Did the fact that Lincoln was assassinated by an actor have any impact on how the profession was viewed?

by monopolyqueen
texpeare

In short: no.

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the cast and crew were all rounded up to give statements to the police. After the statements were taken, they were put on bail to testify when and if Booth was brought to trial.

This is Harry Hawk. Hawk was the only actor on stage at the moment the president was shot. On the night after the assassination, he penned this letter:

Washington, April 16, 1865

My Dear Parents,

This is the first time I have had to write to you since the assassination of our dear President on Friday night, as I have been in custody nearly ever since, I was one of the principal witnesses of that sad affair, being the only one on the stage at the time of the fatal shot. I was playing Asa Trenchard, in the “American Cousin,” The “old lady” of the theatre had just gone off the stage, and I was answering her exit speech when I heard the shot fired. I turned, looked up at the President’s box, heard the man exclaim, “Sic semper tyrannis,” saw him jump from the box, seize the flag on the staff and drop to the stage; he slipped when he gained the stage, but got upon his feet in a moment, brandished a large knife, saying, “The South shall be free!” turned his face in the direction I stood, and I recognized him as John Wilkes Booth. He ran toward me, and I, seeing the knife, thought I was the one he was after, ran off the stage and up a flight of stairs. He made his escape out of a door, directly in the rear of the theatre, mounted a horse and rode off.

The above all occurred in the space of a quarter of a minute, and at the time I did not know that the President was shot; although, if I had tried to stop him, he would have stabbed me.

I am now under one thousand dollars bail to appear as a witness when Booth is tried, if caught.

All the above I have sworn to. You may imagine the excitement in the theatre, which was crowded, with cries of “Hang him!” “Who was he?” &c., from every one present.

In about fifteen minutes after the occurrence, the President was carried out and across the street. I was requested to walk down to police headquarters and give my evidence. They then put me under one thousand dollars bond to appear at 10 o’clock next morning. I then walked about for some time as the city was wild with excitement, and then I went to bed. At half-past three I was called by an aid of the President, to go the house where he was lying, to give another statement before Judge Carter, Secretary Stanton, and other high officials assembled there. I did so, and went to bed again. On Saturday I gave bail.

It was the saddest thing I ever knew. The city only the night before was illuminated, and everybody was so happy. Now it is all sadness. Everybody looks gloomy and sad.

On that night the play was going off so well. Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln enjoyed it much. She was laughing at my speech when the shot was fired. In fact it was one laugh from the time the curtain went up until it fell — and to think of such a sorrowful ending! It is an era in my life that I shall never forget. Inclosed is a piece of fringe of the flag the President was holding when shot.

Harry Hawk's letter appeared in the Evening Star, April 24, 1865.

For much more information on this topic, read Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination: The Untold Story of the Actors and Stagehands at Ford’s Theatre by Thomas Bogar.

There were no widespread persecutions of the acting community in the United States following Lincoln's death. On the contrary, the postbellum North experienced a boom in the entertainment industry. The rapid growth of railroad infrastructure, new copyright laws, and the eventual rise of the Theatrical Syndicate meant that even smaller, more remote towns could maintain permanent theatrical spaces. The period between 1865 and 1885 saw the theater scene in the United States mature from its marginal "middle-brow" beginnings into a community that was producing world-class entertainment presented by legendary international celebrities like Mark Twain and Joseph Jefferson.

There were, of course, disparaging comments made about actors in the press at the time (as in any time) but for the most part, Booth was portrayed negatively for being a Confederate sympathizer, not for being an actor.

For further reading on the period, I recommend The Cambridge History of American Theatre, Volume II: 1870-1945 by Don B. Wilmeth and Christopher Bigsby