The New York herald., 1922-12-10
A Reading of the Play
BY Edwin Forrest in SO or 10

OF American Hdmlets noted lately
by Herbert $. Benton. / did not see
those of Il. l.. Davenport Though
did see his great Sir Giles Ope,reoch)
or Edwin l.. Adams. heard, may
say, but did not see the Hamlet of Ed
win Forrest at a SteinVay Hall read
ing of the play IN 1859 or 1870. after
MS retirement from tho stage. Rich
in organ tones and an Unexpectedly
delicate discrimination OF the charac-
ters it proved. The part OF Hamlet
stood out robustly rather than finely.
but in his volume OF basso sound the
whimsically mingled daintiness and
indelicacy OF his mad OpheliG had an
unavoidably comic appeal. OF the Ham
let's Of our recent days, Creston Clarke.
dohn E.ekelierd and the promising
aspirant of last season, Walter Hamp-
den. 1 have not much to say. Edward
II. Sothern went to more pains play
ing and staging the play than any
Hamlet OF latter time and achieved
measurably, but never thought It
repaid him for his long and loving de-
votion, excellent as his Prince is In
many points.
Let me In closing these recollections
briefly recall a day of apotheosis and
then glimpse of the final exit OF the
greatest Hamlet Of my time.
1t was surely In 1888 and In his
sixty-eighth year that the day Of Ill
fortune came to Lester Wallack, one
of the oldest, long prospecting actor
managers In america. Favorite of
fortune as he so long had seemed, the
news that he was IN difficulties shocked
the community. Two brother mana
gers, A. Nj. Palmer and Augustin DAILY.
suggested a great benefit for Testers
relief. The whole acting profession
seemed to volunteer for It. Finally
they took the program In hand, and
with one accord decided on Hamlet"
with Booth in the title part. as the
entire bill. It was held at the Metro
politan Opera House in May. A tre-
mendous audience greeted 1t, but 1t
was the scene on the stage that struck
the high note. prominent actors and
actresses in scores glad to play minor
parts. glad to carry a spear or dress
4 scene to show passionate allegiance
TO Booth. their royal Dane. The lead
ing characters We're all of the best in
the land. Lawrence Barrett was. the
Ghost, Frank Mayo the King, John
Gilbert the Polonins, John A. Lane
Horatto. Eben Ply1npton the Laertes,
Joe jefferson, who had played RIP Van
WinlcIc for twenty-five years. was the
First Craze Digger, and Billy Flor
ence OF a score of triumphs the Sec
ond Craze Digger. and Ophelin was
the sweet and dainty Helena Modjeska.
Despite the wonderful cast the per-
Torrance was pageant to the glori-
fication OF Edwin Booth rather than
a play. It was our monarch OF the
mimic world in his own unquestioned
right, and 80 acclaimed by $50 of the
garden flowers OF the theatrical par
terre. 1t was the touching crown Of
his life's neutrality-suspicious.
Wallack lasted but few months
thereafter, Edwin Booth but five years.
The end came quietly June z, 1893. in
his own site at the Players Club In
Gramercy Park. in his sixtieth year
tho building and institution he had
royalty rcbuilt-Stanford White, the
architect-and bestowed It on the the
atrical profession and the kindred
arts. his monument to this day look
ing out on his beautiful statue as
HamIet by the sculptor. Quinn. in the
square. I remember the night the
club was opened, attended by all the
male artistic brilliance Of the town. a
great festival OF mirth and good fell
lowship. Of sparkling talk and healths
that went round. and the eudacious
centennial toast OF Thomas Bailey
Aldrich. the poet, as Booth at mid
night stood modestly in a corner of
the large room acknowledging the Joy
Gus tributes OF his. oldest friends and
newest admirers.
It was In the small sacred ediflce
on Twenty-ninth street--sacred 10 the