The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-13
sitVsisss
y
J '.He gkeatrey.'. :
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

Squire Hurley ...,.. Joserw Whiting
sarah Newkirk ,.Jean cara Walters
Nathan Ncwkirk ......Gh8rles HallOck
Lucy ....s...t.......,.....Gr Grace Hopkins
Eunice Jane perkins ........
.................. Katharine Carlisle
simon Krum Arthur G. Saunders
Elias Plough ......J. h. Holingshead
beacon Shears .,....Seymour Stratton
MIS-. ShtafS ........,..... MClcma Bardi
hanna lt2e ....,..4...... Nelly Russell
va fete .'.........,....., Harry Adams
mary .........-...........ll .llllda Vernon
bop .:,s;r;,.....;., :, ,...,...,.M. NJ. Murray
Dominic Cruikshank .....,......
........,...-....... Frank Thompson
Hiram Cole ..-.......... Frank Richter
AMOS Nanbeck ,,........ ii. VI. Wheeler
nehemiah NeWbegn .....,. Oscar Beal
Ine Churn Dog ......., Daniel Webster
John. Sparmley ...........Paul TAYLOR
Joel Whitbcck Alfred Johnson
Araminta Whitbeck. "Minty" .....
''.''''.........,,,.. Eleanor Merron
Eleanor Merron's rural drama THE
Dairy Farm" which met with so much
success in New York, received it's nrst
performance in this city, az the Provi-
dence Opera House last evening. and IL
certainly merits all that has been said
in praise OF IL by the metropolitan
critics. not so much, perhaps. because
of its literary merit. but because IL
tells a story OF American country life
In a plain manner. bringing out very
vividly many of the quaint Gus. oms
which were in vogue i'm the SOS. While
the piece is presented under the name
of drama, il borders very closely up-
on the melodramaIc. albeit II is large
y nF' 4 bo
for which the average melodrama is
distinguished.
The production is replete with pas
toral scenes. the scene OF the story be-
ing in the village OF Hurley, Ulster
county. ~, Y, and one of the charming
features is that the several characters
are appareled in the costumes i'm vogue
prior to 1860. and in the female gar
ments there was a quaintness which is
truly des-shtfu While there is some
pathoS in the divulg1ng OF the really
interesting story, there Is also much OF
the clean comedy element to relieve
These passages.
The piece also touches upon the abo-
Huon question, although only i'm an in
direct manner. but IL serves to show
that in those days even in the rural |
those VINO trafhcked upon the negro un- |
der the guise Of friendship The mors |
serious portions OF the play are weil
accentuated and yet never become |
tiresome, the murder by the slave and /
n dramatic confession Of his crime /
DelnE, perhaps the nearest approach to |
melodrama of the advanced type.
The delineation of country life is very /
pleasing. particularly as shown i'm the I
nerrymakng in the farm kitchen. \
when 'snsists of games, songs and |
dancing. slavery and anti-slavery ar
guments are brought out with much
humor, and these serve TO introduce
the homely country folk and their
wives. and much merrment is caused
by queer sayings and peculiar views OF
what is going on I'm the outside world.
The company Is a very pleasing onp.
and while there is no star. this is de-
clded advantage in a play Of this kind.
Tor II serves to more evenly balance |
the several parts. Miss Eleanor Mer-
ron the author OF the drama. as
"Minty' became a fayorlte at once.
and her clever creation Of a somewhat
difficult role is really an able piece OF