OUR AMATEURS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 153, 28 March 1874, Page 2

OUR AMATEURS.

TnE Gisborne Dramatic Corps drew a very fair audience to witness their performance in the Music Hall on Thursday evening last, and taken as a whole they may be congratulated on the result. The front seats were all fullytaken up, while the rest of the hall was comfortably filled. “ Robert Macaire,” the curtain first rose, is, as most play-goers know, a Domestic Drama of the old Schoo), the selection of whieh displayed the good taste and judgment of the management, as the dramatis persons contains no character,- the impersonation of which is difficult even to amateurs of ordinary ability—excepting; of course, the horrid necessity of men having to net in petticoats—and this was apparent on Thursday evening. Of course there Were many little gaps, and hesitations, and more awkwardness, but not sufficient, to mar the general interest, and which will, of course, disappear with practice, and a more intimate familiarity with the situation. With three exceptions we shall avoid on this occasion individual criticism, simply because on the re-organization of the company, they arcr not' prepared for it. Everyone naturally likes to have something recorded in his (or her) favor, but criticism to be of value must be candid. We saw nothing conspicuous to condemn, and where all the minor characters did their best, generalization is the most satisfactory course. The exceptions are Messrs. Piesse, Berry, and Atcherley. We place the former gentleman first, as, although he played secondary parts, he claims our first notice. In Mr. Piesse the Dramatic Club have a very valued member, thoroughly well up in the “ business ” of the stage, and conversant with the details that go so far to make up a good character. Seldom have we seen a Jacques Strop more faithfully delineated than Mr. Piesse’s ; his “byeplay " in endeavouring to conceal himself from the observation of “them horrid Johnny Danns,”

was an artistic performance, while his “getup” was in true keeping with the character he assumed. For broad, low, comedy, Mr. Piesse has few equals as amateurs, while many professionals we have seen are inferior ; and we si) all look forward to his ot her performances with pleasure. As old “Blowhard” in “ Slasher and Crasher,” Mr. Piesse was equally successful, bringing to our recollection tlib palmy Adelphinn days when Munford was the incomparable third to Wright and Paul Bedford. Mr. Piesse, looked like a veteran old trumpeter, and displayed a happy conception of what was required of him. Mr. Berry also has a versatile talent, and supported the characters of “ Robert Macaire" and “Christopher Crasher” very creditably. We fancy, judging only from this first performance, that “ Robert Macaire ” is hardly up to this gentleman’s weight. Mr. Berry’s forte is in low drama—in the heavy, ponderous business where dramatic effect, and sensational denouement crop up pretty plentifully, but we shall have good opportunity of judging, no doubt. We thought we discovered too little attention to emphasis in this gentleman’s utterances,and hardly a sufficient distinct iveness between speaking as ordinarily used, and de/i--vering a passage of rhetoric. “Robert Macaire’s” dying scene was detracted from very much on this account , particularly on his discovering to his wife and son the whereabout of the purse. We noticed also that “ Robert Macaire ” took a look on the boards behind him before he fell mortally wounded, suggestive of a desire to make his “backfall ” as easy as possible, although, with all the anxieties to guard against duilure, mid the frightfully small, inconvenient, stage, it is rather a wonder that the pieces ran so smoothly as they did. Mr. Berry was quite at home as the quasi quarrelsome Crasher, and ably assisted in the success of the farce. In Mr. Atcherley Sampson Slasher has a Very worthy exponent; he ; ,hus a good knowledge of situations, and knows how to dispose of himself when saying nothing, a feat many cannot perform with success. Mr. Atcherley is an “ old stager,” and has a natural, talent for light comedy. As we have said, all the minor characters were very fairly sustained, and we hope that by a careful study the company will soon be able to give another performance with improvement.