The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-02
MEETS OLD FRIENDS.
Pauline Hall Scored Success at
Seattle Theater.
"DORCAS" DRAWS THE PEOPLE.
old-Fashioned Comic Opera Well Rem
dered by the Charming singer
and Able Company.

Pauline Halt made her first appearance
In Seattle last night. though IL must be
said that she scarcely appeared as a
stranger 70 most Of The large and distin-
guished audience that gathered a. the Sc
attic theater For Miss Hall has been so
long before the footlights that few cit-
zens fail 10 recall having seen and heard
her In days past at their Eastern homes.
That these memories were pleasant ones
was readily TO be concluded from the warm
welcome extended to her OF course these
friends of hers drew comparisons of the
Miss Han II those days and the Miss Hall
OF the present and these, too, were not al
together unfayoTabIe. She is a beautiful
woman and a clever burlesque actress.
ana has the gift or trick OF captivating
her audience by audacity rather than re-
nned sRblety, and her voice shows little
of the wear and tear OF the recent years
or hard work, principally spent on tours.
which IS always the most trying work
Tor professional singers. Also. she brought
a good company with her. and the perfor-
nance was thoroughly enjoyed.
The comic opera given last night. and to
be repeated tonight. is called "Dorcls." the
joint work Of Harry and Edward Paulton
who wrote before this tho successful opera
OF "Erminie." "Dorcas' was produced
some years ago in New York and failed
wofuily Of gaining public approval 1t is
much or a farce, with a variety Of musi-
cal numbers thGsn IN. Of varying merit.
none Of which. however, have had any
popularity apart from the footlights.
The story. for il was written at an
epoch when a logical sequence of events
was supposed 10 be the proper thing TO
nave IN comic opera, relates how Lord
Iambourne desires TO have his sister.
Lady Honoria. married to his friend, Lord
beauregard. The Lady Honoria DISCUSSES
herself as peddler TO learn something Of
the character of her prospective husband
Tier brother. Lord Lambourne wishes to
exercise medieval immortal rights over
the bride OF the innlSeeper. and Lady Hon
ora LAYS aside her man dress to person
ate the bride in order 10 shield the latter
from her brothers desires The period is
the latter part of the eighteenth century,
with good many dashes of the coarse
ness of speech OF those days, blended with
the risky innuendo that passes for wit on
the more modern stage The scope for
TINS Kind OF repartee when the sexual
identity OF Lady Honoria is lost in the two
changes. can be imagined. Miss Hall PLAYS
the Lady HonOria, but the star of the
piece in reality is Miss Jeanette St
Henry, good actress with a charming
personality and 4 sweet welI-trained
voice. Her duet over the game of chess
with Edgar Temple SayIor. as Lord Beau
regard, proved one of the most pleasing
numbers Of the evening, and was warmly
encored. Miss Hall. too. was encored in
her song Tn Too Much Like a Man"
for. although her lower notes had i'm them
trim of WEAKNESS. she was still the
dashing hurlesque character that has
charmed so many.
Hugh Ch-lvers was a good enough Lord
Lambourne. Charles r. Bradshaw was a
capital pumpkin innkeeper. and Grlselda's
quaint rompiness and Mrs. Malaprop's
sus stions set the house in a roar more
than once. on the programme this char
acter IS assigned 10 Miss Eva Davenport.
but the audience vowed that lit must be
a man. that Il was too clever and two
broad a car.cature Of the fair sex for any
gentle hands. Dorcas, the title role, was
played by Miss Drew Donaldson, and this
was a small part well and piquantly filled.
During the minuet there was an acct
dent with tho electric lighting. and the
theater was in darkness except for small
candelabra on the stage. The minuet
went on. however. just as if it was "in
the piece until a sh.rt-sleeved scene
pusher rushed along the stage and lit the
gas jets
The audience. as before Observed was
very large. Among those in the boxes
and orchestra chairs were Gov. and Mrs.
McGrsw. Senator and Mrs. Squire Mr..
Harold Preston and a party Of ladies. Mr..
and Mrs. ]. j. Lowman, Mr.. and Mrs.
Jacob Furth. Mr.. and Mrs. {. F. Fish
hack. Mr.. and Mrs. James n. HoEe, ir.,
AR end Mrs. Edward l.. Terry, Mr. Jo-
siah Collins. Lieut.. John l.. Hayden and
Miss Burnett.