27. National Theater Rivalry Comes to a Head in 1849
Despite being hounded by Edwin Forrest’s rabid fanbase, who pelted William Charles Macready with rotten eggs and potatoes, the British actor persevered and put on masterful performances. To cap off his tour, he decided to go head-to-head against Forrest by performing Macbeth in his favorite theater, The Astor Place in Manhattan, on the same night, that his American rival was putting on a Macbeth performance elsewhere. Macready scheduled his final New York City tour performance for May 10th, 1849.
The Astor Place denied entry to hundreds of Edwin Forrest supporters who had bought tickets in order to heckle and pelt the British actor, so they loitered in front of the theater. Soon, their numbers grew to over 10,000. In the meantime, the few Forrest fans who had managed entry tried to burn the theater down. Despite the mounting mayhem, Macready and his troupe continued on with their performance – although they were forced to mime the end of the play when the sounds of rioting and bricks smashing through windows got too loud. They then hurriedly took their bows, and escaped from the theater in disguise.
