized Without fin
lshinS his lines the Young actor ienned IN
the footlights and addressed the sibilant
spectator:
D youi D. you; wait tu o,o+
through with this part and III lick YOU
r orrest was as great behind the
scenes as before an audience. He is re-
puted TO nave been moody and tempestu-
Gus, but the one opportunity that / gave
his burning genius to consume me he
overlooked with the grace of chevalier
worlned myself INTO the conviction that
would succumb to stage fright when /
reached the words. If / knew some brave
ana discreet person, whose son could keep
a secret, who had those twin qualities
the hate of gold and the love of Richie
lieu The moment came, and the words
did not, But turned to Richelieu with
the whispered command. Give me the
WORD. lie did so. and never afterward
referred to the matter
Il think l remember Charlotte Cush-
man as the greatest woman of the stage
She WAS a woman of weird genius. som
bre imagination and great sensibility. She
was victorious by innate force rather
than sweetness. She was not a great ac-
tress, merely, but she was a great wom-
an When she came upon the stage she
filled IL with the welrdnss and brilliant
vitality of her presence.
"Junius BrutGs Boothe was the Mans
field Of the early days. He was a danger
Gus quantity during performance. He
could not shake off the Illusion that he
really was the character whose robes of
state ana great frown he wore in the
play"
At times when Mrs. Wilks was a stage
favorite travelling was a tedious UNDER
taking. Stock companies held the boards
in large cities, making only occasional
visits 10 the smaller towns in canal boats
or numbering. bone licking coaches.
Times have changed everything in the