The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-01-28
MEREDITH'S OLD COAT"
Honolulu Amateurs Score a Big
Success.
Large Audience and 800 for HAWAII
ahao-Strong Company Through
QUITO Be Repeated.

A large and fashionable audience
filled the Independence Park pa
vilion almost to overlooking Satur-
day evening to witness the long
looked for and much deferred
+" Meredith's Old Coat" Although
in the hands of amateurs, the play
was carried throughout in a man
ner that would do credit to many
professionals. There were weak
points, as might be expected, but
the audience was kept in good
humor from start to finish, and
that is all that was necessary.
In the play itself Mr.. Alderdice
has not hit upon anything par
ticularly new or striking in the
general plot. There is the con-
vivial father, the light tempered
mother, gay daughters and their
fond lovers, and the usual servants
and accomplices to complete the
little picture of every day life.
The strength of the play is in the
peculiar and distressing situation
into which the playwright forces
his characters with a good bit of
humor.
The play is easily staged and
well adapted to amateurs with the
exception of the occasional pass
ages where one character is placed
before the audience alone, which
calls for clever action as we'll as a
careful handling of the monologue.
1t was in this point that the mem
bers Of the company showed par
ticular ability. Only in the first
act OF the play was there shown
that embarrassment which usually
accompanies this situation with
amateur performers.
1t would be difficult to select the
star OF the company, as all of the
leading parts were carried with an
ease that indicated hard study and
good selection in assigning the
parts. OF the character work Miss
McGrew was by all odds the peer
of the company. The part of
Bridget Mulligan is one in which
there is natural tendency to over
do the thing. Miss McGrew's
brogue was excellent, and the
action of typical Bridget was
portrayed with equal success. AS
a high-handed, hot-tempered, dig
ni6ed matron Mrs. Graham was
equally fortunate in gaining the
favor of the critical. Miss Mollie
Atkinson was the bright, flirta-
tious sprig of Miss for which her
part calls. Miss May Atkinson
has less vivacious part to fulfill.
She is particularly fortunate when
she rises to the dignity of sup
posedly wronged fiancee.
w. HI. Allderdice as the young
lieutent made a decided hit. One
is inclined to believe he had an eye
to the part he was to perform when
he mapped out the scheme of this
play. Next to him Mr.. Speyers as
the frivolous, hen-pecked man of
the world meets with favor. The
legal fraternity was well represent
ed by Messrs. Potter and Mayo,
and DIR. Nichols does justice to the
members of the force" Mr..
Macintosh has evidently paid too
much attention to the dialect, but
otherwise makes good footman.
Mr.. Addison will probably be more
at ease on the second night of the
play. Mrs. Gum realizes that she
has modest part and governs
herself accordingly.
Taken as a whole the play is one
of the best that has been brought |
out by Honolulu amateurs, and
there are many of Saturday nights
audience who will undoubtedly be
present to witness the second APP
pearance on Tuesday night.
The stage settings were remarka-
bly, good, when the obstacles with
those having charge of this work
are taken into consideration. The
tasteful arrangement of flags and
bunting relieved the crude appear
ance which necessarily accompa-
MES the usual manufactured stage.
The acoustics of the pavilion are
remarkably good. If it were FEAST
BILE to arrange for raised seats in
the rear of the hall the Indepen-
dence Park opera house would fill
the bill very we'll.