Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-18
"DANIEL O'CONNELL "
Successful Performance Before
 Crowded House Last Night.

acters, which presented Justin Adams's latest contribution to the dramatic stage, Daniel O'Connell," :" a pretty Irish drama in four acts, in
 City hall last night, did Merry Widow" waltz back of the. curtain at the conclusion of the final perform ance. Their many weeks of hard and strenuous work had been appre- ciated, not only by crowded house,
 but by a generous and enthusiastic applause throughout the production.
 It was the only reward they sought for all their nights and days of re- hearsal and no one could envy them their unalloyed pleasure at the suc-
 cessful climax to all their weary
 hours of practice. It was happy family that surrounded the manager
 and director and even the stage hands were taken into the rejoicing.
 Tired and weary as they were, and
 anxious to get out of the stage
 clothes, the members of the cast
 submitted gracefully to the photo
 graphers wishes as he posed them for a flash light picture behind the
 curtain. They were happy because
 they had fulfilled the arduous tasks
 imposed upon them by their instruc- tor and had surpassed even their own hopes the audience was happy,
 because they had witnessed finish
 ed production, even though It was handled by amateurs; the stage hands were happy because they had added their mite to the success by dressing the stage in as picturesque
 and tasteful manner as the old City hall has even seen ;the commit tee of arrangements participated ln | the happiness by reason of the fact that the members had perfected the
 plans, which were carried into so | pleasand an ending and lastly the
 manager and the director took a slice out of the happy pie when they | realized they had brought to a 1 most successful ending an Irish drama of much worth and merit. The play itself deals with the
 clean and wholesome side of life in
 Ireland. It drifts away from all the | old stereotyped Irish dramas, where | evictions, red coated soldiers, hang | ings and other kindred issues are portrayed It was written with an | appeal to the better and prettier
 scenes, which dot the little green isle and every true lover of Ireland appreciated the contrast between the | new and the old last evening. There | was no buffooney, no blackguardism | of the Irish people, but a clever con- ception of the purer, brighter side of Ireland and her sons and daughters. Of the cast can be truthfully said,
 what several well known critics inti-
 mated last night, that it was the | most evenly balanced of any amateur production that has been seen on the local stage in many years. Miss
 Anna McAvoy was happily placed in the leading lady character of Nora | Dacre, afterwards known as Mrs Burke. It is difficult at all times to l portray such a character, for the | work calls for much versatility. Yet
 in her tragic scenes where she de-
 nounces her husband, and in her pa- ] thetic ones with her son, where she i yields to his wishes and makes her
 noble self sacrifice, Miss McAvoy
 was at all times equal to the de- mands made upon her. It was a
 clever bit of acting throughout.
 Miss Elizabeth O'Rourke really
 made her first public appearance in the character of Emily D'Alroy, the
 pretty English rose. That she sus-
 tained a trying role successfully all
 present last night admitted. She possesses voice that just fitted in nicely in her love makingb and pa-
 thetic scenes and gracefulness was
 stamped in all her actions.
 1 Miss Katherine Gleeson was mak-
 ing her dramatic debut fin the char
 acter of Ellen O'Donovan, an emer- | aid of the green isle. With just
 enough of the Irish brogue in her
 language to make 1t musical, she sus-
 tained herself with very evident sat isfaction.
 Miss Daisy Lord. in the character
 of Margaret Fogarty, the old apple
 woman, had the audience in roars of laughter. She was only in one
 scene, but she certainly made more
 out of the part than even the author | believed there was in 1t. It was
 one of the comedy bits of the night.
 Miss Jennie Downey also had but
 little to do as Kitty Sullivan. the
 peasant girl. but in her scene with
 her lover Connie Cassidy, she filled
 the role admirably.
 Little Louise McGill played the
 part of Edmund Dacre, eight years of age in the first act. Not many
 present. would have believed he was
 other than he represented. little boy. IL was a clever bit of acting
 by bright little girl.
 Of the men naturally the first
 comment will turn to William J.
 Shannahan, in the character of Sir George Dacre. In stage presence,
 action, gesture and voice. Mir Shan
 nahan added one more laurel to the
 many that has been crowding. upon him, within the past few months in his histrlonic career on the amateur I stage.
 Thomas J. McMahon of wateryille | made his first appearance with the Waterbury amateurs in the charac- ter of Edmund Dacre, known as Leonard Burke. A natural actor
 was the general verdict and there
 is no denying the fact that Mir
 McMahon in the role of the artist
 displayed dramatic powers that
 should be seen more often.
 General Yorke was portrayed by
 Thomas A. Maher. the william of the
 production. was one of the bright
 gems of the night. He seems to be
 the fortunate or unfortunate one to
 always fall into the bad man of