Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-02-22
THE FORESTS ENTERTAINMENT.

cious Hall, erected through the energy
and perseverance of Bayou Sara Fire Co.,
No. l, were thrown open and the brilliant
simmer Of lights that sparkled and re-
Elected the beautiful scenery from the
elegant stage admonished tie passer by
that an evening Of rare pleasure was in
store for the denizens of this section, ard
their conjectures were most extravagant-
ly realized in the highly dramatic and
laughable scenes rendered by the men,
bers of the Edwin Forrest Amateur Dra-
matte Association, ably assisted by three
of st. Franclsville's fairest daughters.
The occasion was the fourth annual
complimentary entertainment of the
FORESTS, to which tickets of invitation
had been issued to moro than five hun
bred ladies and gentlemen of this and
surrounding Parishes. At seven o'clock
the guests began to assemble and before
one hour had elapsed the largest and
most orderly assembly ever witnessed in
this Hall were anxiously but decorously
awaiting to see the curtain rise.
THE PERFORMANCE,
which commenced promptly at o'clock,
was opened with q grand overture by
tho Bayou Sara String Band, composed
of amateurs, but by far in advance of
many styled professionals, as regards ex-
cellenco of rendition and peculiar adap-
tation to tho art.
Following the overture came the cele-
brated drama by Geo. NJ. Baker, entitled
"One Hundred Years Ago." in two acts.
The play is re-enactment of some of tho
stirring scenes enacted in the Quaker
City, in the old Colonial days, when our
heroic forefathers, with determined
spirit and poor munitions, determined to
throw off the CALLING yoke of oppression
thrust upon them by a tyrannical mon
archy. Obed Sterling, an old quaker pa
triarch and "a man of peace" was very
naturally represented by Mr.. Max Sum
mers; Ephram Sterling, his son, who,
though reared child of peace, when the
tocsin of war was sounded and the dear
est rights of a people born to he free were
jeopardized, could no longer restrain
the spirit of patriotism which had for
years been smouldering in his breast,
anu CuhSlCu LII luC CduSC VI Ills pCoplC,
| was most admirably personated by Mr..
w. D. Rogillio; Elmer Granger q young
patriot, who took an active and control
| ing part in the exciting scenes both pre-
ceding and during the struggle for indie
penIence, had a worthy representative in
the person of Mr.. E. H. Bockel; Uriel
Bosworth, an English spy, who loved
the beautiful daughter of Obed Sterling,
and who, because of a non-reciprocali-
| ty of his passion on the part of the beau.
tiful Ruth, swore vengeance on hel
devoted kindred, (but who was fortunate
! ~ put an end to before the execution Of
his diabo.ich threat) was characterized
with naturalness that astonished many
of his most intimate friends: by Mr.. j. G
Mcguire. So complete was the dissimu
lation that he appeared a veritable vii
lain; The inscriptions and ignorant Sa
lemites had many years before introduced
into this country what they styled il
after years, the "unholy bondage of the
poor benighted African" and Ginger,
worthy descendant of some dark chief, il
the sunny elmo beyond the seas, was or
tho stage, in tho person of Mr.. Gilmore
whose delineations and dialect we're funn
enough to "make q niger laugh;' MI
Gus Brown, in the role which he Away
eXcels, (Pretzel, a dutchman in distress
on this occasion surpassed all former Ell
forts, and kept the entire audience in
paroxism of laughter during his presenc
ON the stage. Rachael Sterling, quak
eress, but endowed with all the warmt
and earnestness of a Roman mother, wa
personated, with a nairete peculiarl
her own, by Mrs. J. Elise Austen, an
many were the damp eyes, during til
scene where she offered up, with sell
abnegation so peculiar TO liberty lovin
woman, her only son as a sacrifice to til
cause of liberty; The beautiful Rut
Sterling, within whose bosom burned tt
= unquenchable desire to see her natiy
| soil freed from the destroying presence
, the invader, was charmingiy produce
by the fascinating Miss Julia Coin
. the vivacious Prudence Granger, WI
would ''rather die an old maid than ma
ry a man who would quietly sit by" al
see the dearest rights of his hearthstol
> desecrated by n foreign foe. This chara
ter was presented i'll a manner tina
=, brought down the appreciative hou
with frequent and unbounded applau
, by the bewitching Miss Stella COIN.
After the rendition of the above dram
=. =. very amusing character song entitle
~ who's dat Knockin' at de Outside Gate
= was sung by the inimitable Mr.. G.
- Brown, admirably sustained by Miss Jul
COhu,