Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-07
"DARKEsT RUSSIA.
Clever and Artistic Performance Given at Polls Last Night.

II
 lOnce again it is necessary to chron- |el another dramatic success for the pAteurs of this city and after the my clever and entertaining perform zyce of last evening, it was the general Smment that no city in the state of sonnecticut contains so many anna Surs who are blessed with more than lee usual amount of dramatic ability. lost assuredly thr members of Com lock lodge, Knights of Pythias, who Eve been working so diligently and zithfully for all those long, weary and zdlous weeks to perfect themselves in 3eir various parts, can to-day feel lat their work was not ill vain and lat the lavish praise and applause lowered upon them last night was in me measure a reward for all their ef-, 8rts. 1t is really the only reward that mes to them and it. is all they expect. I've a body of amateurs, who have Den struggling for many weeks among amatic pastures, good house and a arm one, and every one of those nateurs will appreciate it and realize at his or her work has not been lost. 8 Above all must 1t have been Bore than satisfactory, that en- Ausiastic gathering last evening,
 the director of the play. here ts no person, unless he ks been there himself, knows the re- b0nsibility that rests upon the should s of the director of an amateur per rmance. He has not one idle moment om the time the rehearsals begin, F when he Is not busy with the cast characters he is planning or think g up some scheme whereby to make e production more attractive and in- restirg. It is n strenuous experi- Ice for a manager of amateur the Eicals, and until the curtain falls on e last act he is on edge and only eathes a sigh of relief as he hears ze last note of applause die away hich tells him he has been success a director. Jean Ingraham can feel lat satisfaction to-day for the endorse ent the production of Darkest Rus received last night was generous Id deserved vote of thanks and of cognition of his ability as an in uctor of amateur theatricals.
 Darkest Russia" is an unusually rong drama and there were many 1o feared that amateurs could not ccessfully master the various situa- ms, but they were agreeably disap- tinted for each and every part was led understandingly and with ex- llent conception. 1t was produced tn all the necessary appurtenances, ch as stage settings, costumes md erything required even to the horse 1ich dashed across the stage drawing sleigh in which sat Count Nazi- pn as we'll enacted character as has len seen in any amateur performance this city. Tn fact there was nothing fkfng nor nothing missing to make chain of success complete.
 set us first talk of the ladies who sisted in the performance for they ta1nly added not little to the ex- lent entertainment. Josephine pore (NIrs Jean Ingraham) had the " difficult part of I1da Barosky, slaughter of the people. She is gift with much versatility and whether the pathetic or the tragic passages inced equal ability. Dressed to the Tt, her conception carried with it an qualihed success which earned for more than the usual share of plaud-
 bestowed by an audience.
 Miss Mary Hurley as Countess Kar- hen, wife of the minister of police, rprised even her most sanguine ends. Her work was more than sat factory. A ditncult character to play, 3 never missed an opportunity to pre.
 One of the bright bits of comedy prk was in the capable hands of Miss innifred Ward. who essayed the aracter of Baroness Won Rhineberg, rich young widow in love with the Pntucky colonel. Miss Ward is DOS. ssed of ability that rises above tile mmon amateur and her characteriza. m Of the baroness last evening was e of the gems of the evening.
 Miss Mamie Wans in the charac+o,
 Olga Karsiclleff. daughter of the mister, filled that part to the satfs cflon of her friends. and the young iy certainly was deserving Of aII the nd things said about the work.
 Among the gentlemen, there were st my of them that 1t Is difficult to se t q favorite. each doing so well. Ot lrse the work of the director, Jear graham, as Colonel Septimus Cobb
 s} clear cut and artistic. If was , pedy character which admitted O yer chances and the young actor wa, ual to every emergency.
 M. H. Benham was cast in the yer, ficult role of Alexis Nazimoff. anC hile he has been seen in many anna 1r performances, he never excelIet character he presented last night
 called for unusual ability. but evel
 the most difficult portions he wa md capable and more than success 9ne of the biggest surprises of th ening was the work of F. s. PheIp
 Count Nazimoff Tn looks, actions stures and everything that goes t aFe np the character assigned him h rrfed off honor after honor It wa very clever. piece of acting and an her of the real gems of merit.
 R. " Mackie as Loris the nihi1is1 as another one of the successes of tn ening. and he certainly did astonis 4se who had seen him on the loca
 ge.
 All the other characters were in ca bIe hands and shared with the lea6
 the flonors of one of the most sut ssfuI productions staged by anna a aaHf .Hz -.4l |