Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-02-06
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How Our Amateurs Handled this
Excellent Comedy Last Might.

How Our Amateurs Handled this
Excellent Comedy Last Night.
The Opera House was not as crowdeda as
we expected to see it last evening, on the
occasion Of the benefit rendered to Charles
Allen by the Dramatic Club, but this was
no doubt owing to the extreme inclemency
Of the weather, which made locomotion
from the suburbs and the Hill not only
difficult but very unpleasant. However,
the cosy little theater was well filled, and
the exchequer Of the benefciare was made
plethoric by a substantial sum. The per-
Torrance was checkered, and did not reach
that standard of excellence shown in the
| production of "Forget Me Not" two
weeks since. II was good, bad and indif-
ferent. 1t lacked both study and rehearsal,
yet from the manner it was rendered on
Wednesday night we expected to see a
more finished performance than was given
last evening. The fact is -FOUR
Boys" abounds in too much action
for amateurs to put il hastily upon
the stage, and though Mr.. Allen filed up
the breach nobly by his splendid acting,
the comedy fell a little heavy upon the au-
dience, though at frequent periods the
house was convulsed with laughter. Mr..
Davenport as Sir Geoffry came before the
footlights in q nervous manner which
grew upon him as the play progressed, and,
although familiar with his part, lost his
cue on sevaral occasions. 1t is, however,
a most difficult and arduous role to essay,
which in a great measure made amends for
all shortcomings. Mr.. Allen was in his
glory, and kept the audience en- rapport
with him from the rise of the curtain. 1t
was his "ultum pomatum," and they
laughed loud and long enough to break in
upon the rest Of the dialogue. Mr.. Allen
is an excellent actor, and has established
himself firmly in the esteem OF our thea
ter-goers. "Our Boys" by Messrs. Van
derlieth and Pulling, were fairly taken.
Both had a good conception Of their parts,
especially Mr.. Vanderlieth, whose droll,
quaint speech was a mastery eff
fort, but they failed to give the
sentimental scenes life, and hest
tated badly in the last act. The ladies
were more in harmony with the piece, ex-
cepting, perhaps, Miss Hobart, whose de-
but was marked by extreme nervousness.
Miss Daisy Wendell again displayed her
precocious versatility, and made Mary
Melrose a prime favorite, not only with
"Our Boys behind the footlights, but
also with the youths in the gallery, who
twitched their mustaches nervously while
she was playing with the heartstrings of
the unsophisticated and susceptible son of
Sir Geoffry. Miss Wendell is a bright lit
tie luminary in our histrionic armament.
Mrs. W. P. Haskell essayed the part of an
old maid-Clarissa Champneys, sister OF
Sir Geoffry. She played it well, and
we would have inclined to the belief
that shes.was in that unhappy state
but for the exuberant health she brought
to the stage, foreign to all the stereotyped
ideas of the way a spinster should look.
In fact her charming appearance did not
indicate that she had pinned the best part
Of her life away waiting for q lover. Mrs.
A. d. Haskell, as Belinda, the lodging
house slavey, made quite a hit. Although
she did not appear but in one act, that
gave the little lady ample scope for some
clever business. She appeared the very
type OF the smart, impudent metropolitan
English third-foor servant as the animal
is found in her native haunts. But an in
distinct enunciation marred the part
somewhat. With this remedied, Mrs.
Haskell would make a pert soubrette.
While the play was much enjoyed, we
hope more time and attention will be given
to the next one.