Existing comment:
Theatre Critic:
Lincoln held strong opinions about how Shakespeare should be presented. "A farce, or a comedy, is best played," he explained. A tragedy is best read at home." Nor did he mind sharing his theories with theatre professionals. For example, after seeing actor James Hackett as Falstaff in Henry IV, the president wrote Hackett to tell him how much he enjoyed his work. Hackett then published the letter, exposing Lincoln the drama critic to newspaper ridicule.
No Rest for the Weary:
Worse, Hackett showed up at the White House one day -- not to discuss Shakespeare but to petition Lincoln, unsuccessfully, for a job as U.S. consul in London. It was an ironic response to a president who went to the theatre for a few hours' rest from the office seekers who hounded him all day. |