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237.
[scatters the elements of rare intellect and genius
indiscriminately amongst mankind, even to the
most humble sources. Forrest is above the mid-
dle stature, and at this time (1827) his firgure and
general impressivemenss were extremely enga-
ging; his form rather inclined to the athletic,
though in nothing clumsy or heavy. His fea-
tures were animated with a very marked and
piercing eye. His face was a manly sweetness,
but when aroused to fearful passion, it was pow-
erfully, nay, terribly expressive. His manner
was graceful without apparent study; his artifi-
cial acquirements were few; he acted altogether
from impulse; and if he had taken any model
distinctly to mould his style upon, it was Kean.
He took the coloring of that actor's transitions.
He does not posess the harmonious tones of a
Cooper's voice, but, bating some ragged notes, it
extends from the dulcet softness of the flute to
the shrill sound of the trumpet. There were then
faults in his acting, but the nobility of many of
his conceptions are now naturally artistic, and
his execution of the sublime parts, as Othello,
Lear and Richelieu, are without a parallel upon
our stage. We have not seen Forrest for some
years, in any part, throughout. But we only
now say, that at this time (1827) he possessed all
the freshness of youthful first-class talent, im-
bedded in a soil of genius, but entangled with
many weeds. We shall occassionally recur to
him in our sketches, as we may not survive his
retirement from the stage.

March 7th, (Wednesday,) was E. Forrest's first
night in "Damon and Pythias." Damon, E. For-
rest; Pythias, Webb; Dionysius, Darley; Pro-
cles, Porter; Damocles, Wheatly; Calanthe, Mrs.
Green; Hermione, Mrs. Anderson.

Forrest's second night, "Othello." Othello, For-
rest; Iago, Wood; Cassio, W. Forrest; Desde-
mona, Mrs. Wood.

Forrest's third night, "Pizarro." Rolla, For-
rest.

Fourth night, "William Tell." William Tell,
Forrest; Miss Mestayer as Albert.

He also appeared in Sir Edward Mortimer, Jaf-
fier, King Lear, and in Richard the Third; a part
in which it would seem he never acquired much
credit. His conception of King Dick being the
opposite of the stage traditions.

Mr. E. Forrest's benefit was thus announced,
on March 21st:

Wednesday evening, will be presented Shakspere's cele-
brated tragedy, (in 5 acts,) called
King Lear,
And his Three Daughters,
With the original termination restored, of Lear and Corde-
lia's death, as written by Shakspere [Shakespeare].

Mr. E. Forrest was re-engaged, it being gene-
rally requested by the public. He appeared the
next evening, 22d of March, in "Venice Pre-
served," as Jaffier.

A debutanté, in the person of Miss Hetty War-
ren, daughter to Mr. Warren, the manager of the
theatre, made her maiden entrée in Thalia's train
this season, with the most flattering applause. It
was asserted on all sides to have been the most
perfect first appearance on record. And, had she
been prepared in a round of parts, so as to have
continued playing a few nights afterward in suc-
cession, she would have proved attractive. But
by some mismanagement or other obstacle, she
did not act again, till May 3d. She then played
Mary Thornberry, in "John Bull," the poorest
and darkest set jewel of this comedy. Of course,
she did not retain the influence and sensation
which her first appearance awakened.

In a few years after, as Mrs. Proctor, she was
known as one of our most accomplished and ex-
cellent American actresses, in either comedy or
tragedy, and her vocal abilities were of a very
fine order.

Throughout the benefits, at the last of the sea-
son, Miss H. Warren was often called into service
to strengthen the bill.

T. Moore's comedy of the "Foundling," was
produced for the purpose of affording Miss War-
ren a suitable part to make her debut. Fidelia
was new to the public, and seemed in every way
adapted to her supposed powers. She hit the
idea of the "Foundling" to a charm. Her demon-
stration was decided. The piece was announced
as never having been performed here - but was a
revival.

Mr. Macready returned to fulfill his last en-
gagement, on the 26th of March, previous to his
return to Europe. It was announced, it being
positively his last engagement, no play will be re-
peated, as his day of departure was fixed upon.
He played in "Othello," "The Stranger," "Ham-
let," and "Henry V.," which was not performed
for twenty years.

The cast of this latter tragedy employed every
gentleman in the corps, except Wood, Wemyss,
and the elder Jefferson.

Mrs. Quickly, was played by Mrs. Francis;
Queen Isabel, Mrs. Greene. Macready played
Petruchio in the afterpiece. April 2d, he per-
formed "Macbeth." On his sixth night, April
4th, was performed, for the first time in this city,
Massenger's tragedy, in five acts, called "The
Fatal Dowry." Romont, (as originally repre-
sented by him at Drury Lane Theatre,) Mr. Ma-
cready, being positively the last night but three
of his ever performing here. The cast was thus:

Romant, Mr. Macready; Rockfort, Webb; Novel, Hathwell,
Charlois, Wood; Lucon, Porter; Young Novel, Wemyss;
Beaumont, W. Forrest; Chormi, Darley; Liladam, Heyl;
Aymar, J. Mestayer; Ducroy, Greene. A number of subordi-
nate characters, to the amount of ten or more, by the
rest of the company. Beaumelle, Mrs. Wood; Bellapert, Mrs.
Durley; Florimal, Mrs. Greene.

He also played Wolsey, Virginius, (Miss War-
ren as Virginia), King John and Felix, ("Hunter
of the Alps.")

Soon after this he returned to England, bidding
us a final farewell, but came back to us in 1843,
making a professional tour throughout the Union,
when he played his round of characters under
Ethelbert A. Marshall's management at the Ches-
nut Street Theatre.

Mr. Henry Wallack was engaged to produce
the grand Hibernian melo-drama, written by
James Sheridan Knowles, called "Brian Bo-
roihme, or the Maid of Erin." All the scenery,
dresses, &c., were new. Wallack had produced
this piece at a great cost at the Chatham Garden
Theatre, where it had run for upwards of one
hundred nights. It proved not so great a card as
the "Lady of the Lake," which kept running
for nearly two seasons. Coyle's brother, a supe-
rior man in every way to the manager of the
Chesnut street house, painted the scenery for it.
Jacob Johnson, who built the new opera stage
here, in the Academy of Music, made the ma-
chinery. All was done at a vast outlay, but it
did not pay. Wallack brought over all the ar-
mors, properties, etc., from New York, as well as
Big Scott, to play Brian Boroihme, whose gigantic
stature and stntorian voice, made his repre-
sentation of this Irish King a most remarkable
feature in the drama. It was certainly a most
imposing piece, and well got up. Wallack was
adequate to the task. The first night of the
piece was announced with every possible flour-
ish, for Easter Monday, April 16, 1827. But a
sore calamity assailed it on the very first night.
Mr. Webb, of the company, had been cast to a
very important part, viz: Voltimar, a verteran
chieftain of the Danes. He appeared on the
stage in a beastly state of intoxication. He was
hooted from the theatre by the indignant audi-
nece; he disappeared altogether, and his part
was read by young Heyl, who happened to be
disengaged in the cast, except to assist in the
general music.

Thus was "Erin Go Bragh," which headed the
bills, vanquished and blotted out, after four repre-
sentations, and hundreds of dollars sunk to all
concerned. Warren was a sufferer, and so was
Wallack, and all who were dependent upon them,
the consequence of the beastliness of one drunken
man.

Mr. and Mrs. Wallack were reengaged, and
made an effort to revive the glories of the lost
Harp of Erin, with poor success.

Mr. Jefferson's annual benefit took place on
April 30th, when he presented a new comedy
never performed here, called

"Teazing Made Easy."

Litigant, Mr. Greene; Glowworm, Mr. Wemyss; Gammon,
Mr. Cowell, in which he san the song of " A Picture of a
Play House." Peter Pastoral, Mr. Jefferson; Mixem, Mr.
Hathwell; Mrs. Teazer, Mrs. Mestayer; Mrs. Compton, Mrs.
Jefferson; Miss Manly, Mrs. Greene; Molly Mixem, Mrs. An-
derson; Miss Compton, Miss Hathwell. Other characters by
the company.

The excellent musical afterpiece of the "Span-
ish Barber," was selected for the purpose of in-
troducing Miss Elizabeth Jefferson, the daughter
of our comedian, in the part of Rosina, being her
first appearance on any stage. It would seem
that her debut did not come up to the expecta-
tions entertained of her powers, and that she fell
behind the efforts of her cousin, Miss Warren.
They both afterwards became very superior ac-
tresses in the various walks of the drama. Miss
E. Jefferson, in a few years after, as Mrs. S.
Chapman, became the leading actress of the
Park Theatre. She possessed every personal
requisite: an excellent voice, both for signing
and speaking. She had received musical cultiva-
tion, and had every power and general talent for
either tragedy or comedy. Indeed, was au fait
in all the roles of the acting drama. We shall
refer again to these ladies as we pass onward to
our goal.

Towards the end of the season, John Greene
made a great hit as Dennis Brulgruddery. It was
played four or five times on his account, crowd-
in the house, which astonished all hands and
the cook - even Mr. Wood, who told Cowell that Greene was "good in little bits."

The benefits of the company occupied the
month of May, which closed the season of 1826
and 1827. Miss Warren performed at nearly all
of them. Miss E. Jefferson appeared three or
four times again, evincing marked improvement
on each succeeding night.

On May 1st, Mr. William Forrest's benefit,
when Mr. E. Forrest performed Virginius (for one
night only); Virginia (her fifth appearance), Miss
Warren.

Mr. Wood's benefit, May 2d, when the "First
Baltimore Infantry," then on a tour, visited the
theatre, as an honor to the beneficiary. The play
was "The Busy Body" (an olio), and "Matri-
mony."

At Mr. Wemyss' benefit, May 3d, he produced
a new farce, never acted in America, entitled
"Husbands and Wives." The principal parts
were by Messrs. Jefferson, Jefferson, Jr., Wemyss,
Heyl; and Mesdames Anderson, Jefferson, Greene,
Mestayer, &c. Miss Warren made her sixth ap-
earance as mary Thornberry, in "John Bull."

The season closed with Mr. Warren's benefit,
with the comedy of "A Cure for the Hearache"
and "The Agreeable Surprise."]