Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-08-07
A Theatrical Drama-Literary and Artistic
Amateurs in Comic Drama,

London Cor. N. Y. Times, July l3
On Saturday afternoon l went to a
theatrical performance such as, venture
to say, could be seen in no country but
England. A few months ago died Paul
Gray, a good artist, on the staff of Fun,
comic weekly. The writers and artists
of Fun, with some assistance from the
dramatic profession, got up perform
ance for the benefit of the widowed
mother of the deceased artist, at the Hay
market Theater. This seems a good
thing to debut the character of the
performance was very strange one, it
struck me, for such an occasion. 1t be-
gan with comic drama very broadly
played, it ended with well.played but
essentially disgusting farce, while the
piece de resistance was new ard origi-
nal burlesque, written by the contribu.
tors to Fun, and acted by literary and
artistic amateurs, entitled Robinson
Crusoe, or, The Indian Bride and the
Injured Wife, something like John
Brougham's PocahontdS.
The burlesque seems to have been
written by FIVE or six punsters around a
bowl of punch. Each one stuffed his
part with as many jokes and absurdities
as possible, and if the action gets con-
fused toward the end it is no more than
was to be expected la the piece we're
Robinson Crusoe, (Mr j. L. Motley,
stalwart Irishman with good tenor
voice } Friday, (Mr. T. +. Dillon,
another Irishman, with strong dramatic
and initiative abilities } Hlnky Dorum,
King of the Cannibal Island, (Mr. Tom
Hood tall and handsome darky j
Pocahontas, who saves Robinson Cru
soe's life, falls in love with him, but
finally marries Friday, Miss Furtado,
one Of the incest Of London actresses
and singers } and Mrs Brown, who finds
a long lost husband in Robinson Crusoe,
alias Brown, and so prevents the bigamy
with Pocahontas, (Mr. Arthur Sketchley.)
The court of the Cannibal King, com
posed of negro minstrels, Indians, etc,
was grotesquely represented by Messrs.
Brough, Hollingshead, Brunton, Moy,
Thomas, Prowse, Gilbert, etc, more or
less known as writer's aud artists.
OF course the house was full of the
friends and admirers of the actors. On
the front of a stage-box was conspicu-
ously displayed a row Of boquets ready
to be thrown upon the stage. Everybody
was called out, and almost everybody
encored. The actresses who played in
the first and last piece gathered in the
procenium boxes to applaud the anna
tears. And looked down upon my en-
bossed aud perfnmed play bill-a contri-
button from Rimmel-and read sgain
the words, For the widowed mother Of
the late Paul Gray
And how did they play, these literary
and artistic amateursg Much as shodid
draw or engrave, or as an ordinary actor
would write leading articles; as fiddler
would paint or a painter fiddle. / have
never seen an amateur as effective on the
stage as 8 third-rate actor, and amateurs
Of genius are worse that the ordinary.
These did as well as could be expected,
better than most, but they lost many
points, and overacled their business fuss
iy And fesrfully as usual All were
anxious to do their utmssi, and therefore
did too much. They we're wanting in
repose; there vas no gradationi in a
word, il was what We went 70 see-an
amaieur Performance. We're il not that
burlesque isoverdone, the piece might be
worked into something which a good
professional company could make
amusing.