The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-17
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Mfr. Hamilton Talks of@J cffcslr---
s.5 son, Forrest, Booth and
85s Elder Sotherh.
GREATEST Or ACTRESSES.
Charlotte eastman, mills Opii1-
sl.8 ion, Led Led All AL The he:
Rest.

n Nj. Theodore Hamilton. veteran actor
ana Confederate soldier, received va a re- re-,
rorter Of The Timcs-Di spntoll III his dress
ing room, oil yesterday md talked deligh 1T Z
fully 81 tho days before tho wa, when
| tho lighthouses OF Richmond were or. the
first rank and wien such mon as Jefl fer
50 ana Forrest played here for weeks ets.
at u time. 81 b s4 5 Al
II begat, my career as n actor at the ING
old ,Bowery Theatre III August, 1850 $50 we
played Richard Fiji q. Ky M H s5f II, Isl!
AEWrl1crc we're no S1llatinees In those days!
rho matinee was not known in tho South
untll after the war, but NJ carly as lso 81
nruelcicn ut begun the matinee In tBos-
ton. 556 ss u I'll "a Hi
ff"I ,,t,w The old Marshall Theatre burn
hero I'll Richmond on January a, r 1862. AZ In;
the entry there used to hung Y very
fnc portrait OF Charles Burke, ME , half
brother of jefferson. think the portrait
was by Sully. NJ s84@ l5si 81. 4
"Charles Burk was always III. gIlc nevcr :!
knew what 1t was to be well. but ne pos
ssessell the sweetest nature ! over. krle W.
and was always cheerful think JIG Is " vas
the best comedian 1 ever saw pln y 5..i
latter the old Marshall Theatre burned
down, the Richmond Theatre. on the cor.
nor of Seventh and Broad, was built be-
fng completed in 1862. Tho first play pre-
scented there wa s N" AS YOU Like 4 M i ears
afterwards II cainc here and played the
Ghost to Mr., Creston Clark's Hamlet. Alr.'
Clark, the grandson Of John Sleeper. Clark,
came to Richmond for tho sent iinental
purpose Of opening his stage career IN
the old Richmond Theatre. s 4, Stj
I<,Ff xv0
old Trinity Theatre, next to tho Exchange
and Ballard II otels. @ T or our wee ks we,
played .Mctamolo,'5 n Forest SIS great play,i
every night, and the strange part wa g
that3ttere were no ladies In the audi
encc. When tho play was over the tl,i-
dience OH going out wo uld lind itself 81 y =
rounded by q Gordon Of soldiers ~ no c es
amincd each man to ascertain Il he were we're
u dcscrter or was present lthout q pass
When B d deserter was found, 3 away he
went to Castle II ghtnng or Castle ,Thnn-
der. n we played In Trinity, which had !lt
been a. church, for eIghteenilno nths, CIV
Ing nearly NIL the legitimate plays f 3fJ3
Bears His Age iBravely.
OH are a wonderfully young looking
ma \, Mr.. Hamilton, said the reporter,
"and you look as though you had never
been III in your ! fc. \. 4,
l$8.tI&t try to live like Joe sag
MI, Hamilton 8 remember Y once u we
were playing in Bost tom Joe was climb
ing up a steep hill and a gauze drop gave
the effect Of distance. The drop had not
been oiled and the creaking was some pm e,
thing awful to hear. When the curtain
fell L said to j oe Are you not very an n,
cry 2. i never get angry, he Piled ~ =.
makes wrinkles in your face. and lltl ~ that thai
would never do. u .il y I. {,
''What do you think OF the new school
OF acting n, asked the reporter. 8i6 n .
"The new ones, mon I mean, re . ~
right in drawing room plays, but they
arc not Ike tho old school &c tors, " no
could play anything. There never was was
and never viii be nm actor like Forest e
Off the stage he was q brute and his
| friends finally turned away from him.
5t2.'I played for two yelrs with him. With
Booth I played the king ! Is times to his
Hamlet and MacDuff G5 tines.
with the Elder Sothern I played In
Our Boys and american Cousin. q play
cd a whole season with Joe jefferson, and
d season with the great Mrs. Drew In
nrhe II Rivals a3 She Would and She
wouldn't and Paul Iory
1