The Portland daily press., 1878-11-08
NI,Iiss

The play of Miss is certainly not Bret
Harte's story, and that rare author would be
| astonished and perhaps awed at some of its
passages. But for all that 1t is very enter
| tanning play, Astounding in pleasant or striking
scenes, and. up to the fourth act certainly, fair
| ly constructed, vigorously phrased, and pre-.
senting series of dramatic climaxes. Could
| the play be properly made to end with the res
cue of "Gray" an improvement would be eft.
| fected for the imagination of the audience,
already sufficiently excited, could be safely left
| to picture the good old ending 'and they lived
| happily ever afterwards" The last act is an
| impertinence The first three acts Of the play
| certainly present an interesting picture OF life
| in the mines in 49,-a picture that no one
who sees would willingly part with the memo
| ry of. Oae might find not few inaccuracies,
| one cannot but smile, for example, at the
miniature coach in the 'middle distance" OF
| the first scene; but the movement of the play
| is so rapid and it's interest SO evenly sustained
up to that fatal fourth act-that the specta'
tors forget to criticize. They are too busy
| watching "M'liss and her movements to pay
much attention to faults.
The play as given at the Portland Theatre
last night was peculiarly fortunate in having
SO fine presentation of "M'liss'' and so capa-
BILE interpretations of its other characters.
Miss Annie Pixley gives an impersonation of
the pet Of the mining camp remarkable for its
fidelity to nature, its fine, correct drawing and
rich, harmonious coloring. The characterize
tion is notable tor it's strength and consistency,
and shows the effect of intelligent study as
we'll as the possession of great!natural gifts.
Indeed the study is sometimes too apparent as
is seen in some of the poses. But 1t is Llean-
cut and intelligent Characterization, correctly
conceived and played with fine sense of
hua,or. The pathetic scenes, though not so
we'll done as the lighter ones, are rendered
with uEdeniable dramatic force. Miss Pixley's
person and voice peculiarly fit her for the
strictly soubrette business Of the play. 1t is
only when the unfortunate fourth act is
reached that much fault is to be found. Then
the fall from the genuine through rough
phrased sentiment of the mining camp to the
California French and affected ways of "Miss
Smith" is so great as to become ridiculous.
The proverbial step is taken.
The support was very good. Mr.. McDon-
ough's "Yuba Bill' was eminently satisfac-
tory, given with moderation, restraint, es-
pecially praisworthy in consideration of the
great temptation to exsggeration which the
character presents-a temptation which GER
tainly would have been yielded to by an actor
having any less intelligent conception of the
part Perhaps the audience did not see Bret
Hartes "Yuba Bift," but they probably did see
a more faithful representation of the old Cali
fornia stage driver. The Juan of Mr. Full
ford was strongly yet delcately done, particu-
larry commendable for its quiet force and
faithful delneation of the disagreeable char
acter of the Mexican "Greaser." The Spanish
accent was admirably initiated, notably in the
utterance of the welI-kuown Spanish expletive
cardn,ba. Mr.. Decker did well with with the
really diff cult though seemingly easy part of
John Gray and Mr.. Lamb gave an intelli-
gent and forceful Interpretation of "Judge
Bseswinger," the typical California jastice of
the peace.
A good word should be spoken for the orches-
ira, which, under Mr.. Burnham's direction,
contributed to the pleasure of the evening, and
gave among other new music 'Secret Love-"
never before played in this city.
"M'liss" will belgiveu the rest of the week.
1t deserves large houses. II people do not
choose to attend they should not at least be
permitted to plead ignorance OF les merits and
excaim next week "n We had only known
how entertaining the play was We would surely
have gone Mr.. Curtis has brought good
plays and good companies here, and should be
encouraged in his laudable endsavor to amuse
the public.