Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-09
ADJUSTMENTS.
Ben DeBar's ..Micawber.'

Ben DeBaF'S "M1caWDer.
Mr.. DeBar and his admirably bal
| anced company were well received last
night by very good house, the audi
ence making up in intelligence what it
wanted in numbers. The play was
MicaaOber, a very fair dlamatizstion
from David CopperfeLd, in which so
much of the best Of DIckens's novel as
is necessary TO tell the story OF ths un-
fortunate victim OF untoward circum-
stances and extreme impecuniOsity is re-
tanned. The lines spoken by the actors
are Gearly if not altogether those OF
Dickens, and only such liberties are
as are rendered absolutely necessary
are closely related TO each other
last act the admirable pic.
ture of "Micawber's" leave-taking'drawn
as y he great novelist, and the reaGing
Of the subsequen. newspaper scrap and
letters of tue emigTant, telling OF his
settled happiness, to complete play
that is otherwise very entertaining. The
closing act is its defect. 1t encourages
in the mind of the auditor an unsatis-
fed feeling as if the characters had been
summarily cut short in their cafe r, and
it robs the student and lover of Dickens Of
the indispensable pathos with which he
letrospects in the last chapter the tale
he has told. IL, instead of the last act
as we have it now, it was given to US in
way to afford that rounding out of the
characters and events of the drama
which form so chief q charm of all Dick
ens's works, but especially of David Cop
pertteLd. the very artistic acting of De-
Bsr, of Mr.. Norton, Miss Chase and
Mrs. Post would have made deeper
impression. 1t is the last word that
tells. And in nearly all our dramas, at
least in all that are constructed accord
ing to dramatic rule, a climax is
reached that answers to the plot and
surrounding circumstances. The few
touching words spoken by "Dan'I Peg
gotty' to "Little Emily" in the act or
which We complain, are lame beside the
almost embarrassment OF riches In that
respect furnished by the master who
knew human nature so well.
Flesh from reperusal OF the
novel as many of the people
were who were present. last night, it
must have been a disappointment t.
them that so much that is most beauti-
full of thestoTy is untold and not acted,
especially when they remember how
much of greSt acting and how much of
good words is lost thereby. This we
consider the defect Of the dramatization,
and it is glaring One-One that ought
to be corrected, since it may be, and in
crease its power and effect. The church
yard scene, too, might be rendered less
tiresome were the cross and kneeling
figure more in shadow and less obuu-
sive. And then, too, let US alsO have no
chorus, or, for mercy's sake, let US have
something more becoming England's
primal cathedral than we had
last night. We don't expect or ask for q
chorus such 9s is usual to opera, but we
do insist upon smooth and harmonious
singing, a blending of voices with some
approach 20 good time. Either this or
let the audience draw upon imagination
for the choral service of England's
"great cathedral" We say this in no
spirit Of fault-fndiDg, but because it is
Just, and because we can afford to say
80 little Of "that sort of thingn in view
of The otherwise general excellence Of
the performance. As we have indicated
Mrs Post, Misc Chase and Mr. Moron
"played well their psrts.n There was
nothing constrained as there was moth
ing overstrained by them. Miss Chsss
was particularly effective. She delivered
her lines with an entire absence of
anything like staginess, and won upon
her audience by her simple, quiet,
naturalness Of manner. Mrs. Post might
have been little more fussy as "Betsy
Trotwood," without spelling a character
that admirably suits her. Mr.. Norton
was really excellent, better than we ex.
pected TO find him in a character that is
out Of the range Of those we had re.
garded as Of his repertoire. His make
up, though more on the Dutch than the
modern English "sslt'-altogether out
of date and time-was yet effective as q
disguise. He treated us to more than
one bit Of good acting-as in the ''ark"
when "Ham" announces "Little Emil
ly's" departure; and again, in
the same p ace, when he en-
braces her on her return. Indeed,
his portrait of old "Dan'l" is pretty
well drawn, and in colors as near to life
as one as young Ss he can bring to the
portrayal of age. OF the rest of the cast
it will do to say they did aswell as could
be expected. They served to fill in the
series of pictures of which "Micawter"
is the central figure, the serio comic
"Micswber," who, like an ever-expect-
ant politician, lived in hop that some
thing will turn up. OF this figure, as
Ben DeBar fills it, we can only say that
it is all but perfect, and being so is one
OF the best he makes upon the stage. He
has consulted Cruikshank for his make
up, and seems to be inspired by Dickens
in the delineation of a most difficult
character-one, the proper representa-
ton OF which rests go much upon the
dress and manner to second the dry,
droll words which fit "Ma-
cawber" SO well. The weakness
of the unfortunate victim of circum-
stances for set speeches will be remam-
bered The best of these are preserved
by Mr.. DeBsr, who delivers them with
a really unctious appreciation Of his
author, and with an accompa oiment of
gesture, manner and facial pl4y that are
fnimitable and quite beyond description.
He plays the part within the limit
Of probability, and leaves an impression
30 satisfactory as makes amends for any
surrounding drawbacks Of misplaced
scenic effects or defects Of support. The
following is the cast:
wilkins Micawb Ben DeBar
Dan1 John ". Norton
Ham ronnsrfsTd Charles q KTone
Orlan Z. Curiey
SteeTiorth s. Philleo
Traddles ....-..H erbert Jones
Mr. S. Saville
Sherth's ofncers.........,.P. Fahay and J. Brown
Little Emil Constance Jordan
Martha Florence Chase
Agnes Wtckheld Goodrich
Mrs. Micawber Mrs. R. c. Grierson
Betsy Trotwood, Miss TrotwOOd....Mrs. s. Post
Mrs. Grummadge. Ella Moore
Peggotty Barkis.....-.... Miss. A. Stanley
In the scene in the office,Of "Wickfield,
Heep q Co." in the third act, Mrs. Post
was obliged to leave the stsge on account
of her being overcome almost t. faint
ing by the fatigue incident to travel and
continuous nervous strain, and many of
the audience, ourselves among the