Feature: A Legacy Reclaimed: The Brutes and The Vice of Kings Reframe the Booth Legacy

History has a habit of reducing the Booth family to a single night at Ford's Theatre. Long before John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, however, the Booths were America's first family of the stage, a theatrical dynasty whose artistry helped shape nineteenth-century American theatre.

That remarkable chapter returned to the spotlight during a recent benefit staged reading of The Brutes, Casey Wimpee's compelling historical drama. Directed by Devin Finn, the evening raised funds for Finn's forthcoming short film, The Vice of Kings, while celebrating a work that continues to breathe new life into one of theatre's most fascinating dynasties.

The staged reading brought together an exceptional ensemble of Austin artists, led by Finn, who this time stepped in front of the audience to portray Edwin Booth. Jason Graf and Marci Blackwell reprised their original world premiere roles as Junius Brutus Booth Jr. and Asia Booth Clarke, joined by Jonathan Flanders as John Wilkes Booth, Shannon McCormick as the Ghost of Junius Brutus Booth Sr., Brennan Patrick as Mr. J. Seymour, Will Gibson Douglas as John "Sleepy" Clarke, Benajah T. Baskin as W. Handsome Hanley, and Julia Bennett, Michael Galvan, Jordan O'Neil, and Matthew Joseph Garcia as the four Brutes. Although presented as a staged reading, the performances quickly transcended the format. The company's commitment, chemistry, and command of the material transformed the evening into a riveting theatrical experience while highlighting the depth of talent in our theatre community.

Written by Casey Wimpee, The Brutes transports audiences to one of the most extraordinary moments in American theatre: the only documented occasion on which brothers Edwin Booth, Junius Brutus Booth Jr., and John Wilkes Booth shared the stage. On 25 November 1864, the trio appeared together in a benefit performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at New York's Winter Garden Theatre, raising funds for the Shakespeare monument that still stands in Central Park. Less than five months later, the Booth name would become forever linked to one of the darkest chapters in American history.

Rather than building its drama around the assassination, The Brutes imagines the relationships before history intervened. Set during rehearsals for Julius Caesar, the play explores sibling rivalry, artistic ambition, political conviction, and the quiet fractures running through a household standing unknowingly on the edge of catastrophe. Wimpee's greatest achievement is restoring humanity to figures so often overshadowed by a single tragic act. They emerge not as myths or villains, but as artists navigating family, identity, and a nation tearing itself apart.

Since its worldwide premiere in Austin in 2017 (directed by Devin Finn), The Brutes has enjoyed an impressive journey, travelling to New York for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity before transferring to The New Ohio Theatre. Perhaps its most meaningful milestone came when descendants of the Booth family invited the company to perform at The Players, the historic Gramercy Park club founded by Edwin Booth in 1888. Few productions can claim such an intimate connection to the people whose lives they depict.

Finn now carries that journey from stage to screen with The Vice of Kings, a short film adapted from The Brutes. Set moments before Edwin Booth takes the stage for his record-breaking performance as Hamlet, the film imagines a haunting encounter between the celebrated actor and the ghost of his father, the legendary Junius Brutus Booth Sr. As father and son engage in a psychological duel fuelled by memory, ambition, and unresolved wounds, Edwin is forced to confront a lifetime spent in the shadow of a brilliant but deeply troubled parent. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare and Casey Wimpee's original play, The Vice of Kings shifts the focus inward, exploring inheritance, identity, and the personal cost of carrying one of the most celebrated and ultimately infamous names in American theatre.

Seen together, The Brutes and The Vice of Kings form a fascinating artistic conversation. One captures a remarkable family before history changed forever. The other turns inward, examining the emotional burden carried by the son who inherited both extraordinary talent and an impossible surname.

The benefit reading accomplished far more than raising funds for a new film. It celebrated a piece of theatre history, reunited artists connected to its world premiere, and showcased the depth of Austin's talent. More importantly, it invited audiences to look beyond a single infamous act and rediscover a family whose influence on the American stage continues to inspire new generations of theatre-makers.

For more information about Devin Finn's The Vice of Kings, click here. Support your local artists!

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