The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-10-10
A SPLENDID TRIUMPH.

"A 81 LEN DID IRIU MpH,
The Elkton Amateur Dramatic Association
Presents Oliver Twist to a Large
and Delighted Audience.
Fine Scenic Effects and Mastery Acting
Every Part Ably Sustained by the NJ en-
bers of the Competent and Able Com
pany.
Not only large but remarkably in
telleetual and scholarly looking audience
greeted the performance of "Olivcr
Twist at Odd Fellows Hall on Wed
nesday evening last. Everybody, from
the oldest resident of the town to the
latest visitor from portions of the sur
rounding country, had come to the hail
with an evident intention to be highly
pleased and entertained. That they
were not disappointed was evidenced by
their contented counances and the gem
erous share of applause and compliment
they extended to Elkton's young perfor
mers. Nor had they any reason to be
disappointed for the production was
clearly and distinctly of as fine a char
acter as could be possible. Each mem
Der of the company, forgetting his or
her individual existence, living for the
time being in the words of their author
and amid the scenes where the Master
Artist of human nature-Charles Dickens
had placed the issues of the fates of
Oliver Twist and the contemporaneous
characters of the beautiful story. After
close critical observation of the entire
evenings performance but one noticeable
fault can be remarked. The company
was unfortunate in the selection of its
version of the story. The dramatiZation
IN many points where it should have
been strongest was weakest and the
scenic cimaxes lacked that thrilling
fire and excitement that lend to a per-
Torrance of the kind the name of-the-
atrical. Especially was this feature
| lacking in several of the first and latter
scenes. The last words that fall from
the lips of whatever character NAV be
upon the stage when the curtain is fall
ing should be either provokingly mlrth-
full, co!dly brutal and terrific or touch
ingly pathetic else certain valuable
charm is lost that if present would hold
the attention of the audience wrapt and
earnest until the curtain rose again on
other scenes and other faces In the
version of Oliver Twist used by the ~
ID. A, on last Wednesday evening the
brilliant epigramatic figures of Dickens
language were substituted by fireless
and proSy sentences from the drama
Tiers own brain and lacked that vehe-
ment charm of power and magnetism
that marks the diction of the speeches in
the version used by Fannie Davenport.
Aside from this one detrimeAt to the
literary perfection of the performance
its artistic element could not have been
better sustained nor the hstornoic efforts
OF every member Of the company from
Miss Smith to Mr.. Strickland more
worthy the highest commentator and
praise. The scenes prepared by Mr.. II.
Z. Hurn for this occasion added a ten
fold attraction to the DEVELOPMENTS of
the play, for surrounded by such per-
feet representations of the places in
which their lives where for a time being
passed the performers could assume
that one essential element to unalloyed
success in their Observation-Disclosures
In some cases this one valued attribute
was noticeably lacking, the actor failing
to forget himself and lose all memory of
his former existence or circumstances
and not allowing himself to be fully
enough absorbed with the heart and
soul of Mr.. Bundle, Noah Claypole,
Mrs. Corney, the Artful Dodger, or
whatever character of the play given him
or her for enactment. 1t would be
hardly inst to render here a critical es-
innate of each individual performers
merits or dement's. 1t was expected
that some would not do quite so well as
others, that some had not the natural
ability and had not acquired the artistic
richness of others, but after all, with
few exceptions the parts were sustained
with their necessary elements of feeling.
power, impressiveness. We shall first
consider Miss Anna J. Smith as Nancy
Skies. From the moment of her en-
trance upon the stage as the humbled
accomplice of the villianeous Fagin and
Bill Skies, Miss Smith won the attention
and admiration of her audience. The
scene in the streets of Clerkenwell, where
developed the plot for the capture of
Oliver Twist for the uses Of the thieves,
required jaunty grace and fearless eff
frontry behind which CLOVIS faint
sparkle of tenderness and womanly purity
all these traits were played by Miss
Smith to perfection. She seemed as art
full as the Dodger himself and in the
presence of such men as Skies and Fagin
seemed to know and feel the amount of
duplicity and stratagem required to per
serve her from a too close clutch of the
thieves. Again in the den scene, when
the beauty and innocence of the boy
brought before her memory, killing
memory, of an own dear brother whoslept
forever away from the cold, hard, treat
ment of the world, all her womanly pride
and honor and knowledge of earthly and
heavenly justice rose within her and
strengthened with the strength of iron
her heart in its resolution to save the
child if possible from the fate pending
above him. She felt and knew the craft
and cunning and villiany of Fagin, the
subtle crminalty of her brothers heart
and must have sought divine help to face
them with her appalling circumstances,
her touching, tender appeals for the life
and honor of the beautiful, innocent boy.
Again in the meeting between Nancy and
Mr. Brownlow and Rose Maybe on the
secluded portion of London bridge and in
the last fatal act where her noble
woman's life is beaten cut and humbled
down to the grave by her Unsuitable