The New York herald., 1879-02-10
1.-THE STAGE.

REPETITION OF MISS ANNA DICKINsoN's Lee
rURE AT THE FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE LAST
EVENING" THEATRICAL AUDIENCE.
The dreariness of Sunday night to that numerous
ungody class of people who systematically stay away
from evening church services and yearn for outdoor
rendered quite that the repetition
Of Miss Anna Dckinson's lecture 1.-The Stage"
at the Fifth Avenue Theatre last evening would
attract a very large audience Miss Dickinson's
unlocked for defence Of the stage-all the more
prising from who might be reasonably thought
to have no for particular elation enthusiasm
over her brief personal acquaintance with it-had
caused quito ripple of qualification among theatre
cal people, and it WAS confidently expected that
the representatives of the stage would return
the compliment by their presence upon this
occasion This expectation was not disappointed.
and the Fifth Avenue Theatre crowded
with of the oldest audiences ever assembled
within its walls. 1t not altogether theatrical
audience. although the stage, the managers Office
and the box office were all woll represented; but
hemianism mingled with this unmistakabie
theatrical element. Politicians. lIerdL. male
and female social quidnuncs and regular l,
force, and diamonds glttered and resplendent
scarfs were plentiful throughout the auditorium.
One strange feature of the audience struck the OBJ
server immediately-therc were more smooth shaven
masculine faces and more feminine heads displaying
81 M
of the Shakespearean reader. Mr.. Hermann Linde.
deserted close by. the. sleek face Of
John Gilbert contrasted with the cadaverous gaunt
and hungry look Of Oliver Doud Byron. and tho
variety dancer and the doletully solemn minstrel
clown-who ever saw minstrel whose lugubrious
soemnty Of appearance did not correspond in fair
ratio with the measure of his fun?-spread them
selves with equal freedom through the orchestra.
OUR FAMILIARs
Among the well know theatrical people present
VIC John Owens and wife. who Occupied OF the
rear boxes John Parsele. William Floyd. Charles
parsloe. John Gilbert. Mr.. Mckee Rankin
Hos1a Horase Lnsard. l MI. Hes%snn Iinde. aas.
Richardson), Misses Ada and Minnie Monk. Miss
Pearl Eytinge, Mrs James Lewes, Mr.. William Gray
Mr.. simmonds and many others ~ sir; a. M paipes
as well as Mr. wallack and many other leading man
ayers and actors. wore missed.
DIcKNsoNs DISH
Precisely at eight O'Clock Miss Dickinson appeared
upon the stage, which had bcen set with incon-
form it we'll could. Miss Dickinson was greeted
with some faint. lukewarm applause. Miss
same manner has been previously described. and
she scored the success for the telling hits and
points which 1t contains-marred though the en-
tire performance was by the utter absence Of any
beauty of GESTURE When she rose to earnest
ness vehemence her voice assumed penetrating.
shrlness which must have lacerated many
But the audience though they could not be
waked up enthusiasm. evidently forgot the deed
in the WILL and cared more for the matter than the
manner Of tho DISCOURSE They relished keenly her
tributes to the noble inhuences OF the stage.
her sarcastic hings 1T the pulpit and tta
hypocrisies, her girlish "Reminiscences OF hex
earliest dramatic aspirations; her humorous glorih-
cation of the bhoy OF the gallery and the other
well known points with which the readers OF the
HERALD have already become familiar.
She rewarded at the close with . hearty out
burst of applause and after leaving the stage.
recalled be met by another outburst the friend
ness of which unmisrakable.