The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-03

MAMMOTH THREE TENT SHOW
THROUGH THE STATES OF VIRGINIA
AND NORTH CAROLINA, VIZ Burke
vile, Saturday, Oct. 7th; Danville, Mon
day, 9th; Clover, Tuesday, 10th; Rich
mond, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,
October 18th, 18th and 18th !; Petersburg
Saturday, Nth; Weldon, N. c., Monday,
10th; Tarboro', Tuesday, 18th Rocky
Mount, Wednesday, 18th; Wilson, Thurs
day, 10th; Goldsboro', Friday, Goth; Raj
eigh, Saturday, Dist; fillsboro', Monday,
23rd; Greensboro, Tuesday, 9th Sails
bury, Wednesday, 25th; Charlotte, Thurs
day, 26th; Chester, Friday, 9th; Winnes-
barre, Saturday, 2sth; Columbia, S. c.,
Monday, 30th.
Admisson-Adults, rs cents children
under ten years of age, 80 cents.
The THEATRE LAST NIGHT.-A
Tribute TO Maft-The Beautiful and
Charming Mrs. ChonfaGu.-We make no
pretensions to high order of critical
ability. Indeed, we may go one step be-
yond and declare that we are thankful we
cannot assume the role. We rejoice that
our mind is not cast in that analytical
mould which divides and sub-divides into
well arranged parts and parcels, and in the
prevalent conceit of critical operators,
undertakes to say this is wheat-ttat is
chaff. IF an actor enchains our attention,
holds our thoughts, excites our sympathies
or arouses our indignation, we are satisfied
with him at least, let others think as they
may.
But were we even the most polished
and accurate critic that ever raised glass,
or scanned drama, we do not think we
could become entirely impartial when
"Christie Johnstone" was the subject.
Charles Read has written many books of
power and interest, but in our humble and
diffident Judgment, neither has he, or any
other writer of this century, produced
gem of clearer lustre, or purcr water, than
this seaside tale. 1t is to us, in its prose,
what the Idyls of Tennyson are in verse.
With this estimate Of the novel itself, we
leave our readers to infer with what inter-
est we watched the performance of last
night, and whilst we were sometimes pro-
voked at the manner in which some of the
most striking incidents and scenes were
marred by the failure of the seemingly mi
nor characters to remember even their text,
much less to comprehend its import, we
declare, IN all candor and sincerity, that we
have not enjoyed such a treat in the Rich
mond theatre in ten years as the acting of
Mrs. Chanfrau afforded us last night.
We write thoughtiully when we use the
above expression, and with no opposition to
lavish indiscriminate praise. We had i'm
agined, when reading the original, that it
would be difficult to conceive a character
requiring more careful study and artistic
talent to represent accurately and effective
ly, upon the stage, than Christie's; and
when we recollected that the failures and
blunders of several, had to be atoned for in
the splendid acting of the one, we can more
judiciously discern the extremely embar-
RAISING and difficult role in which Mrs.
Chantrau choose to make her debut. We
close this, already too long, article, with
the plain remark, that we do not believe
there is an actress on this, or even the East
ern Continent, who could, under the cir
cumstances, have done better in this char
acter than Mrs. c. We trust the house
will be full to overaowing tonight to wit
ness the repetition.