The Portland daily press., 1876-11-06

The MUsEAM.-Saturday evening Miss Saw
ory made her farewell to the Portland public
in Gilbert's beautiful play "Pygmalion and
Galatea," and took the hearts of her audience
with her.
The play was probably new to the majority
of the audience, and its airy grace revela-
tion. The old story is beautifed without be-
ing distorted, and its modern treatment, the
suggestiveness in text and situation, the gay
persfage, the touch of cynicism aud the un-
dertone of sadness which runs through all the
piece, give it new meanings which one delights
to constantly find revealed by the odd figures,
and convey lesson wanting in the legend-a
lesson which after all we are none the better
and much the less merry for knowing. A
story which was only a story with no suspicion
of the ''ths fable teaches tagged to it, is
made after our modern fashion to point NOR
al and to convey subtle psychological suggeS-
tions. The statue suddenly endowed with life
and brought into this wicked world chastises
our follies in her soft wondering way. The
contrast is between innocence and knowledge,
the knowledge acquired by contact with the
sinful world, the one extreme typified by 'Gal-
atea,' the other by the coarseness OF the art.
patron, the other characters shading between
these. And yet the theme is touched SO light
ly, is developed so naturally, the moral is so
unobtrusive and apparently SO independent of
the will of the author, that no auditor con-
fesses be is preached at
One cannot say that the rendition was thor
oughly satisfactory. One or two actors quite
misunderstood their parts; with some others
the conception was correct and the execution
failure. But the "Galatea'' of Miss Savory
was entirely satisfactory. From the moment
she stepped from the pedestal in wide-eyed
wonder to the moment when she mounted it
again heavy laden with the sadness which even
her brief existence brought, she was true to
the conception of the character. and in eXecu-
tion nothing wanting. She was admirably
successful in the assumption of innocence, and
never for moment let the conception escape
her, Dor over-did nor under did her part The
Characterization was finely and delicately shad-
ed, and as strongly and distinctly drawn as its
unsubstantial nature would ad nit. The tran
sition from blissful ignorance to the bitterness
of knowledge was happily because not too
hastily done,-though the very first tasts of
her apple left its ash upon her lips. Miss Saw
ory's rare beauty of form and feature was of
essential aid in the Interpretation, and one
could not wonder at Pygmalion's prayer to the
gods. The character too is one eminently
suited to her and gives her ample opportunity
to do herself full justice. The conviction
forces itself upon US that had she appeared in
play like this at the opening OF the season
she wonld have taken the town by storm.
Something should be said in praise of Mr..
Learock's conception of "Pygmalion," and
what was, in spite of obvious disadvantages,
an able Interpretation. Mr.. Morris'S art pat
ron was Aristophanic in its humor, and he de-
'livered his lines with great correctness and ex
preston. Miss Smith deserves word of praise
for her conscientious attempt.
The evening and until further notice the
Museum will be closed. Mr. Wyer has not yet
decided on what day to reopen it. Much to
the regret of all Miss Savory and Mr.. and Miss
Morris have left the company, aud there will
naturally be some delay in filling their places
The large audience Saturday evening would
seem to show that good play draws better
than bad one.