Happy Edwin Forrest Day, Philadelphia!

Philadelphia does love its centennial celebrations. Here we are, still in the throes of the Franklin tricentennial madness, and we've decided to commemorate a bicentennial birthday, too! The 200th birthday in question in this case belongs to Edwin Forrest, famous Philadelphia actor and namesake of the Forrest Theatre. To mark this milestone anniversary of his birth, Mayor Street has declared today "Edwin Forrest Day."

Forrest was sort of the Will Ferrel of the mid-19th century; not in that he was inexplicably permitted to continue to make movies we simply don't find funny, but in that he was the highest paid actor in the world for his time. Forrest bequeathed much of his estate towards the establishment of an actors' retirement home. To honor Forrest's craft and dedication to the Philadelphia theatrical community, The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia is inviting local theaters to collect donations to be given to the Lillian Booth Actors' Home of the Actors' Fund of America on April 23rd (another important birthday in the theatrical world - William Shakespeare's).

Phillyist thinks it would be nice to honor Forrest by declaring a city-wide holiday that would entitle us to a free day off from work. Alas, this is not to be. However, if you are looking to celebrate Edwin Forrest and/or Philadelphia's theatrical community and heritage, you can stop by The Walnut Street Theatre (where Forrest made his debut) to see the Edwin Forrest Exhibit in their lobby, or attend a performance tonight at one of the various local theaters listed below, where they will be accepting donations:

Arden Theatre Company (2nd Street between Market and Arch Streets) : Dancing at Lughnasa and Opus
City Theater Company (818 N. Market Street, Wilmington): Love's Fire
Curio Theatre Company (at Walnut Street Theatre Studio Five, 9th & Walnut Sts) : Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Forrest Theatre (1114 Walnut Street): Les Miserables
New Freedom Theatre (1346 N. Broad Street): No Good NigG@ bLuez
Media Theatre (104 East State Street, Media): The Student Prince
Montgomery Theater (124 Main Street, Souderton): Psychopathia Sexualis
Mum Puppettheatre (115 Arch Street): The Lady in the Van
Ritz Theatre (915 Whitehorse Pike, Oaklyn, NJ): Our Town
The Wilma Theater (265 S. Broad Street): Nine Parts of Desire

How will you spend Edwin Forrest Day? Phillyist thinks we'll spend it pondering why sometimes it's spelled "theater" and other times "theatre." That's always bugged us.

Image via Canary Promotion