Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-16
LED AsTRAY.

The praise lavished upon amateur enter tainments is, ordinarily speaking, more or less fulsome and bestowed more as a conces-
 sion of courtesy than from any claim of gen.
 uine merit. Yet the entertainment given at Peck's Grand Opera House last evening by | the Sarsfield Dramatic association calls for commendation from it's own inherent excel fence. The audience was large and at times demonstratively appreciative, encouraging the participants by frequent manifestations of approval. The 'Armande' of Miss Mamie Heath was capital piece of acting. This young lady has appeared upon the local stage | on many occasions, but last evening she | seemed to surpass herself and invested the character with realism that proved she pos
 sessed the true dramatic instinct. She is gifted with clear and musical voice. and has con-
 siderable knowledge of gesticulation and
 as she rose at times to the intensity of pas 1 sion and again rocked in wild despair there | was force in her acting that suggested | higher possibilities. Her clever portrayal of 1 the character made her the favorite of the
 evening. Miss Dorcas Welpley, as F'Su- game OHara" appeared to very fine adyan- tage. She has stately stage presence and 1 showed last evening an uncommon knowl | edge of elocution. Her enunciation was ex- cellent, her voice clear and resonant and in
 the emotional scenes she deeply moved the
 audience. This was her first appearance be-
 fore an audience, but she instantly won their I
 ladies in the cast-Miss Kitty Doherty as
 ''Mathilde, Miss Julia Bovlan as ''Baron-
 ess De La Revonniere," Miss Maggie l Sullivan as Countess Chandoce" and Miss Kittie Judge as tSophie''-all acted
 theif parts cleverly and showed the results of careful study and training. James l. Hayes, as Count Rodolph Chandoce," did
 excellent work. His was, perhaps, the most
 graceful and finished acting of the evening, | and he moved about the stage with an ease
 characteristic only of one who was familiar | with the boards. MT. J. G. Steele, as 'tMa-
 jor O'Harasp faithfully portrayed the pecu- l liar gifts of the society sharper, and his work had singular realism and a marked individ-
 uality. MT. M. J. O'Connor pleased by his portrayal of Hector Placide," and in his capacity as the true and faithful friend gave fine interpretation of the character. Messrs. J. J. Howard, M. P. Donahue, E. F. Reynolds, James M. Hennessey and J. H. Hayes assumed their respective characters with good effect, and proved themselves possessed of considerable dramatic talent To many the exhibition drill by the Sarsfield Guard was one of the most pleasing features of the entertainment. In full company at the commands of Captain Keefe, and again
 at the tap of the drum. finishing
 their wonderful exhibition by executing the manual without command. Thirty eight men appeared in the drill and their motions were made with unison that was simply
 wonderful and they seemed to be some piece of mechanism guided by single spring.
 They won rounds of enthusiastic applause by their drilling. The entertainment will be repeated this evening for the benefit of the
 New Haven Orphan Asylum, last nights pro-
 ceeds being given to St. Francis Asylum, and
 the entertainment is deserving of large au-
 dience.