Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-17


THE FEMALE MISsrRELs. = Another
large crowd appeared at the Greenlsw
Opera House last night and enjoyed the
performance of Nine Rentz's Female
Minstrels. The performance was similar
to that presented the night before, min.
strel and variety business by blondes and
brunettes. They sang and danced, smiled.
winked and kicked at the audience, and
were greeted with applause. Numbers
Of opera glasses were leveled at the fe.
male Ministries as they walked around on
stage costumes, 10 tights, short dresses
with low necks and short sleeves. The
costuming by the troupe was very attrac-
tive, indeed all the costumes could be
packed away in a medium sized cigar
box. A story is told Of a person dicover-
ing a pair OF No. 2 bootees hanging on a
clothes-line, and he exclaimed, 'See
here, Lydia Thompson has committed
suicide" Several Of the minstrels are
happy in the possession of fine forms,
and most literally are those forms dis.
played, but no greater display is made
than is usual with Lydia Thompson and
her blondes and Soldene and her
"kiekers." The performance was ex-
%cellent and worthy of patronage. 1t
pleased the audience exceedingly. The
young men attended in force, and squads
of married men could be seer all around
enjoying the affair. The female min
strels will give a matinee to-day aud a
farewell performance tonight, when
they, by special request, will dance the
Partisan "ean-can."
FANNY DAVENPORT. = Monday night
next thet charming actress, Fanny
Davenport, will make her first appear.
ance in this city at the Memphis Theater
in Pique. The Louisville Courier.Jour-
nal gives the following interesting notice
of the actress and the play:
Miss Fanny Davenport comes of a
line of actors. Her power is Unborn. A
charm Of her acting consists IN perfect
ease. She is thoroughly artistic and
thoroughly natural She is certainly a
woman of extraordinary beauty and
grace. She has an expressive eye ever
aglow with tender passion, a face of ex.
q%uisite mould, mobile and changing with
every emotion. We dwell a moment on
the beauty OF the actress because il is in
timately connected with her style of act.
ing. As far as we may judge from the
one character of mabel Renfrew" her
best artistic power is 10 perfect accord
with her high.bred and tender loneliness
Of person and of grace. Thus, while We
may not point to positive faults in her
acting, we may say that in scenes pecu.
liarly social in modern modes she is
better than in the more highly dra.
matte ones. She is infinitely artistic
in social and emotional scenes. She
is intense, aud preserves a wonderful
unity of expression. There is a mos
admirable nj Of dignity, grace and
beauty interviewer with all the change.
of passion and feeling incident to the
/ life of Mabel Renfrew." As an in
stance Of her artistic style may be noted
a minute action. When her child il
: brought in by Aunt Dorothy she cast
| a short, lingering look on the sleepin,
form of Little Arthur as other theat
rical business calls her awsy. 1t is il
these minute touches Of nature that thl
r true artist is always to be recognized
+. 1t is always some little tone, some excla
: nation, expression, posture or look tina
is remembered. 1t is the momentary in
. cident, or picture, that remains a remem
e brsnce ever after. Without anslyzini
her portrayal of the character Of "Mabe
Rentrew," it may be said that it is
magnificent work of art. Her change
Of passion are not always as wildly, dis
1 tinctly defined 81 we could expect; bu
throughout there is a grace, a beauty
and a Deturalness that compels tn
= heartiest admiration.