Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-04
CIVIC UPLIFT ONE OF AIMS
OF ORPHEUM, SAYS FORSBERG
Actor-Manager Is Scion of Thes-
plan Family Including Builder
of Fifty-two Theatres.
BY IRVING r. BACON.

u. Nathan, reviewing the theatrical
"rk OF last season in New York.
Ewes list of ten players who. he
says, stand out as conspicuously good
among them is Edwin Forsberg pro
hrletor of the Forsberg PLAYERS. the
rev stock company at the Orpheum.
AS Cassaignac in Rachel" in which
NINE. kalisch starred, he was highly
praised both here and in New York.
Mr.. Forsberg comes by his histri-
nillc Iaurels honestly. He represents
lne third generation of a family in
when theatres have been, so to speak,
the hearth and home for considerably
more than half a century. His father
was Harold Forsberg, of whom Edwin
Booth once said in a speech before
the Actors Order of Friendship. "He
Is the one actor who is making me
look to my laurels"
Mrs. Harold Forsberg ada Trim
ole), Edwin Forsberg's mother. never
rose to stardom, but nevertheless oc-
cupled an enViable position on the
american stage. Her father was
John M. Trimble, builder of fifty-two
theatres in various parts of the United
states. Among these were Niblos
Garden, the Crystal Palace, the Olym-
PIC and the Bowery (now Thalia),
New York, and the Trimble in Albany
AT the age of fifty-two Mr.. Trimble
awoke one morning and discovered
that he was totally blind Although
ne never recovered sight, his activity
remained unimpaired, and it was from
plans drawn by him during his blind
ness that the old Times building on
Park Row, New York, was con-
structed.
His daughter. Ada, was a typical
matinee girl. With her girl compan-
ions she would MUNICH candy ana lose
herself in admiration of the matinee
idol, the reigning one at that time
Ssome forty years ago. being Harold
Forsberg. He was twenty-six, six
feet in height, handsome as Apollo
and as polished a gentleman as ever
trod the boards. Small wonder that
the sixteen year-old girl should fall
in love with him. Through her father,
at one of whose houses he was play
ing, Miss Ada Trimble and the matt
nee idol became acquainted. And pres
emily they eloped and were married.
1t was not until several years after
her marriage that Mrs. Harold Fors-
berg thought of going on the stage.
One night, some time after the birth
of Edwin the leading woman in
Dora" took ill., Mrs Forsberg had
could play the part, and so well did
she acquit herself that her husband
encouraged her to enact other parts,
too.
bout twentY-three years ago, after
the. death of Harold Forsberg, who,
by the way, was regarded as the
greatest Robert Macaire and peer
less also as Macbeth, Edwin's mother
became the wife of Frederic Bryton,
at that time leading man under David
Belasco at the Madison Square
Theatre
In view of all these stage antece-
dents, it is not at all surprising that
Edwin Forsberg should have become
an actor. And yet, it was only by
the merest chance that he did be-
come one.
similarly as his grandfather had
awoke, blind, one morning, Mr.. Fors-
berg's step-father. Mr. Bryton, sud-
denly lost his voice. He made this
startling discovery just as the curtain
was about to rise on Forgiven" at
Keith's Theatre. in Providence. r. 1.
Young Mr. Forsberg, who was not
quite nineteen, was assistant to E. r.
Albee, at that time manager Of the
theatre and now head of the United
Booking Offices of America. Mr..
Bryton had won international fame
as Jack o. Diamonds in the play, and
there was not much prospect of find
ing a substitute.
81 guess We'll have to close up and
refund the money to the audience"
said Mr.. Albee.
And then, struck by an idea, Mr..
A1bee asked young Forsberg to essay
the role.
II had seen the play a hundred
times" Mr. Forsberg told me yester-
day, land knew the role of Jack O.
Diamonds by heart; but it had never
occurred to me to be an actor Still,
under the circumstances, something
had to be done mighty quickly. And
so 1 told Mr.. Albee, I'll go on if my
mother let's me-
My mother was playing the part of
the heroine. After some hesitation
she gave her consent to my appear
ing, and the remarkable situation was
thereupon presented of young fell
low making stage love to his own
mother"
Mr.. ForSberg'S performance proved
to be a revelation TO himself no less
than to others. Like his mother,
he chung to the stage after
the emergency performance. But he
never abandoned the idea that there
is more money in the managerial end
of the theatre than in the thesplan
end of it. And SO, with his heart on
the latter and his gray matter" on
the former, he has combined the two
callings, and has become an actor
manager. Besides the Orpheum's
Forsberg Players Company, of which
he is sole owner. he has half interests
in the Arvine Players, of Lancaster,
Pa, and in the Emmett Corrigan
Producing Company, of New York,
which presented "The Shepherd King
with William Farnum at the Garden
Theatre, New York, last season.
my aim is to give the highest class
stock work at the lowest possible
prices" said Mr.. Forsberg. Il want
Newark to have for ten, twenty,
thirty and fifty cents what no other
company has been giving for less than
50 and $3.50 in New York
1.-THE theatre should be to the public
a moral and aesthetic school. Foreign
diplomats in washington make 1t
compulsory for their attaches to visit
the theatres. Nowhere else can the
English language be learned as
rapidly and as well. I am living in
Newark now, and am beginning to
feel civic pride in it. And my de-
sire is to make our theatre centre
whence will radiate much that Will
make for the uplift of this great city