The Cecil Whig., 1886-07-10
ENGAGED"
GILsERT'S COMEDY RENDERED BY THE
ELkToN DRAMATIC ASSOCIATION.

After III ucn delay anu several uudEOlu-
able postponements the Elkton Amateur
Dramatic Association on Wednesday even
ing presented to an Elkton audience
for the first time Gilberts celebrated
satirical comedy Engaged" Our people
take great pride i'll the success of this
association which has given them
50 much innocent amusement and en-
tertainnent during the past two
years. Therefore, when they announced
that "Engaged' had been selected for the
next play to be rendered, some few who
We're acquainted with the play and the
great talent which its rendition requires
predicted that the long line of successes
which had 80 pleased the people of Elkton
and vicinity and encouraged the members
of the association to renewed efforts would
at last he broken. The same prediction,
however was made about "HaZel kirke"
as it was about as different from the drama
previously rendered as Engaged" is op-
posed to it i'll character. The gloomy fore
bodingS, however, were dismissed on We'd
nesday evening when the rather small but
appreciative audience that gathered in the
hall showed by liberal applause that they
We're more pleased than ever. The small
ness of the audience was caused by the eX-
treme heat it being the hottest night, SO far
this summer. There are only ten charac-
tiers in this delightful comedy which is di-
vided into three acts. When the curtain
rose on the first Scene, the best scenery
ever exhibited i'll Elkton was presented to
the view of the audience. The scene was
n garden. with small house in the midst
of the foliage The whole was very realistic.
The scenery was painted by Sosman and
Landis, scenic artists Of Chicago, especially
for the presentation of Engaged" The
garden and cottage represented are near
Gretna, on the border between England and
Scotland. The plot, which is the least part
of the play, turns upon the marriage laws
of Scotland. Mrs. MacEarlane living in the
cottage on the border arranges with her
nephew, Angus acAllister, lowland
peasant lad, to wreck railway train that
the passengers may seek shelter in her cot
tage and thus put money into her pocket.
This very mercenary motive is but typical
of the motives of all the characters through.
out the play. The plan succeeds, although
none Of the passengers are seriously in iured
several take shelter at the old widows cot
tage. Belinda and Belvawney first appear.
The former has run away from Major Mac
Glllicuddy whom she was TO have married
that morning, having ascertained that Bel
vawney had a thousand pounds yearly
income. Belvawney, on the other hand,
wishes to marry Belinda in order to secure
her five thousand pounds a year, as his i'll
come is onl;' as long as he keeps Cneviot
Hill from marrying. If he fails, the money
goes to Cheviot Hill's uncle, one Symper-
son, who has a daughter Minnie who is
anxious to marry Cheviot Hills two thous-
and a year. Now Cheviot has weakness,
at fatal least to Balvawney's interests. This
weakness is to fall in love with and propose
marriage to every woman he sees, irrespec
tive of any previous engagement. He en-
cages himself i'll rapid succession to Maggie
MacFarland, daughter of the widow MacFar
land-paying her lover Angus ali amount
of money to get out of the way-to Minnie
and to Belinda. While Belinda and Chev-
lot are il loving EN- brace, Major Mactiilli
cuddy appears on the scene, pistol in hand.
Cheviot i'll order to protect Belinda declares
that she is his wife, and as she corroborates
the statement, there being witnesses present
in the person of onlookers, they are mar
ried according to the Scotch law, though
they are ignorant of the fact at the time.
The curtain drops on the first act at this
point. The second act is laid in the draw
ing-room OF Simperson' house in London.
Cheviot, ignorant of the fact that he is
married man already, is within half an
hour to be married to Minnie. Belinda ap-
pears on the scene and Cheyiot becom es
aware that he is married. The question
is raised whether the cottage was in Eng
land or Scotland and Cheviot knows not
whether he be a bachelor or benedict. AS a
climax to his troubles VI iggie who has
heard that the cottage was in England
brings suit against him for breach of prom
Use. Then the news comes that his pro-
perty has all been lost and all the women
who had been so anxiously claiming him
before, go back on him and he is at the
the point of suicide. The loss of fortune
turns out, however, to be but fabrication
of Belvawney's. Things are in a worse
state than before and the affair is only set
tied by accurate information that while the
cottage was in England the garden where
IL.
land and Cheviot and Belinda are man and
wife. The curtain falls on the last scene
with the characters paired OF and embrac-
ing; Belinda and Cheviot, Belvawney and
Minnie, Angus and Maggie and the widow
and Symperson. The above sketch of the
plot can give no idea of the performance
As the manner in which the whole Is acted
is everything. Although the characters
are very amusing they are all in great
earnest. The honors of the evening must
be given to Mr. Harry c. Hurn who played
"Cheviot HILL" Mr.. Hurn, as all who hav t
ever had the pleasure of witnessing former
plays given by this company know, is pos
sessed of great talent for comedy. His
manner of acting was very well suited
for the part and it is difficult to imagine
how he could be excelled in it. Miss Annie
j. Smith is not quite as much in her ele-
ment in comedy rs in pathetic parts and
while she did not as in "Oliver Twist and
"lIazel Kirke" excel nearly all the others,
yet as Belinda she was pleasing and deserv-
ing of much praise. Rufus ID. Bowland also
was not able to make as great strike out of
Angus cAllister as he did as "Pittacus
Green" but it the fault of the charac-
ter and not of the performer. Mr.. Bow
land managed the Scotch accent well and
was nicely costumed. Miss Lizzie IL utton,
as Minnie Symperson, acted with ner usual
grace and ease. In this part, as in dolly
Dutton,' in the play of "IIazel kirke,"
she was charming. Mr.. f. f. Taggart as
"Symperson," made a fine old fellow. He
is an accomplished performer and showed
to much advantage. His forte, however,
is in the heavy characters of the tragedy
George Il. Ash was as metamphoriZed in
"Belvawney" that his friends hardly knew
him at first. He took the part very well;
any acting of his suffers, however, as COM
pared with his splendid "Dunstan,' in
"Hazel Kirke' Miss Ne;tie Mcfarland
took OFF in good style the supposed simpli-
city and innocence of the Scotch lassie.
She is a fine elocutionist, had thoroughly
mastered the Scotch accent and was par
ticually pleasing in the lovemaking scenes.
William NJ. Terrell always brings down
the house by his amusing appearance on
the stage The audience WAS in such an