Daily globe., 1883-08-12
AMUSEM ENTS.

tlon ;:tlme gailopS; What was new yesterday
is old to-day and forgotten tomorrow.
The busy prompter on the great stage of
human action rings on the scenes in quick
succession, and woe be it to the wight who
is not up to his lines, for the
invisible, relentless hand which manipu-
lates the strings of the moving panorama
will admit of no negligence or delay. In
no department of life is the spirit of
change more apparent than in that branch
of art known as the drama. Within the
memory of the writer, and the hair is still
tolerably thick on not yet venerable
head, the announcement on the bill board
of the production of melodrama was
sufficient to pack any frst-class theater.
Since then what change has pervad-
ed the precincts OF Thespis. Now
adays the good old fashioned melo-
drama has fallen into the sere and yell
low; the voice of the leading heavy has
somehow lost its old familiar ring, the
disguised prince in the big whiskers, top
boots and slouch hat doesn't seem to i'm
press US as was his wont, and even the san
culinary death struggle, and the rattle in
the throat of the victim have lost por-
ton of their charm. There
is lack of enthusiasm
or appreciation for the robust, and if it
must be said manly and swift retribution
| of those days, when the throat of the vii
lian was soon in the clutch of the more ro-
bHst hero of the play. All this has
| changed; the sword of the avenger has
gone to keep company with the clanking
spur of the refugee and both form the
nucelus for the web of the mansard roof
spider, for even this humble insect is
rather choice in his habitation nova days.
for where will be found the garret of
our fathers with its stringers of clothes
and aromatic dried apples and other things
so dear to US on the rainy afternoons of
long ago. The firm, manly clutch of the
hero has given way to the pink and white,
soft-handed and silky caress of the stage
dude, whose chief fort lies in makeup and
| judicious harmony of attire, from the
legs and the accentuated tip of
his tooth-pick CATERS to the
terra-cotta shades of his gloves.
This is the creature of the society drama;
he delights in platitudes. moonlight saun-
terings, starry vistas, and so on, but he
has no time for the storm cloud, the elec-
dignation and passion. In all this, how
ever, there is one consolation. Soon the
| dramatic undertaken will take him from
his perch and lay him on the shelf, where,
with an innumerable collec-
| tion of defunct accessories, he
will moulder away, while over the remains
the inscription hic jacket.
During the week just closed the amuse-
ment patrons of st. Paul have been enter
tanned with touch of melo-drama as il
lustrated by the Jay Rial combination.
The first four nights of the engagement
were devoted to the presentation of Col
ville's drama "Taken From Life" which
was witnessed on the several occasions by
fair sized audiences. 1t came
heralded as drama of intense
human interest, but the promise was not
altogether redeemed. The fault was not
so much with the company as in the char
acter of the play which is lacking in some
of the essential qualities which tend to
enlist universal sympathy, and besides it
is a drama, which requires the most elab-
crate mounting. Why so clever. a COM
pany should make this their principal
play in their repertoire, is difficult to un-
derstand, as there are a dozen stock plays
which are quite as interesting, and which
afford a better scope for the display of the
dramatic ability of the troupe.
On Friday night "East Lynne" was SUBJ
stituted, and the change was wise one
Although not the most wholesome pabu-
lum, as steady diet, the play possesses
! strong elements of interest, and it was
most acceptably rendered by this COM
pany.
"EastLynne" was given at the matinee
performance yesterday to a fashionable
and appreciative audience, the mountings
and costumes being elegant, while the
several roles were admirably enacted.
Last night the engagement closed with
Tom Taylor's standard drama, "Ticket-of-
Leave Man," and it proved the most enjoy
able performance of the week. Miss Rial
appeared to especial advantage as May
Edwards, the true hearted heroine, and
the Bob Briefly of Mr.. Dufield was
given with power and feeling. Mr.. Spen-
Ger made an acceptable Hawkshaw, and
Mr.. Winter gave the complex character of
Dalton with the requisite fneese. As Sam,
Miss Brandon played with graceful aban-
don.
Jennie Mcclellan was good, as she most
always is, and not to forget the mass of
Stockwells and the remainder of the cast
which was acceptable. The drama was
given to good audience.