Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-11-24
AMUsEmESfs.

the orchestra stall. There was a brill
liant display of fashion and beauty pres.
ent. The ladies appeared in elegant
and numbers Of the gentlemen
turned out in swallow.tsiled coats, white
vests, kid gloves, etc. The aisles we're
crowded with male wall flowers, they be.
ing unable to secure seats. The play
was Shskspesre's As You Like 1t, one of
his mastery and wonderful comedies,
that stands unequalled even to the pres
ent day: The origin from which Shaks-
peare drew the plot and material of the
play was Lodges "Rosalynde and
Coke's Tale of Gamelyn." "Rosalind,"
in As You Like 1t, is one of Shakspeare's
most charming creations. In no class
of his representations, says an able critic,
are the depth, delicacy and the extent of
Shakspeare's creative power more visible
than in his women, for we must not for
get that in writing the exquisitely varied
types of female character, he knew that
they would be ~intrusted, in representa-.
ton, to boys or young men, no female
having acted on the stage till long after
the age which witnessed such creations
as "Rosalind," Hermione," LADY
Macbeth or Juliet" What a chill
must have come over the imagination of
the poet to be conscious that a marvel of
female delicscy, grandeur or passion
would be p~ersonated on the stage by a
performer Of the other sex, and this be
expresses by making Cleopatra say:
THE quick comedians.
Extemporary shall stage us; Anthony
snail be brought drunken forth, and l shall
see
Sons squssaking Cleopatra bog ny great
ness"
Shakspeare's conceptions of womanly
qualities possess a fer higher tone of SEN
timent than can be found il the most
beautiful conceptions of the greatest Of
his cotemporsries-Beaumont Massen.
ger aud Ford. Some critics, indeed,
have traced his superior refinement in
this respect to the imitation Of the pure
and lofty feminine ideal which he found
in the Arcadia of the illustrious Sidney
and the graceful purity Of the Earle
Queene.
Miss D%avenport's conception and i'm
p%ersonstion of the role of "Rosslind" at
the theater last night was indeed charm.
ing. In costume, voice, person, gesture
and manner she filed the part excel.
we'll, and displayed dramatic
ability of a high order. No point was
left ignored during the progress Of the
varied scenes. She fairly captured the
critical people, and was compelled to
appear before the curtain at the close of
each act to receive the plaudits of the
audience. The play is full of love, DO.
etry aud philosophy, and it requires a
strong cast to present it in a proper
manner. Among those who appeared in
the cast several did well, but others
marred the production of the play some
what. Mr.. Harris, as Orlando" played
his part acceptably, as did also Mr..
Blake as "Touchstone, the Clown" Mr..
Krone, as "Jaques," the Melancholy
Jaques," as he is called more than
once in the play, was a little
too heavy at times. Jacques is not al
together a melancholy man; he is
a worn'out courlier, a man of varied
moods, one who had sounded all the
frivolities of the world and who had be.
come a philosopher and dealt out sar.
cssm shsrpened by wit. Mr.. Krone
e. Jaques y read. the famous lines, The
Seven Ages of Man" in good style, aud
was deservedly a~pplsuded. Miss Flor.
ence Chase as Celia" daughter Of the
" Duke Frederick" was pleasing and
acceptable. The play was cut down
somewhat, but take it all in all, it was
presented. la the e%pilogue, so pref
spoken by Miss Davenport Rosa
she left out several phrases, which
certainly did not improve the text. We
append the closing part of the epilogue,
the phrases left out by Miss Daven-
port italicized: IF | were a woman |
would kiss as many of you as had boards
that pleased me, compilations that liked
me, and breaths that / detied not; and,
[ am sure, as many as have good boards,
good faces, 0 street. bredtkS, will, for
ny kind offer, when l make court sey,
Did me farewell" 1t may not be amiss
notice the efforts made by Professor
Handwerker and his orchestra to please
he theater-goers. His selections and
overture from the Bohemian Girl last
night were charmingly rendered and at
tracted general notice and comment. At
The matinee to day Miss Davenport will
appear as Mabel Renfrew," in Pique.
which she will repeat tonight as a fare.
veil performance.
MAGGIE MITCHELL = Monday night
,ext Maggie Mitchell, supported BY a
FOOD company, will commence a week.
Engagement at the Memphis Theatey.
On the opening night Mignou will be the
dramatic attraction. Maggie Mitchell is
time.honored favorite with Memphians
clever actress, who pleases aud cap
audiences. As "Fanchon' and
he Pearl of Savoy" she is uneaualed