The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-03-02
ADJUSTMENTS

Z 4@-NAg ehb llO pIelIOIOIlldH 1neaLer
last night when Mr.. Halley's play. mick
Floyd" was produced by company OF
/ amateurs, the cast having appeared in
/ ti4ese columns yesterday. The ladies in
| the company were uniformly good for an
| amateur performance; indeed. they were
more self-poSsessed and natural than was
anticipated, and they read their lines
saving the anticipated formality of the
amateur-well. Indeed, had the text been
broader and stronger for them, they
would have done even better. but ii at
forded them very little room to rise above
the commonplace, the heroine only
having any emotional passages of
/ marked character. The men. with
Two exceptions, Mr.. Taylor and Mr..
| V each, were embarrassed, awkward.
hesltating, and except Mr.. Button and
MI. Taylor, painfully low-voiced. 1t is
fair to say, however that Bing Brier
was most at ease, and read with some
Vlgor and strength Of tone. Mr.. Button,
as the villain, was angular, ierky, and
played the part like snarling boy. Mr..
HALEY assumed too much of nonchalance
and struck about all the spirit and snap
out OF his part that was written into it.
In his endeavor, which was an earnest
one, to personate the bashful backswoods
man, he leaned over too far. There was
also painful hesitation about cues among
the men. 1t was left to TAYLOR to give his
minor part good deal OF the character a
professional would throw into it, while
each, who IS familiar with the stage.
was more than clever. His rum bios
somed old Justice of the Peace was a
good bit OF low comedy work. In a
warmer atmosphere he would have made
1t glow with dry humor. Miss Hattie
noteworthy had a boys part, and it Is
simple Justice to say that she was surpris-
lngly good in it for an amateur. She
doubled in female part, but was less
successful in the latter. In fact,
Misses Baggerly, kearney, Norsworthy
and Mrs. Acock, deserve good measure
praise, Tor they played their parts in a most
dIstresslngly, chilly stage atmosphere.
The lack OF warmth and ease among the
men players was enough to have frozen
or embarrassed any woman standing
by. Then, too, some of the stu
atoms We're made most ridiculously
funny. The merry time the audience
had III watching the hero throw the
VILLAINS here and there, and the stolid
readiness with which they INTERESTINGLY
waited for him to take them in regular
order and chastise them is not to be
measured. The recurrence of rescues
and assaults, and assaults and rescues of
remarkable similarity, tickled the audi-
tors immensely, and their applause lite
rally came from the bottom of their
hearts. Whether the players appreciated
it or not the auditors had a most iolly
time on the hither side of the footlights.
For, while the shadow of the all amateur
hung over the whole performance, the
people were there to have a good time, and
they did, in decorous and entirely re-
spectful manner, however. The play is
much like most border dramas,
where rascal has young woman
who rejects him kidnapped, and her lover
comes to the rescue in time to
be charged with the crime. Then the
villain carries off the girl for keeps,
and locks her in deserted forest
hidden house, where it turns out that he
has fair start for a harem, as the new
victim finds in the retreat an occupant, of
her own sex, whom the rascal has pre-
viously made prisoner. OF course in due
time the true lover appears and the vii
lain gets his due and virtue is rescued
There is a scene in a magistrates court
that is new and creditable tor originality
and probability. We have been witness
to some such, not so tragic, but quite as
strange and grotesque Jas that of last
night. The play is all in all creditable to
the author, but it needs pruning and its
dialogue relieved of abruptness, and then
it calls in the playing for action, yigor,
freedom and the energy and dash of the
wild West" 1t is as good in scheme
as most of the border melodramatic plots
and in the hands of professionals, after a
bit of smoothing and readjusting, would
take just aSlwell as anysof the border plays
do. EXtravagant as its scenes often are,
it is a fact that they do not exceed the
truth of considerable history in the early
days of the border West.
"Lights.o' London" in its new dress.
handsome scenery and excellent hand
ling by the New York Stock Company,
of a C1nr,ia A.
commendation Of the public and is night
ly received with warm and sincere
applause. A new face appears in the
troupe in this piece, Miss Powers, a
young lady whose ability as reader
this journal had some time ago occasion
to comment upon approvingly. She has
youth, grace and good stage pres
ence on her side. She has
not half dozen words in the play-the
young lady is wisely beginning her
dramatic study with the primer of the
art. Lights o. London" will be re-
peated tonight.
A year and half ago the Lilliputians
German played here three nights with
great success. 1t made no difference that
they did not speak English-their action
was enough. n cleverer lot of people is
seldom seen upon the stage, and such a
large group OF dWarfS never before were
assembled in dramatic performances.
The troupe enlarged and with some new
faces in place of some old ones has re-
turned, and has been playing in San Fran
cisco three weeks with great success in
the spectacular and in comic opera. There
is still with the company of little people
Franz Ebert, prince of low comedy;
Adolph link, a burlesque actor of rare
capacity; Ida Mahr. the charming SOU
bret. Ajinchen Repl Grand Rartha y oiuar
Miss Tony Meister, Max Wolter and Her.
mann Ring are the other leaders. The
company, with a corps de ballet OF grown
people, will appear at the Metropolitan
Theater Friday, March 10Th, in the spec
tacular and musical play Candy" and
on Saturday afternoon and evening,
March 1lth, in the comic opera, "The
Dwarf's Wedding"
At the old Pavilion this evening the
masquerade ball and entertainment so
long promised by the Sacramento Ath-
letic Club will take place. In the athletic
exhibition thirty-one member will par
ticlpate in exercises of varied character
Prizes are to be distributed among the
maskers to the amount of $50 as follows:
Handsonest costume.Sl5; second, original
character, $40; third, best sustained char
acter, SIS; fourth, best local character,
$40; hfth, best group, five or more SIS;
sixth, second best group, $40. Same for