The Portland daily press., 1894-06-12
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Charley's Aunt.

Portland Theatre was filed by a very
large and brilliant audience last eve
ming, gathered to witness the farce
that has for SO many months drawn the
most critical people of London, New
York and Boston. The story IN brief
is as follows:
Two young Oxford undergraduates are
to serve tea in their rooms in honor
of two pretty syoung girls. Charley is
the name of one of them, and his aunt
from Brazil, where the nuts come
form, is expected to be present and act
as chaperone At the last moment tel
egram arrives from her stating that she
will not arrive in time. The bows are in
deuce of fix, for they are bent on
having their tea, and know that the
girls will not stay unless properly chap
eroned. In this dilemma, chum of
theirs, who is preparing for private thea
tricals comes into the room in his cos
tune as an old lady-a stiff, old-fash-
Toned silk dress which he has donned
right over his trousers, and quaint
wig. He is Immediately pressd into SER
vice, but not without many objections
and misgivings on his part. Once in
the character of Auntie" he is involved
in world Of trou BILE, and instead of es-
Gaping at the end Of fifteen minutes as
was expected, he is expected, he is
obliged to maintain the part for several
hours, Notwithstanding the fact that the
real aunt arrives on the scene.
There is no question that "Charlie's
Aunt" is a farce and roaring one at
that. 1t is in its situations that the
piece evidently has made it's success, for
the dialogue is not bright as a rule.
and at times it is dull. Mr.. Arthur Lar
kin, who assumes the role of Lord Bah
berry, -" Charities Aunt,"-is very fun
ny. His face is extremely expressive, he
is small, and therefore well adapted to
taking female part. and it is upon him
the weight of the play rests. The house
was il gale of laughter most of the
time. The other characters were of very
little Importance, although what they
had to do was very we'll done by Messrs.
Robert Cotton as Spettigne the Solicitor,
Bryan Darby as Sir Francis Chesney.
Raymond Capp and George Trader as
Jack Chenery and Charlie Wykeham,
the two student friends of Lord Bah
berly d.. Sher wood as the Footman,
Grace Coulteras Donna Lucia, Elaine
Ellison as Kitty, Marie Greenwood as
Amy. and Louise Galloway as Ella
Delehay. Shouts of laughter CREATED
Mr.. Larkin's method of pouring the tea
at the o'clock tea in the second act.
where Spettgne's hat received more
than its share, and her friend collapses
when confronted with the real Donna
Lucia. The scenery, brought from the
Columbian Theatre, was very pretty,
and the stage setting, especially of the
students quarters in the first act, was
especially commendable.s The curtain
was called at the end of the first act, and
twice at the end of the second. "Char-
lies Aunt. will be repeated tonight.
The Haydn Concert.
There was a large audience assembled
at Kotzschmar Hall last evening to list
en- to concert rendered the su bscribers.
The nun bers were all we'll given, and
the concert was worthy of the society
and the performers.
This was the programme:
Chorus" Credo," (Messe Solennelle),
Gounod
Violin ( Legende, Bohme
{ b, Mazurka, Wieniawski
Mr.. Given.
Song" La Cieca," (La Gioconda),
Ponchinelli
Miss Halves.
Chorus-Night, Lassen
oong-Jerusalem. Pakrer
Mr.. WEIGH.
Recitation and Air-"On Mighty
Pens" (Creation) HAYDN
Miss I'arbox.
Violin-Qst Coneerto,) DeBeriot
Mr.. Given.
Chorus-Psalm xiii, Schubert
Duett-Calm as the Night, Goethe
Mr.. Barnard and Mr.. Pierce.
Chorus-Say, Waterman, what of the
Night" Sullivan