New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-02-23
THE VARIETIES.

siderable Of DRAMA it is entitled to something
than mere mention. The play wright selected the
fast days Of Charles IL his period and the fast
and peculiar characters of those days his dran,as
persona, and makes them enact lengthy succession
of farcca incidents and all sorts of tricks and trana
formations We could not divest ourself of the idea
that the drama was regular old pantomime, clothed
in text, for it comprises every character necessary
to legitimate pantomime-not excepting Harlequin,
who is personated by the Dunstable, and his Col |
umbine by the Silpia Golden of the play.
The drama details the very probable mad pranks |
of the bertine nobes the Earl of Rochester and the
Duke of Buckingham, while in exile from the Court
of Charles H. These noblemen amuse themselves by |
taking charge Of country inn in Newport, alternat
ing as landlord and waiter and in these characters
carry on their warfare the hearts of the rustic
damseIs Of the neighborhood. The most attractive |
of these is Silvia Golden (Miss A. Grahaml the |
closely guarded ward Of Staruemouse mark Smith)
terrible old miser, and to gain admission to his
mouldy castle and win ii pussible the affections of
the fair maid within, Rochester (Jordan) and Buck
ingham (Davenport) assume various DISCUSSES to
eude the jealous watchulness of her guardian and
an ano.ef duenna, Aunt Rebecca, capitally repre-.
sented by hrs. Sefton Dunstabie, country actor,
(Mr. Briggs is the favored lover of Silvia, and also
Rochester first assumes the disguise of the parish
beadle brbing that official, Amen Squeak, (sefton)
to lend him his uniform afterwards that of Shad
zach, Jew peddler then Of Hagar, the village for
tune.teler, and lastly Of o Quack Doctor, with i'm
mense cooked hat and wig voluminous and vast.
Buckingham assumes, with the same object, the
character of Rat Catcher and Moses. Jew old
clothes man. Both are baled and defeated iu every
thn astl fair froo of oId
Starvemouse are well cudgeled or otherwise NAL
treated, arrested and their crime judged and penalty
awarded by Muddle the Mayor, (Mr. Holland)
rum old functionary who outDogberrys Dogberry
and outMaaprops Malaprop. The principal agents
for their detection the marpots the Countess of
Lovelaugh (Mrs. Boyce) and Lady Gay (Miss Ions
| dale), the two ladies to whom the noblemen were
aianced by the King and for refusal to marry whom
they were banished These two, who are personally
unknown to the exed lords, seek them out in their
retreat, and assuming the characters of maid SER
wants, engaged at the inn and fascnate landlord
and waiter by their charms, while at the same time
they are engaged in foiling their attempts on the
miser's ward by giving warning Of their intents.
Meanwhile King Charles (Macrae) comes into the
neighborhood on hunting expedition, aud wander
ing about the village ncognito to all but the lords
who recognize him, these audacious rakes cause hi
seizure as suspicious and dangerous character,
and when he procaims his rank, is charged wit
being mposter and confined in the cellar OF the I'M
to which he is borne in the muscular grasp of Cruz
Barney, (Mr. Leeson,) q frst-rate pumpkin. Th
plot atains its denouement by Dunstabe's spirtin
away Silvia Golden, his true love, the two noblewt
men revealing themselves to the two noblemen whor
they consent to marry, and who consent to mar
! them, and thus do away the condition of their ex
by the King, who is released, pardons everybody
. gives away the three brides, and condescendngl
adds his royal voice to the grand operatic Glorious
v upon which the curtain falls.
. OF course the many, various and ludicrous inc
dents of the play produce lots of fanhe funniest
~ them all being Sir Roger de Coverys Country Dance
in the second act, in which the disguised counties
becomes the partner of the wretched, starvelng Sc
o' want of old Starvemouse, and BY the rules of th
dance is obliged to kneei before him on the cusho
and submit to his salute, as Lady Gay has to do
IS her partner the old mser himself The play is fne
ed brought out to scenery, and the costuming gel
b. orally very correct though some fault may be four
with some articles of costume as being slightly an
. chronistc.