The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-17
A TRIUMPH.
The Kate Putnam Company In the
sold Curiosity Shop"

The Kate Putnam Company In the
sold Curiosity Shop"
The Kate. Putnam Comedy Company made
their first appearance IN Charleston boards
last evening at the Academy, and produced at
once q most favorable impression. The play
was a dramatlzatlon of Dickens's famous "Old
Curiosity Shop" Dickens's stories lend them
selves easily to dramatic, or rather perhaps
we should say, to theatrical representation.
There is but little unity in his plots, almost no
broad truth to nature in his Characterization,
and absolutely none of that first essential OF
art, proportion, in the conception aud devel'
opment of his great pictures OF human lie.
These detects, however 80 evident to the cool
student of his novels, almost entirely oissp-
pear when the novels become meio'
dramas. and the pure comedy Wnlch
was hampered and constrained IN inc
pages of the written book, Is allowed 10
strnt and fret it's hour upon the far more congo
NAL stage of the theatre. The characters
which in the lopg-drawn-out novel were carl
| caturea. no sooner don sock and ouskin ana
anpear before us In the flesh, than they DE-
come irresistlbly attractive friends and over
poweringly amusing companions. COMEDY
| does not care for plot, and melodrama deS-
| uIses the dramatic unities, therefore tne weak
ness of the novel becomes the strength Oh tne
n1av and the glare OF the tootlights, which
uas ALWAYS suggestively evident in the book,
lights no into their true individuality and dis
t,nctnees the familiar faces of Little Nell and
the MarchIoness, Mister Dick Swiveller, Quilp
| and Sallle Brass.
Miss putnam could hardly have chosen q
| better mode of introducing herself than IN the
| character of the lnimitable marchioness. Her
genuine comic power, her thorough natural.
ness and marked originality, found a most
striking expression in this curiously grotesque
and yet most pathetic and touching Of
Dickens's conceptions. Long before the first
ect was over she had, with the subtle magne-
tlsm Of genius, put herself perfectly en- rap
bort with her delighted audience, and the
vociferous applause which called her out as
az the curtain fell for the first time.
was only the unavoidable tribute to
her remarkable success. We record 1t
as a deliberate opinion thai her acting
In this character Is a real masterpiece, and
ought to secure for her q durable reputation.
As Little Nell she was simple and unaffected,
and made the most of q character which pos
sesses scarcely a single claim to dramatic or
artistic interest; but as the Marchloness she
rose at once into the high sphere OF original
power. Her versatility and spontaneousness
were displayed also to great advantage In the
yarlety-scene at Mrs. Jarley's Show, where
her dances and songs were appropriately in
trcduced. But we need not multiply words. 1t
is enough to say that Miss Putnam Is charming.
The old.fashioned word describes her well
enough.
The support was very good, especially 30 in
the Instances of Quilp (Mr. BelVil Ryan, and
Dick swiveller (Mr. Edwin Browne.) The
company are we'll trained. and act together
smoothly and effectively. The house was q
good one, but not 80 large as Miss Putnam
ought to have. We repeat, that nothing so
p!ousnte, original and taking, as this young
actress has appeared here Tor many a day,
and the play. going public will not be slow to
find 1t out.