New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-19
OWENS as CALEB PLUMBER.

present revival Of ''Dot" at the Varieties
Theatre success all the greater because
the lexcitements Of the times are keep
ing scores Of our people away from the
playhouse-zevives . host Of pleasant
memories regarding the delightful Christ
mas story which has been taken from the
pages Of Dickens and placed upon the
mimic stage. II was the dramatist's art
to outline the characters after the models
of the novelist, to put in their mouths the
words. as near as could be done. set down
by the great master of romance; il has
been the actors work to make the charac-
ters live, to appear in tangible shape, and
to be in life what they have appeared to
the readers mind
Vivid and strongly drawn as all of
Dickens characters are, it is true that but
few of his stories have ever made success
full plays. Micawber, Newman Noggs,
Dick Swiveller, Little Nell. the Mar
chioness, Little Emily, and other crea-
creations are remembered on the stage,
but they have appeared strangely. unlike
the persons figuring in romance. as if the
jewels were loosed from the setting and had
parted with their brilliancy. A strong
drama has been made of ''Oliver Twist.
but in it poor little Oliver is forgotten,
and J. w. Wallack. J. B. Studley and
Lucille Western have left us only the
more repulsive characters of Fagin, Bill
and Nancy Sykes, and what is touching
reading story becomes play of horrors.
With the "Cricket on the Hearth" more
agreeable results have been arrived at.
Mr.. Boucicault, in his version called
''Dot, has given us very nearly the whole
family. In it we have the fairies, che
singing kettle, the crickets, John and all
the surroundings of little Dot, bright and
cheerful in the foreground. shaded only
by the blue indigo woman and the black
Tackleton, and softened and saddened by
the old toy maker and his blind daughter.
Dot, John, Bertha, lilly and Tackleton
have found many able representatives on
the stage, and opinions as to which artist |
excels in portraying any of these charac-
ters, differ. Caleb Plummer belongs to |
Mr.. John E. Owens. Mr.. jefferson and
MIR. Raymond have given great satisfac-
lion in the part. but they have left its |
study for other things. Mr.. Owens still |
listens to the cricket's voice. and he is
Caleb Plummer. AS such he is an actor |
TO laugh and shed tears over. The scene
Of his work in the shop, with its poverty !
ind wretchedness, has its comic side in !
The forced cheerfulness of the toymaker.
He is among Noah's arks and dolls. and |
s painting horses in stripes that have no |
'ival in nature, although he considers !
hem like enough for the price: he is
clothed in coarsest sack cloth, in his |
9inched home, and is telling his blind
laughter of the bright and beautiful |
Kings by which they are surrounded, |
The actor is great there; and at the last
when he begins to understand that his
lear boy is back from the golden seas,
nd tries to tell the poor girl how he had |
deceived her for his love for her; how the
Id eyes she had trusted in, because she
lad none other. had been false to her
trough all the long years, Mr.. Owens
caches the perfection of acting. He gets
10 laud applause, but the glistening tears
q many a bright eye tells that he has
ouched human hearts, and he can ask no
aore As character coming nearest
o nature, and hiding himself, Caleb
hummer must be considered his greatest
art.