New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-04


NEWPORT, Ang 31.-Newport is one of those provi.
Dental places in which it is next to impossible not
| to enjoy ones SELF If the visitor likes company
with conversation he find it without much
trouble it he peases to pass the pleasant hours in
solitude he may be alone with the sounding sea if
he chooses the gayety and color of the rect he may
stroll up and down the busy and fashionable ave-
nues, crowded with carefully appointed eouipapes
and sympathize with those who are swiftly trottng
toward happiness, or driving, with reinvigOrated
| appettes In the direction of dinner. 1t is very
much when the air which breathes is the chOic-
est of luxuries and it is more when procession of
gayly clad old and young people makes all the
street brilliant and full of careless lie Newport
perhaps more than any other of the summer towns
leaves peasure-seekers to enjoy themselves in an
independent way. There is undoubtedly n good
| deal of fashion and of fashionable display
ihere is the usual m0dcum of frivolity. There are
eosSip ana wastefulness and vanity and ostenta-
taon but all these do give its best tone to the
town. FROM these the best people keep themselves
somewhat apart They select their share of what is
raonal and in good taste, and leave the rest to the
SHY ana the SNOWY. There two sorts of society
III Newport, and the line between them is. if may
say so, both definite and indefinite The quiet folk
are only quiet so far their carry them and
II there is anything going on at the Casino which
they care for, they drive down to it, There was
something going on there last night which apart
presentation OF the pretty comedy of False
ColOrs, the characters enacted nv amataurS dro,
brilliant and intelligent company and ouite
hlled The neat little theatre attached TO the
CASINO When was first asked to attend this pre-
NY immediate impulse was to decline the
invitation with many thanks NV experience had
no' oeeh such as to prejudice in favor of private
theatricals, which had always found neither good
enough nor bad enough TO he amusing What ia
merely amateur liz Sually rnucb
rate, whether 1t be singing or pano-forte nlavpo
or painting, or whatever it NAV be-
The play to be given was False Coors y which
neihg from the French" was necessarily of the
French Frenchy. The New York managers bavef.-
mll'arized us with this description of drama -
which there is an agreeable mixture of noltor.sa
ana sehshness of scheming and of social ON io,,.
as well as OF marriages which are partly for ,pono
ana partly Tor love- in such proportions as may no
iouh" convenient and entertaining False Colors
az us name imports get all its interest from the pre
''hce OF each OF pair of families to be much mora
prosperous IN pecuniary wav than it octua1lv
IL. Dr. Mahngeor is a physician who has EttIo or
no practice and who pretends. with tbo oogsta,'aos
MS scheming wife, TO have an enormous p,n,hon s
'he "ealthlest patients under his CHARGE N Ro,:;
arered confectIoner, whose son. Frederic is in lovo
WIN IT. Mahngears daughter. EmmeIine The vboIe
"i VI e 'hi1 turns upon the notion ENTERTAINED by
e''h family that the others rich contract of mar
ihtec between Frederic and Emlneline s afoot
and the negotiations for settlements make the MEGA
lively. When all is found our. and the mutual me-
dlocrlty of fortune exposed, there is convenient
Cnce Robert who makes everything square: and so
the play ends az most plays of the comic sort do in
marriage. Nothing could be hlmsier than "Falsc
CoiorS," ana unless toerahly acted no ordinary hui
man being could listen to the whole of IT. TO the
ladles ana gentlemen who appeared in it at the
Newport Casino it is credtable that they kent il
in hZplv 81,
great danger, it must be admitted of being bored.
listened with interest and went away not i'll
pleased The best acting, and indeed the only act
ing OF character marked enough to stand any
criticism, was that of Mrs Julia Ward II, We
who personated Madame Malingcar, and that of
Mr.. Elisha DYER jr, to whom was confded
the part of the Doctor Mrs. Howe. in the ouirt
force of her acting. in her perfect presence of mind
and ease of manner, in the absence of all awkward
and fussy pretence, well in her eocution
came very near to professional excellence and gave
a picture of the schemug and selfish Frenchwoman
which hardly left anything TO be desired Her self
possession was so perfect To prevent anything ike
apprehension or anxiety the part of the audience
so that her performance listened to with abso-
lutte pleasure. Indeed Mrs Howe seemed hv her
very presence to be carrying the play and she GER
fanny gave to It's acting force and earnestness
WHICH, nut ior her ceverness IT might have missed
III was not quite 50 well, as a mere matter
OF art, that her manners were not only
above the general manners of the niece lint
above those suggested by the char
acter. In this, however, she was sustained nv MIR
Dyer, who played the part of the Doctor and PLAYED
II like gentleman with quiet and even skill. and
with Its dramatic points rather suggested than
hurled Mt the audience. Both Mrs Howe and Mr.
Dyer were amusing without being coarse R,fb
avoided the main fault of the other actors and
actresses, which was that of playing Mt the pnblc
while some of he other performers fell into
the unfortunate temptation of unhappy "eopp
ana local alluson, and INDUCED in INTERPRETATIONS
which are always insuierable
or the other players there is not much to say Tho
Uncle Robert of Mr. T. F. Cushing was easy and
gcni al and the Elnmeline of Mrs I pottar ~, ey anu
ty hoydenish. and pla we'd with n fair 10
the character Ol the minor parts the nost ,yos
Hade--Inore sometime, perhaps than was noces
siy-the endency being perhaps TO put into some of
them more than they could naturally carry II 10
popularity of amateur theatrical COMPANIES that
thty usually nave ambitious members for whom tha
author has provided no characters: and nobodv can
blame these aspiring persons If they dress and move
ana tax as II the success of the piece depended
altogether upon their exits and entrances Rut ths
performance of "FalSe Colors' at least shaved ;'
msaE anu pa,irn practice There was hardly any
fairly well done; the exits and The Entrances ,,ora
almost always according to the letter; and there was
| no sign OF real embarrassment from BEGINNING to
end. Indeed, considering how much goes to tho fojn
presentation of play, it was little surur,sng tl,at
| thls should nave been given fairly Acting is so
much an art that, as every theatre-g0cr knows
eoou talent ior actihg, without practice does not
go great way, while veterans of the stage To whom
nature has denied dramatic genius frcouentlv Got
along toerably well withoutit. Private theatrcoIs
must he taken for what they really are and no t",
ciltlc VIII consider hem rs other than the efforts
| OF amateurs To reproduce what they have seen a,J
| admired upon the real stage. ~