The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-17


Don Alfonso velasqnez howss.
Don Carlos di Medina MI. Dunbar
T. Wemyss-
ksSs;v, NJ !i.I Price.
JACK snya NJ. I u
lieutenant spanish Guard -. ........a NJ. WrShi.
Donna Frsncesca Miss Kate Hunter.
Donna Clara Mrs Howard.
spanish Soldiers Guards sailors Revouon s'5 Pr ssavs.
er which c " WI be performed condensed apaon OF
WIFE; A TALE OF MANruA.
sun e co. II. s. Smith.
Ts s aoas s'a
I Rcr!So .sHssnsa
Advocate Dun6sr
Ea,aaa Miss Ada Glare.
Lords, Ladies' Soldiers, 1 4c LOUISA ''l"0'e'
sny sns scss
for sa Ms = py. Sn @
oncs ne theatre where seats may be from 10 A.
Doors open at O'Clock. Performance to commence at 7k
1t might be held that as most Of the persons engaged
in this representation do not act for livelihood close
criticism upon their efforts would be out of place. But
it will be noticed that money taken for admission,
and that therefore they should be used according to their
deserts.
The audience included about a thousand persons,
mostly quid nuncs and friends Of the amateurs But
they not treated with any leniensy this &C.
count. is pleasant to ones friend make himself
Ridiculous and to quiz him that you dined with the day
before yes erday.
The American tragedy is one of the most remark.
able pieces Of dramatic writing that have ever seen.
II truly like the celebrated play, "Pyramus and This
be' most tragca mirth. We endeaYored conscienti-
ously to find out what II about, but failed We
two maidens, neither of them remarkable
for personal beautya desperate tyrant with passion
for numbering whole fames-a hero in q most remarka-
BILE pair of rowsers who dies several times in the
OF the piece and humorous guards who always
the stage when they not wanted, and resolutey
persisted in staying away when they needed The
tyrant il q mysterious Mexican officer in boots and
bieeches, who has murdered all the hero's family The
hero is in love with OF the maidens Who he says
chad hand in it," and he up suddenlyto take
his revenge, some Of which he gets The play lear
fully and wonderfully made and most vley acted.
Mr.. Bennett the author should take lesson from the
terrible fasco Of last night and attempt to
again. Part Of the play transpires board o ship.
The scene represented Gothic chamber The hero
tered fighting desperate comba. with these queer short
hilted swords, which used anywhere
except the STAGE He has carried the vessel by board
ing Ore of the maidens has hidden herself, r. H. E.
No. ]. The hero finishes off his antagonist who dies
near the prompt place. The hero then picks up q
guitar. and begins to spg-that not SO bad, ex-
cept that he did. not ENG in the right key, aud
was always out Of time. After the sorg is over
the CORPUS is carried off But we will not attempt
to detail the incidents. Sutica that the audience
roared with laughter, that there were thuniers OF
ronical applause and that Burton never did anything
half so funny this tragedy.
We should be glad to find commendable point either
in the acting the play. The stage business all went
wrong: there were twenty varieties Of costume
and the whole affair richer than any burlesque Mr.
Bennett who is said to be most estmable person. has
certainly "ca" to the stage. He speaks the lines
but has no apparent idea Of acting, properly speaking
In the last scene whore several people die without being
touched lie made cng speech (after being stabbed and
losing button from his acket) referring Cuba and
other topics, political, lccal and social and then laid
own quietly and expired.
Mr. Bennett appeared after the second act in front OF
the curtain, and made apology for the coae temps ON
the stage which he sand owing the fact tn there
had been rehearsas lie also said that the audience
must know he could not write such as they had
heard This evidently gratuitous assumption as
many persons in the audience had never heard of him
They laughed again, Of course.
After the tragedy we had the condensed admiration,
of The Wife," We may be excused from entering into
q long notice Of this. It draggy and sometimes
sticky The only persons who spoke the words or dis
played any animation in acting Miss Clare and Mr.
Smith The others only walking sticks and shaky
GUS so much So that nearly half the audience retired
after the second act Miss Clare has acted several times
She is a very young woman--a child in fact-wtb
fire eyes, profusion Of hsxen hair dressed la Chi
noise or swiss-ltalian gr)-a petite thin, and not
well developed figure Her voice is sweet but is
ciently powerful at present for the stage Practice win
develope 1t, however. Her performance of Mariana was
not good--it was not up 10 the where analytical
Criticism begins The first scne in which she was very
na,,n1,fr 10,
happened that the very emotion which she really felt
was that hich it necessary for her to
She was badly dressed for which there is no excuse as
oil the books contain the description OF the proper cos
tune. Miss Clare also initiates the mannerisms OF a
well known American actress, whom she resembles
There pecuarities faults, and we have no doubt
that Miss Clares prototype would DO glad 10 get rid OF
them We thnI that Miss Clare has talent but II will
be time enough for Der to play the Juss and Maranss
in two or three years from We have no hesitation
in predicting that she is spoiled she viii
be successful on the stage.
Mr.. Smith was good, at times, in st. Pierre He
displayed considerable haJigde de Ia scsqe and
gave the words that they could be under
stood. Nohcdy ese did that during the evening and
we we're grateful to Mr.. Smith. His chief errors
were in redundancy Of gesture and occasional over.
acting.
The performance full Of queer incidents such as.
inaoen iookirg over ships side pensvely fright.
ening on mild pirate who seize her: scenes,
were cut on in the middle Miss Clare had to prompt the
luke Of Mantua while that dignitary tee
Sce-reg throne Everybody, believe satisfied
and thought Il funny for the frst tive hours The re
eeps We are told exceeded the expenses to the amount
Nino's GARDrS-M' Ollie RAcnn---Dumas' play made
mosene de beie Isle, produced here on Thursaay
evening, with Mile Rachel in the principal part
The play Is in five acts by the elder Dumas and was
rst acted at the Theatre Fancai sixteen years ago
when be was in favor with the powers, and able to get
his pieces played a. the Official house. Mile Mars was
the original Gabrielle and Rachel succeeded to the part
In 1912 or '43.
The scene is laid in the time Of Louis yv nj Ch,ntiIy
The father IL GahIiele s In thc