Born in New York City on New Year’s Eve in 1820, John Lester Wallack was christened John Johnstone Wallack; he later adopted Lester John Wallack as his professional name.
Dodo begins by describing the play he intends to have produced as soon as he can find a "weak minded manager" to do so. His proposed play would defy the current theatrical conventions. This discussion becomes a segue into Dodo's review of Laura Keene's company's production of Tom Taylor's Our American Cousin, a play that conforms to the conventions Dodo criticizes and whose only saving grace appears to be Jefferson's performance. After giving an in-depth review of the play, Dodo briefly discusses the current performances at Wallack's and other dramatic news.
Dodo writes in his review of Jefferson's performance in Our American Cousin that the "highest praise" is "to say that he made so utterly worthless and conventional a piece pleasing to the audience" (2).
Dodo mentions that Laura Keene recently produced a Tom Taylor's Our American Cousin, a three-act comedy. Keene's performance in the play is described as "vapid" (2).
Of his performance in Our American Cousin Dodo writes that Sothern's performance as Lord Dundreary "was, perhaps, all that the author intended" (2).
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Born in New York City on New Year’s Eve in 1820, John Lester Wallack was christened John Johnstone Wallack; he later adopted Lester John Wallack as his professional name.
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