The Portland daily press., 1863-04-09
THE AMArEuRs.-peerins Hall has been

The AMArEuRs.-Deering Hall has been
crowded to the very ceiling for the last three
nights, by an audience drawn from the very
best families in the city, to witness the dra-
matte exhibitions of the Amateur Company.
who have volunteered to get up a few chaste,
pleasing and recherche entertainments, that
the proceeds may flow into that receptacle of
worthy charities-the treasury of the Sanitary
Commission. These exhibitions have been
patrorized by all classes and all professions;
by lawyers and clients, physicians and pa
tients, clergymen and laymen, saints we trust
and some few sinners it is to be feared. Sc
riously, no better audiences could be drawn
together; no better order could be observed;
no more decorous entertainment could well be
brought forward.
But for the acting. When we say it is good,
capital. we fail to do justice to the ladies and
gentlemen to whose credit these pleasant en-
tertainments are to be set down. We have on
numerous occasions seen far less meritorious
playing in the Boston Museum-one of the
most popular places in New England for
chaste dramatic exhibitions; we have seen far
worse playing in that famed aristocratic tenn
pie of Thespis, the old Boston Theater, now
the Academy of Music We do not mean to
intimate that the Amateurs are prepared to
stand up against the stock companies Of the
establishments referred to, but we do mean
that in the few plays they have brought for
ward they have evinced talents, and exhibited
an artistic taste and executive skill that
would do credit to professional actors.
The stage managers, Messrs. Moses and
Brown, have done themselves much credit,
and DR.. Chadwick, in the assistance he has
rendered in the general management, has
evinced commendabe degree OF good judg-
ment and excellent taste. Poppenburg's Band
have done the music in fine style, indeed, they
could not do il in any other style.
Among the ladies who have taken part we
have noticed Misses Furnish, Brown, S. and
E. Ware, Bacon, Varnum, and perhaps others.
The latter admirably performed the part of
"Lucretia" in the "Two Buzzards," and to
our mind she has talents of high order.
Miss Furnish seems to have been the ruling
spirit in getting up these entertainments, and
she has ruled with exquisite good taste and
womanly judgment. In the parts that we
have seen her perform she showed that she
could execute as well as plan, and that she
fully appreciates the character she personates,
and deludes the audience into the belief, for
the moment, that il is real life rather than act
ing that is passing before them.
Miss S. Ware, though lacking in power of
voice, evinces fine conception of her part,
and never fails to please. The other young
ladies have done themselves credit.
OF the gentlemen who have taken parts we
remember the names of Messrs. Noyes, Gray,
Hale, Richardson, Jordan, Sherwood, Thomas,
Rand, Fernald and Patten. II we have omit
ted any, as possibly we have, it is from no dis
respect, but because we have no lists before
us. and depend entirely upon memory. Messrs
Noyes and Gray, with practice and proper at
tention, might become STARS in the profess
sion. Mr.. Patten has comic talents of su-
perlor order, and does much to relieve play
Of all tediousness, and to keep an audience In
good spirits. OF the others we cannot speak
In detail. as we have made this article already
too long.
Mr.. Deering is deserving of the thanks of
the soldiers friends for his liberality in fur
nishing the hall free Of expense for these ad-
mirable entertainments.