The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-15 00:00:00

AMATEU it E NTIC RTA INIIEN T.

The third entertainment in aid of the re-building fund
of Holy Trinity Church, took place at the Town Hall on
Friday evening last. Popular taste was evidenced in the
fact that where only two nights previously a company of
female "niggers" had a crammed house, the room on this
occasion was only about half tilled. As this was a per-
formance given in aid of a good object, we shall not
criticise the programme too closely. Undoubtedly the
great feature of the evening was what WU entitled "An
original, exciting, and laughable IMmestic Dialogue," by
Theyre Smith. between Mrs. Berens and Captain Horst,
entitled "A Happy Pair." We confess we are not suffi-
ciently versed in"men of the time" to state off-hand
who Mr. Theyre Smith may be, but we can truly say that
for vivacity and briskness of dialogue his sketch was
worthy of Burnam! or Byron. For instance, here is •
neat little point—The husband, the gilt of the honeymoon
rubbed off, flies to the solace of his cigar. "Where," he
exclaims, "are my weeds? And if this sort of thing goes
on, the next question will be where are your weeds." No
one will say this is far fetched, but at fell uton un-
sympathetic ears. Mrs. Berens put before the andien‘x
one of the finest pieces of amateur acting we have seen
for • long time. It was wonderfully natural, easy, and to
the life. The tearful reproach conveyed in the words
"Why did you marry me r in real life would never have
the answer 'Well '. to oblige you if given in
the manner which Hrs. Berens asked it—at least wo f iu-v
not. Perhaps, it is no compliment to Captain a.o.,ii
say that he thoroughly looked his part, but it W. 14 equally
well carried out. The prompter, however, in the one or
two instances in which his or her services ere required
must have forgotten that a "stage whisper' as not sup-
posed to reach the very furthest limits of the hall.
Perhaps the happiest hit in the piece—at all events it
brought down the house—was where the volatile young
wife lights a cigarette as she throws back in her hu!bandi's
. . .

fare the reason he hail snyen for the inftniage. Ladies,
taken as a Tile, are about as natural in attempting to
smoke as in throwing stones. This comparison could not
apply in this case. It was accomplished with an ease and
gracefulness that the late Miltne. Delaset. whose smoking
of a cigarette took L inilon some three years ago
by storm, woul I not have ignored. The fairer
p irtion of the audience were wonderfully pleased with a
little retort which we give for the benefit of our lady
readers. As husbands will sometimes, the gentleman of the
piece ordered the wife to hold her tongue. The reply was
"pardon me, hut that is not in the marriage service." As
the unfortunate nobleman pining in liartinoor would say,
wives can now tell their hushande "IV* not in the con.
track." We will now refer to the general programme.
Mrs. Tudor and Mrs. Shaw were very successful; the duet

" I Know a Bank was most prettily rendered. MIAs
Oundiry gave very nicely the mons modern composi.
tion "Thy Voice is Near Me in My Dreams." Mr.
Weiseley, a near relation we were told of the hero of
Coomaxsie, might have used a tine voice to better intent
than the stupid "comic" the wonderful Musician. " Bob
Sawyer's Supper" inight'well have been rut short ; and,
perhaps, it was hardly needful to tell the audience the
Pickwick papers were written by Charles Dickens. The
pourtrayal of the different characters li. 'waver was beyond
the average of amateur perforivances. The W.
Urgliart real a chapter from. we innuine, Figare's
natural history : but we are afraid the gifted author would
scarcely have imagined had lie heard it that he hal written
anything comic. Still thanks are due to the rev. gentle-
man, who stated that if his efforts showed the result of
wily driving one nail into the structure lie would tie con-
tent. We are not great admirers of juvenile precocity.
Miss Daisy Berens is truly thelinnallest songstress, blessed
with proportionately extensive confidence that we have
ever seen on the stage. Her sung--" Have you ever
seen an Oyster Walk Upstairs"--evidenced that .he must
erg now have had opportunities of hearing the little
American Lizzie Coote, Miss M. nuauiter accompanied
the vocalists, and she very ably translated a brilliant
solo by Sydney Smith, "Dr Freischutz." A tragic
recitation by Miss Daisy Berens, and the Rev. H. Everett
we must pass over. A duet between a gentleman in the
costume of the Established Church 1 the 19th century
and a child dressed as • prince if the time of the weak.
minded King John was too mach for even our experienced
nerves.