Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-04

So LONG as the Amusement Club pre-
sents such attractions as those of last
Friday evening there is little danger
but they will resolve that support and
encouragement which their efforts rich
ly deserve. The Potter entertainment
was satisfactory in every particular.
From introduction to close there was
no disappointment, no hating or fail
ure. Miss Potter's representations of
character were excellent in conception
attention to detail and general tone.
She fully deserves all the praise award
ed her by the popular verdict of thous-
ands of auditors. Although laboring
under the disadvantage of a hard cold,
which she explained was the result of
an Illinois trip, Miss Potter can carry
away the feeling that she made a friend
of every auditor in the hall and should
she vouchsafe the city another visit
would be greeted with a crowded house.
The lady has a good stage presence and
shows from the first that she is perfect
" at home ON the boards, relieving her
audience at once from that indefinable
dread of some unfortunate and unfore-
seen anti-climax, which will creep in
with less experienced stars. The en-
tertainment opened with a selection
from Dickens, "Dr. Majorum,' parts
of which paved the way for the exhibit
tons of the really fine work of which
Miss Potter was capable. This was
followed by other short sketches. The
brightest bit of the evening and the
most truthful was included in this gal
axy. The name we did not catch but
was a medley of farm sounds as the even
tide settled down. The boy calling his
COWS in the distant pasture, the farmer
echoing the call neal at hand, and the
very natural tone of the milkmaid as
she relieved the mild eyed animals of
their lactial fluid. The first impersona-
ton in costume was that of Bernhardt
rs Dona Izaul, in Victor Hugo's play of
Hermann. The part selected was the
garden scene when Dona Izaul is sur
prised by the emperor. Miss Potter's
make up for this part was perfection it
self while her rendition of the scene
was the most powerful of any of the
evening. The action, stimulation of the
varying emotions from humble plead
ing TO passionate defiance showed evil
dence of hard study aud great natural
ability that would have found their pro-
per recognition on the stage. This
was followed by n Yankee spinster
sketch Aunt Melissa, after which came
Oscar Wilde in his lecture on art. Miss
Potter prefaced this i~mpersonation by
n few words in which she called atten-
ton to a few of what she was pleased to
term grand IDEAS" advanced by Mr..
Wilde, naively admitting that she was
somewhat of an admire of the great
esthete. The make up to thisIcharacter
was the poorest of the evening, but the
tone and manner served as a mirror
upon which the audience could catch a
passing glimpse of Oscars peculisrities.
The closing impersonatlon of the even
ing was a character sketch of John B.
Cough. TO those who had seen Cough
this was a rare treat and to those who
had not it was a rarer one. The look.
manner, and actions of the great lee
turer, were caught to the life. In voice
Miss Potter was not quite so fortunate.
but the result was near enough for all
purposes. During the intervals which
elapsed when the actress was changing
costumes, the audience had the pleasure
of hearing Miss Carrie Barber in two
touching songs, when You and / were
young Maggie" and "Old Folks a,
Home. In both of these Miss BARRIERS
remarkably fine voice was heard to goog
advantage weaving a spell over the
house that held each one entranced un-
Ill the last melodious echo died away,
when the singer was heartily encored
but responded simply with a bow. Be.
tween the ballads Miss Edith Fisher
lgaye q fine Bit Of instrumental music,