New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-14
UALLkCKS THgATER.

| We CO rot love bsrpeoeing minnows. We tbers-
fore prefer, from this feeling and from waolseo0e
oiead OF Widows, be they California; or others, 70
orop our lance, snd permit this last lltls p.ce Of
tie Catalonia Wldox" az Walscks 70 take -
much lie as usuaiy very iadugeu, audience viii
permit IL coed, were We sbly disp SD the
pleasant echoes Of the preceding pieos, which still
iuser srourd Us, would strip US OF every word Of
gail.
A most charming little play Is "Our lint night"
As Freuch gentleman near Us, who WAS in state Of
e,ouisi,e delight exclsinei: "Cess tres bea i'm
sgus." The foreign population were, 90 usual.
amply pr uted among the audience, especially our
industrial French citizens, aud among the sutieuce
we recognized mary Of most Ingenious tssors and
sbot makers, who sppsared especially delighted.
The plot of Our First Night 10 one of the most
amusing and simple possible. No coarse, vulgar
Indecent love stair, no blosted blsse, hsokueyed
Englkh loid, or poor, abused, bundertpg lfsh pes
sht is sgain for the mienth and-ons time rshsshcd
10 the sickness of all people of good taste, but We
have lively charming incident, ful OF wit sad real
bumor, crestpg delight without provoking Disgust
and sfordiDg anus ement without pandesing to ce-
pravity.
The s,ene is laid in French green room and in
the residence of French artist The season 10 about
to opep, and the popu actress to make her appear
snee Just at this time + esch artist who hes more
love than money TO give bis child is seized with IN
,st s,on that she will attain histoaie fame. and the
whole plot turns upon the ingenuity and aadacisy
displayed BY him In crowding ont the popular sctrea
and forcing bis daughter in, in spite OF tue opposition
Of the msnsger End Of many other formidable odds.
su,h as al.roseifu beauK, ard people Of that cass
who usually harg around the skirts Of popular
ACTRESSES.
The {" Fist Night" is enc Of these bright little iu-
COTS which must be TO he appreciated. |! Is
equally admirable in conception Of plot and execu-
ton We have no desire 10 Il kle' Mr.. Piacide.
he itch led mspy peTsonsges both of the play and
audience, but desire simply without such cschinns-
tory process TO pronounce his peIsonaton OF Mcu-
sieur Dufsure most admirable performance. Here
ard there but for an instant, Mr.. Pscide fell into
some sight vulgarty, as when he takes of his wig
with clumsy attempt at fscetOusness altogether an
tsgonis,o to French character. On some other occs-
sion be forgets that he has to represent French
man by pronOuncing too correctly his Engrsh,
or orgts as toward the close that he has to speak
Epahsh by psradiug too much his proficiency N
French. or he makes CON premise between French
and Epsi.h by mai ing of the Dutch mode Of ooa-
veyipg ipdis pation: "Sspero,te.7 Yet with these
PIacide is decidedly one Of the best representatives
of French character on the European or American
stage. In volatility and excitabilty Of speech and
gesture, Mr.. Placide gives chsming and most An
shed idea of FIenchmsn, and his almost every
utterarce swoke a peal Of laughter.
Mrs Stephens who played the daughter. 10 with
u.s. in the little we have seen Of her, great fsvcrte,
She is the very ncarna Of archnoss. She looks Is
IL in a constant state of mental contradiction vith
everybody, and a. il ready to embrace you IL you
would only give her the lie direct Ask her aquestlon,
and che looks as il she had been waiting for that very
QUE stion fer tie last ten years She throws the answer
In our face with such rapidity that Ii comes a.
near to a sap as such spersona inticion can be-
verbally expressed. She is a person so debgnteo
TO tell you something pslpsby imper ioent on
semethirg ke<nly pertinsnt, tnae VINO ycs
admire the sharp edge OF her logic and the naive eu
dacy of he. goze you wish TO heaven you hsd never
encountered the one or faced the other. There ID
matter of fact precision abouG her which Is tah Of
spice; and what ACIDS to the heart Of the flavor
is the doubt into which you are thrown whether you
shs set her down as a charming little virAgo or q
mighty smaIt little serpent.
This is the general impression produced by Mrs.
Sep hens our mind. la this particular part the role
assigned to her Is too subdued to bring out al tho
claiming little acid Of her spightIy Dature but she
went through the part with naive Ingenuity Of her
own. The rehearsal was especially one Of CREST
fuD, and she went trough regular series Of schemes
with chsrmng innocence until ala had hit en- "the"
Of the evening, which created quise seosa.
ton among the juvenile porten OF the audience near
us, and q general state Of excitement.
On the whole, we have rarely seen play so full Of
rich hearty humor, and sc can without fear recon-
mend visit to 1.-The First Nish with . conf isnoe
that many wi i, as we purpose to do pay second.