Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-16
THE DRAMA.
Mr.. B. Macauley ~ /" Uncle Dan1."

Mr.. Il. Macauley ~ Uncle DanI.
Standing room only" was the watch
word that greeted late-comers to Fultol
opera house on Saturday night. When tn
curtain went up every seat in the parquet
parquet circle. and gallery was occupied,
while all the available space in the rear aisle
was utilized by unfortunate persons who
had neglected to secure their seats before
hand. The audience was one OF the
largest, if not the very largest and most
brilliant, that has assembled at the opera
house during the present season, and was
| certainly deserved tribute of welcome to
the tall, broad-shouldercd, big-chested
backwoodsman, "deputy sheriff OF
Jarvis section nigh onto fifteen years. y
1t is almost year since the blue-eyed,
simple hearted countryman imaginatively
astride his old mare Nance, sorrel, the
color of seven-cent sugar, with her broken
tail standing up behind her like parasol,
rode right into the hearts of our people,
and they have kept warm place there for
him ever since. Like good wine the play
of "a Messenger from Jarvis Section, !"
and it's leading character, Uncle Dan'l, as
portrayed by Mr.. B. Macauley, improve
with age. The play is comedy-drama
that we'll bears seeing more than once: 1t
is brim-full and running over with the
freshest humor, and abounds in situations
of the most stirring, not to say sensational
character, portrayed in a thoroughly ar
tistic and natural manner, ana exciting the
risibilities and admiration of the audience
in the opportunity they afford for the dis
play of quaint and curious humOr as well
as manly strength and courage. Mr.. Ma
cauley's facial expression and the
quality of his art admirably adapt
him to the proper portrayal of this "mind
that knew no guile and soul incapable of
fear," and the working of his honest rugged
features while trying to grasp the meaning
of the many modern slang phrases that
greet his cars Oh his arrival in Boston, is
study. The scene of the play alternates
between an Out-Of- the way corner of Maine
and the city of Boston, the leading Incl
dents transpiring in the last named place,
where Uncle Dan'l meets with a succession
of adventures which, despite their some
what exhausting strain on the imagination,
enlist the close attention of the spectator
throughout the Kaleidoscope changes of
the situation. 1t was thoroughly demon
strative audience, with whom the kindly
face, homespun garments, big fur cap and
carpet-bag at once found favor and sympa-
thy, and at times the heartiness of the ap-
plause interrupted the conversation of
the people on the stage. At the
conclusion of the third act Uncle
Dan'l and little CLIP appeared before the
curtain to bow their Acknowledgements of
the thunders of applause that greeted them.
The last named character was very clever
ly personated by Miss Minnie Maddern,
whose bright ingenious face won immedi-
ate favor with the audience, while her act
ing was of high order of artistic merit.
Her "slang" was simply Immense, and
some of the audience were scarcely less
puzzled than Uncle DaD'l in their efforts to
interpret the little rogue's meaning. An
other admirable piece of work was Mr..
Beers rendition of the character of Skinny
.Smith, the miserly landlord, and of such
uniform and evenly y-balanced merit was the
remainder of the cast that further distiction
is quite unnecessary. Itmay be truthfully
said that no more finished and satisfactory
dramatic performance has been witnessed
Oh the boards at Fulton opera house this
winter. ST PttingW, "a rale handy fellar,"
was prime favorite, albeit he was totally
invisible to the audience. Uncle Don7may
come again.