The New York herald., 1864-10-13
Ghs Broadway com.disu.


AVer long probation passed In the Western cites
in Ph, adephia and elsewhere John e Owens the come
dian has sy won the bearest approval OF the theatre
soers OF the metropolis Several weeks ago be began
eugagemens the Broadway theatre-an establishment
struggling hard % maintain itself among our recogoizeS
respectable places n amusement and but jusl reaaseC
from the dominion Y that class OF the drama which
delights 10 Initiating ant tent sculpture. at least so far al
regards paucHy OF drapery He opened IN Married Lie
Mr.. Dove-a part which, .Ne IL delighted those VINO
saw 1t, yet gave adequate pe Tor his aoiity, and
was soon followed oy Ton Taylor = play, the Vietms
10 which Owens represented char 'cter, droll enough
to be sure but so possby funny % Do carioature
rather than representation OF any humla creature ID
nature and this play still maintains rs .plscs on tho
stage
At the same TINA an afterpecs The Peoples 'avyer,
has been nightly given, aud Il the perfor tho
new comedian 10 this play which has lately become one
OF the bits OF town talk Tho piece itself is noth q
worthy OF special notice aud has often produced
city theatres without attracting special attention
In this iarce Owens takes the part OF solon Shnge
and the very fact that It yankee part 10 enough
deter the more intelligent portion OF the community from
going to witness H. for "ln tho minds eye Yankee as
seen on the stage. being fearfuly aud wonderfully
made-iong and lank, with yellow hair streaming over
bis shoulders hat his head broader at the top than
At the rim wastcoat which leaves q stratum OF shirt
betwcen 1t aud tho yellow and blue striped trowsers
which this marvellous creature Invariably wears. Add
70 this costume swallow tail coat place in hand
piece OF pine wood aud in tho other open knfe give
to the voice an absurd, catks twang ant to the Ian
guage dialect which consists principally OF the
tarnation," sscute" aud "recion' and you have tho
stage Yankee deucatod by those actors who undo-
take the part.
Owens does nothing OF the sort His Scion shnge, In
The Peoples Lawyer is old Tankco farmer, such
everybody who has been 10 that vague place. "he
try" must remember He dresses shabby, but carries
fty dollar bills il hts pocket he makes absurd and rdi
cuous remarks but yet has a fund or shrewd he
very simple yet not 10 DO easily outwt,ed
be looks very seedy and yet we'll dressed folks not
ashamed TO shake him by the hand. Such character
Owens has made study which is real wonder OF dra.
matte art From the first to tho last scene he is utterly
the country farmer; and though the expression
quently used as to have lost most OF ts force his den
cAt0a with tho part is complete The natural yet
vrdisembtance Hair the young men in town now meet
each other with the familiar sautation, why, how do
you do"-misatng with more or less truth the staple
Owens. The phrases "Jes' So" and ssYoa havea't
seen : barrel o. apple sass'' are also passing into
expectoraion the play OF the tobacco qud the delight
fui garruty OF tho old who to Owens, Shin.
eo gather his coat skrs around him fcoi for the
the CHAIR and gradually drop into the seat with mimi
table little squeak as Of old age slightly shocked bu; after
Q recollection need desire
Of course. when praising IN upstnted terms q per-
formancs OF this class It ia well to bear ia mind the
grado OF the subject represented. The adjective
may DO applied to cabinet picture and 20 OF
Giorgone and though correctly ueed in both instances,
may have O very different meaning. So 10 praisng
Owens. the praise does not necessarily imply high com
mendatton OF the style OF pieces he appears In. Tho
visitor TO tho Broadway theatre may wondor why %
much Charming artistic skill is lavished on trhing
farce yet he will recognize this skill at Comic de-
lneaons like those OF Owens high tragic what
a Dutch interior froul tho hands OF accomplished
paintefAn interior with its stout little girl peeng vegs
tables. les bird IN the cage, and its beams OF sunlight
flooding che roOm-is to a battle pieco Vernet .
allowing Canvass Of Paul Veronese. or the decafely
finished style OF eccontric comedy Is giving
the most carefully drawn specnous aud in that style
we have yet to 1Id his superior.