New-York tribune., 1875-12-10
THE DRAMA.
,osoM FRIENDS AT wALLACK's.

BOSOM FRIENDS All WALLACkh
sBosom Friendsr was represented last night
:, waIlaak's Theater. 1t is old acquaintance and
aasani one and IL had gay and cordial welcome from
. opmerous sssembage Of gOod-naiured apprecative
o,,,ors Of ita regntrance wallack's stage. The
,.1,al NJ i,-as doubtless. many readers aware
!. tse French comedy Of Nos Intlmes." by NJ. Octave
c,,et which was acted in the Winter of 1861 In
r-,s This play translated and adapted 70 the English
TOO nv Mr. Horace wigan. produced in London
ndor m. title OF Friends and Foes" at the ST. James
Teater in March 1862. Mr.. waliaok imported and re-
- :. giving Ia it the OF Bosom Friends" and
e p,asented it his theater in this city in October OF
,h s,me wear II did stay with us long upon that
occasion yet it liked and it has been pleasantly re
,nembered The principal features of the original
American cast Of parts follows;
n, Lester wallack Mrs Union Mrs Hoey
1r Bland Charles Fisher P,r Id - 4obS hSS sto SSn
NJ 1a 1isess Yonns DonoShue II Norton
Mr. Meanley. Mrs. Vernon
Three OF these players are dead-Mrs Vernon. MI Rey
no.ds and Mr.. SETON Only two remain at "auaeks E
NJ walack and Mr. Gilbert The rest scattered
widely apart
On April 20. 1865. the piece was revived with the
parts follows:
~ Bland Nv R FLOYD Theodore = Miss Greene
snot M ilSna8i bonasaae y SS Il ScT,on Mrs
TresriSk Fervid J. Whiting MoanIey Ms. vernon
NJ sSrrowen John SETON Gimp .... Miss Mary Barrett
The cast last night was entirely new-with the
seption that Tiedtng played by its original local
representative, Mr. Gflbert-aud stood thus
NJ NJ Slsss ftS @fSs I1.S%s Il y S.1a
NJ MeanieS H W Herbert Theoiors...... Miss Basien
Mrs Union. Miss Ada pyas Gimp ....... Miss Thornton
Bo-om Friends" is a playful yet sufficiently caustic
sarc on miscellaneous friendship. Itpresents Mr. Union
At h country house surrounded by personsmosy o.
obnoxious kind-whom he has chosen for his friends
these parasites batten his hospitality at HIM
H-4,,, OF 10
him 70 the extent OF their capacities formschief which
Il must he said are controlled and defeated by his real
friend Dr. Bland: the end he Is liberated from all
the traitors and tormo ntOrs OF his bucOlic ex-
tstenoe. The current of the piece Is fraught
With an interest nearly tragic and often fever
l,hly painful; and the termination Is a subter
fuge almost farcicsL There IL anecdote-long ago
revived by us. IN commenting this piece-Of old
N.her Byes the eccentricty Of Colonial days in Bos
ton-hOw when he had sent word TO his wife that Mt
Byie- had "put end 20 himself" he was found. by
that Mortified spouse walking about in his room with
a cows tail tied his neither garment. 1t was
the .ort OF practical joke that aptly typihes
notn the process and the catastrophe OF " Bosom
Friends" There good contrasts Of character in the
niece though, and it contains exciting incidents par
truary In the third act, comic bumor, and dramatic
effect II was In capital scenery, last nightexcept
tba; the first drop garish.-and ii was acted IN
sparkng and competent manner. and IT gave pleasure
and received public appreciation.
Mr. MOntague's embodiment OF D-. Bland eXhihited
him in somewhat light 1t would have impressed
Judgment somewhat deeply had 1t been more
massive more solid. and more bluff but it was finely
toned with quiet cynioism and 1t was executed with
sront,neous elegance. In the serious dilemma
~ the third act there was "A fine, fcryid
f,ree about both the action Of Mr.. Montague
and Miss Dyas aud this contrasted with the
characteristic eccentricity OF Mr. Gilbert. proved
strongly upon the audience and led 70 an on
thusia-tc recall There IL repellmg topic IN TINS play
but II touched very lightly and possibly 10 good d
dsetio results. The ciuging charm is the
sparkle Of cbaracter-as In the part 40 sd-
riably seted by Mr.. Gilbert whose descrir-
ZION Of s,Dmer N .ht in the country as droll as
the remembrance of the real experience. MI Edward
Arsott filed the character Of Mr.. Union with great
amability and ease and In gave natural and
me expression noble manly passion The revival o
Bosom Friends puts pleasure and useful moral
within the public reach.