The record-union., 1893-06-24
ADJUSTMENTS

Inc Clunle Opera-house was well filled
last evening on the occasion of Miss
Maude Caswell's benefit. The entertain
ment was very long and exceedingly
varied. Clyde Hess was greeted very
warmly on his appearance in the curtain
raiser comedy. He is a favorite here
and deservedly; Mrs. Emily Althea Hess
had a hearty welcome also; she is not less
a tavorite than her husband and is an
accomplished soubrette. These two, the
only professionals, loomed up like lofty
islands in boundless and sluggish sea
of amateurism-so to speak. The pro-
fesslonal never shows SO we'll in his ease,
selt-possessiOn, readiness and stage
knowledge, as when cast with lot of
amateurs. Miss Caswell, in the curtain
raiser, had a mild little part, but one we
have seen Agnes Perry and actresses of
her ability lift up out of the common and
make beautiful picture. Miss Caswell
is TOO young and inexperienced to grasp
the possibilities Of such part as Laura
Trelawney. She did better in the male
part in the burlesque, The Ugliest
Of the Three"-very much better But
Miss Caswen has long road to travel
before she will grace the stage as a sue
cessful actress. She is clever enough.
and has good presence, and is ambi-
tious, but she needs tutoring: to learn
now W SGuuys nOWd 10 TCdu, now 10 6X
press the emotions. She can accomplish
it, and fill a useful place, and do credit to
herself, but we doubt if she will ever
take prominent position, since the ma
tive quality essential is lacking appar-
emily. But not all can be in the lead, and
while we would advise Miss CasweII
against study for the stage, we
do not say that she may not, by
heroic study, agreeably disappoint us.
In her "Frolic of the Buttertiy' dance
she was completely successful. 1t is a
very pretty conception and is we'll exc
cuted. 1t was handsomely costumed and
excellently told the story of the incon-
stsncy of the butterfly among the flowers
and over the meadows. She is worthy of
all praise for the creation of the dance
and of warm approval for its graceful ex-
ecutiOn. In that she proved that in mo-
ton she can express poetic thought and,
too, that she has capacity to originate the
poses that interpret. A number of peo-
pie appeared in specialties.
Mrs. Hess gave a gypsy tambourine
dance excellently and greatly pleased-it
was not known that she was in the dance
as good as she is in comedy. Nat Liebling
gave a minstrel monologue performance,
that was witty and original. But Lieb-
ling, with native ability, an aptitude for
eccentric and burnt cork comedy, spoils
it all by two vexatious defects: he refuses
audience and the two front rows too
much into his number on the pro-
gramme. The successful monologuist
avoids doing what Liebling overdoes.
He is too clever and capable to be al
lowed to pass without censure. If he is
too amateurish to speak up and out and
to play to the whole house, he is too
amateurish to appear at all; but he has
been good deal on the stage and ought
to know by this time what is error.
"Brier and His Banjo" was number on
the programme. But "BrIer and his
BajnO'' were not in harmony, neither
were in tune. Brier was only half
blacked, and looked as if he had come
out of smut machine. He has comedy
capacity, and can play an instrument
fairly, and as he is capable of
doing decently he needs to be rebuked for
doing so indifferently. His was sloppy
work, and blot on the programme; the
more so because Brier might have made
it a good thing among the others. PRO
fessor Joe Adams" and Miss May Huber
gave a very pleasing series of duets on
the banjo and guitar, mandolin and
guitar and on two banjos, one of the lat
ter duets being very novel. Adams in
troduced new instrument also, a cross
between a dwarfed banjo and crushed