Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-02-19
ESMERALDA. \ /
A" Excellent Dramat'c Performance
 by Curi.ocnI Amateurs.

in the Madison Square theatre, New York, on October goth 1881, achieving great success. The plot hinges on the efforts made by the wife of an honest old North Carolina farmer, who has suddenly become wealthy, to introduce her daughter, Esmeralda, into high society and marry her, against her wishes, to a titled French adventurer. Esmeralda is in love with worthy young North Carolinian, 10 whom, of course she is united, before the close of the play.
 The following was the cast of the play last evening:
 "Old man Rogers" Ia North Carolina
 farmer )-Webster Street.
 "Liddy Ann Rogers" (his wife)-Miss
 Leach,
 "Esmeralda," (his daugh,er) Miss
 Goodfellow.
 "Dave Handy" Ca young North Caro-
 linan)-Frank Earle.
 "Esterbrook," Ca man of leisure)- )-John
 P. Cum.
 "Jack Desmond" Gan American artist in
 Paris)-N. B. Walker.
 "Norah Desmond, Kate Desmond" (his
 sisters)-Mrs. MacNeil, Mrs. Hart. "Marquis de Montensin," Ia French
 adventurer)-Geo. Parsons.
 George Drew," Gan American specula-
 tor)' Geo. Parsons.
 "Esmer alda," the heroine of the play, is a very difficult part for an amateur, it being full of pathos and. sentiment. Miss Goodfellow gave an excellent impersona- ton of the ingenious country girl, from whose heart the giddy pleasures of a great city could not drive the image of her country lover. "Old man Rogers," the simple hearted North Carolina far mers whose life was made burden to him by the Parisian gaities into which he was forced, found an excellent ex- ponent in Judge Street, whose makeup was exceptionally good. To Miss Leach, who represented "Mrs. Rogers" the ann bilious farmers wife, must be awarded the palm of the evening, if any comparisons are permissible, where all were so good. Her impersonation of this part was really most excellent piece of acting and worthy of pro- fessional. The same may be said of Mrs. MacNeil's "Norah Desmond" whose spirited rendering of the warm hearted artists sister earned her several rounds of applause. In the part of "Esterbrook," the man of leisure, whose innate good heartedness- continually gets the better of his cynicism, J. P. Cum developed many of the qualities of a finished actor. "Dave Handy the honest, straightforward young farmer, found an able representative in Mir. Earle. N. B. Walker was natural and unaffected as the artist "Jack Desmond" Mrs. Hart was charming "Kate Desmond" and Geo. Parsons made the most of his double role as the American speculator and afterwards as the French adventurer, exhibiting the spirit of a true artist in sacrificing his whiskers to the exigencies of the latter part.
 Altogether the acting was very much above the average. There was no hitch at all in the performance, all knowing their parts thoroughly. It must be re- membered that an amateur performance really is but a dress rehearsal-profes- sionals frequently play the same piece for months or even years. It is very doubtful whether better amateur per formance has ever been seen on the Pacific coast and it IS equally certain that many far worse professional per fornances have been witnessed.
 The stage setting was admirable-the studio scene being especially good, when the limited materials at command are considered. Much of this excellent re- suit is due to the untiring efforts of Mesdames Earle, Goodfellow and Street.
 The music, which was kindly furnished by the Tombstone band, was quite a feature of the evening and was much enjoyed by the audience, especially wh en the big drum was kept under control.
 The admission fee had wisely been fixed at a very moderate rate, notwith- standing which, the receipts amounted to the considerable sum of $I7I.
 It is to be hoped that these ladies and gentlemen will soon favor our citizens with another entertainment. They will find no difficulty in securing an audience.
 The ladies having management of the entertainment given last night gre de. serving of great praise. Its success is