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RE: The Last Official Theatrical Booth Appearance - LincolnMan - 02-23-2014 01:08 PM
Yes, the notice of the play is there- very good. Which must mean the March performance was at Ford's? Side-bar: as I glanced at the columns in the paper, I saw where Edward Everett must have died. There was some sort of gathering in his honor with a guest speaker. We have all read that he was very physically challenged. Wonder if Lincoln attended his funeral?
RE: The Last Official Theatrical Booth Appearance - Tom Bogar - 02-23-2014 03:39 PM
After looking at it from all angles, I have to dismiss the Marble Heart incident/account in Mary, Wife of Lincoln, in which Katherine Helm claims Booth threateningly approached the president one night in his box at Ford’s, causing Lincoln to quip, “He does look pretty sharp at me,” as apocryphal. She incorrectly describes the design of the box, its proximity to the stage--the sight-lines and distance of which would have made Booth’s threatening approach and gestures as she describes them impossible--and misstates Booth’s role as the villain of the piece.
(02-22-2014 07:23 AM)LincolnMan Wrote: I think I read that the name of the play Booth played in that night was The Apostate. Not being familiar with that particular play- is there some weird connection with that play and the Lincoln assassination? What is the play about?
The Apostate, in which Booth played Pescara, is Richard Lalor Sheil's 1817 dark, Moorish tragedy, and if anyone really wants to read it (a difficult, unrewarding slog, I have to say), it can be found at https://archive.org/stream/apostatetragedyi00sheiuoft/apostatetragedyi00sheiuoft_djvu.txt As I see it, it would be a real stretch to connect its events to the assassination.
RE: The Last Official Theatrical Booth Appearance - LincolnMan - 02-23-2014 04:06 PM
Hi Tom: do you believe that Booth's March 18, 1865 performance was at Ford's?
RE: The Last Official Theatrical Booth Appearance - Tom Bogar - 02-23-2014 08:23 PM
(02-23-2014 04:06 PM)LincolnMan Wrote: Hi Tom: do you believe that Booth's March 18, 1865 performance was at Ford's?
Absolutely, by all sources I found. The benefit was for his good friend John McCullough (who played Hemaya) in The Apostate, opposite Booth's Pescara; it also featured Alice Grey (picture on Booth’s body), and the drama of Jonathan Bradford with the entire company, incl. 4/14 performers Jeannie Gourlay (as Annie Bradford) and Will Ferguson (on both plays). The Daily National Intelligencer (3/18) praises Booth, and says “If he shall be well, and in good voice, we venture to predict that he will create a sensation tonight.”
RE: The Last Official Theatrical Booth Appearance - RJNorton - 02-24-2014 05:07 AM
Thanks, Tom. Regarding Booth and Ford's Theatre many years ago the National Park Service's website had a listing of Booth's appearances there. I can no longer find that the page is on its site (maybe it's still there, and I just missed it). But I did make a copy at that time. The information did not include what role Booth played each night. Here's the list:
November 2, 1863 - "Richard III"
November 3, 1863 - "The Apostate"
November 4, 1863 - "The Robbers"
November 5, 1863 - "A Lady of Lyons"
November 6, 1863 - "Merchant of Venice"
November 7, 1863 - "Richard III"
November 9, 1863 - "The Marble Heart" *
November 10, 1863 - "Hamlet"
November 11, 1863 - "Romeo and Juliet"
November 12, 1863 - "Money"
November 13, 1863 - "Richard III"
November 14, 1863 - "The Robbers"
March 18, 1865 - "The Apostate"
* Lincoln in attendance