Author: [Theatre Playbill - San Francisco]. Booth, Edwin - Performer
Title: METROPOLITAN THEATRE. MONTGOMERY STREET. DE SOTO! The Hero of the Mississippi.; Second Night of the Farewell Engagement of Mr. J. E. Murdoch. Tuesday Evening, July 11th, 1854
Description: [San Francisco]: [Herald Steam Presses], 1854. 1st printing (presumed), ca 1854. Self wrappers. Single sheet folded once to make four pages (verso blank), Unfolded: 18-7/8" x 11-3/4". Slight age-toning to paper; creases where its been folded, lower quarter has been excised (imperfect copy). A scarce (only other known copy at UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library) playbill from the early days of theatre in San Francisco, with numerous reviews of the play from other newspapers. The theatre was at this time leased by Catherine Sinclair, the former wife of the famous actor Edwin Forrest. This performance included a young Edwin Booth, a favorite friend of Sinclair, in the role of "Luis, a soldier of fortune". Sinclair had to give up the theatre around 1855 due to financial difficulties, but continued to support Booth despite his drinking and gambling problems. The theatre had a short run, but played an integral part in the careers of both Booth and Sinclair. Montgomery Street was cut through by Columbus Ave. in 1873 and the theatre closed, though a small slice of it remained until the 1906 earthquake.

Keywords: Literature Americana


See more books from our catalog: Literature