Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-27

Cold Feet and Had whisky. for
which the Amateurs Made No

NU
The Eureka Amateurs gave their per.
formance at the Opera House, as advertised
on Christmas night. Probably there were
none among the large audience present who
were not prepared to excuse or palliate anyof
those triding biunders that generally occur
In amateur entertainments, nor did anv Of
them expect to witness such acting as thew
would see in the larger cities throughout
the country; vet ii is questionable whether
any crowd was ever gathered together in
Eureka who were SO thoroughly disgusted
as that which left the Opera House at the
close OF their performance. This result is
to be attributed to bad whisky, and to the
TACT that one OF the participants was bet.
ter adapted to play the part Of the kings
fool than that Of the king.
As we have said, the disposition Of those
present was to look leniently upon any de-
fects, but it was evident before the close of
the first act that the ladies and gentlemen
Of the company proposed, and could well
anord to stand upon their merits. The
first two acts we're as creditably performed
a. any ever given by an average company
on the boards OF q metropolitan theatre.
We have never seen q better conception OF
the character Of Don Caesar than that
given by Harry Collins. Mrs. Smell pos
sesses q good deal Of dramatic ability,
which needs but . little cultivation to Be
fully developed, and her rendition OF Mari
tana was all that could be desired. Mrs.
Gates did equally we'll a. Laxarrilla, while
Mr.. Ford made an excellent scheming
courtier, although many Of his lines were
given with a droning intonation that prac-
tice would overcome. 1t was during the
third act that the comedy was turned
into q farce. When q tall, gawky in
dividual suddenly strobe on the stage
with the wabbiing grace Of an AM
sterdam D~utchwoman, and whose dress de-
noted the school Ounce, we concluded there
was a part in Don Cesar that we had never
seen. Judge Of our surprise when we
recognized in this strangely -attired indi-
vidual the jolly face Of our friend Alexander
Wilson. and the programme said Alex. was
King" A King! shades Of Hamlet's
ghost. We cannot do justice to A~lexander's
get up. His head gear had the appearance
Of . night cap trimmed with spangles; his
scrawny legs were cncased in a pair Of
lady's hose, and We have curiosity enough
to wonder where he made that raise. An
additional yard or two cf material seemed
to have been added TO the original seat Of
his Zouavc bretclcs, and this was nm
doubtediy rendered necessary from the fact
that the greater portion of Alexis body IL
located in that region Of his pantaloons.
From his lips came naught bat i~narticulate
sounds, waited by a breath redolcnt with
the perfumes OF whisky. Christmas had
proven too much for the "King"-Alcck
was gloriousiy drunk. The boys saw the
point" and gave him a send off that SEM
him in disgust from the stage, and from
that moment the fate Of the play was
sealed. The excellent acting Of the other
members Of the company. including the
iaughabie i-mpersonation II the Marchion-
css by Fred. Wells, failed to save it. In
the subsequent scene between Mariana and
the King, where she makes an impassioned
appeal 10 his manhood, and where he il
supposed to plead his cause as only lovers
can plead, Aleck stood by in sullea silence,
picking his nose in a very unkingly man
ner. Recalled to a sense Of bis duty By the
shouts Of the gamins, Alexis hsads wan
dered TO that portion Of his attire where
pockets are Supposed to bc. They we're
not that kind Of brcccles, however, and
Aleck IN his wandcrings managed to get
his hand into an opening that caused Mari
tsna and the SESTISEL's representative to
blush furiously, and brought down the
house in . wild gnffaw. Aleck refnested
completely dcaioralized, and il required
tho united efforts u the company to bring
him to time in the final scene.
Having been disappointed ia scouting
music, q portion Of the programme had to
he omitted. and Hugh NOLAN now made
his bow, and in q few facetious remarks
succeeded In putting everybody in good
humor. Egg-nogg, however, proved too
much for Barbara Prietclie, " and Hugh,
after rrciting n few lines, kindly offered
the manuscript to the audience for their
perusal, aud retired amidst the most up
roarous applause. Upon reappcarins, Hugh
INDUCED In some ~laughable illusions, and
was stopped by q blow from the curtain,
which an uafecling prompter lowered on
his devoted head.
Mr.. Ford, followed and we would, in all
kindness. advise him to devote himself to
other channels Of literature. The Ma
mac" by Mrs. Smell, was not a. well
spoken AZ she Is capable OF doing, hut was
well received. In the farce Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Csudle," Mr.. Collins sustained his
reputation, and Mrs. Brooks displayed the
qualities Of n first-class actress. But hui
man nature could stand it no longer, and
the half-frozcn audience proceeded to leave
the hall before il was finished. Should an
amateur entertainment again lie given in
Eureka. 1t il TO be hoped that the persons
having charge Of it will e~xcrcis unusual
caution in the selection OF representatives
Of the characters. and thus save themselves
from modification, and tho public from q
sense Of having wasted time and money.