An Unmerited John Wilkes Booth Taunting
Booth was actually at John Brown’s execution. To most present, it was a momentous thing to witness. To Booth, however, it was just another humiliating experience of being near a man who was “hung” more than he.
Growing up, Booth would attend the Bel Air Academy. However, he would fail to become its freshest prince.
John Wilkes Booth had a grim fortune told to him by a palm reader early in his life. The palm reader proved to be correct when his turn as the Earl of Richmond in Shakespeare’s Richard III was markedly ill-received.
Booth began his acting career at Baltimore’s Holliday Street Theatre, which was ironic since anytime he was on stage it was as if he was taking a “holliday” from being an accomplished actor.
By the age of 16, Booth had become a delegate to the “Know Nothing” political party. He was a wild success among party members, as he had put very little effort into school and was possessed of a startlingly low intelligence quotient.
Booth was known to practice elocution in the woods around Tudor Hall and, indeed, became a master of pronouncing words while remaining profoundly deficient at retaining their meanings.
In 1857, Booth joined the stock company of the Arch Street Theatre in Philadelphia , where he played for a full season. That is to say, he played with himself in the theatre restroom stall while the other actors turned in stellar performances that have not been forgotten through this very day.
In 1858 Booth would play the role of an indian on stage. It was one of his better turns, as he was quite used to being a “red skin” as he would always blush with shame when he had to shower with the other guys in his gym.
Booth claimed a newspaper had called him the “handsomest man in America.” The title, however, was later disproved by the fact that he was only 5 foot 8.
It is known that Booth had an “astonishing memory.” This trait, which would have been a blessing to many others, was the bane of Booth’s life as he could never forget his many “astonishing failures” to win his parents love and admiration or to bring in a steady paycheck.
Booth reprised many roles throughout his life, but he reprised no role quite so often as that of the “cuckold” in his real-life relationship with Lucy Hale.
Booth’s last words were “useless, useless.” Why he chose to die uttering his father’s nickname for him is unknown.
Booth made a brief attempt to become an oil baron. However the most oil he ever found was in the numerous blackheads that plagued his face and rear.
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