GISBORNE LIBRARY DRAMATIC SOCIETY'S ENTERTAINMENT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1155, 23 September 1882, Page 2

GISBORNE LIBRARY DRAMATIC SOCIETY'S ENTERTAINMENT.

The members of the Gisborne Amateur Dramatic Society gave a most amusing little entertainment in Messrs. Parnell and Boylan’s Masonic Hall last night. The Hall was well lighted, and the new and handsome drop scene made its debut before the public amid signs of great approbation. A sylvan scene also elicited much applause and high encomiums upon the taste and skill of the scenic artist, Mr Neville Thornton. The Hall was well filled, there being nearly 300 persons present; the takings amounted to £25 2s 6d, which will leave a handsome margin (£l4), after paying all expenses, for the object of the performance, viz., the aid of the funds of the Gisborne Library. So laudable a project as this is always sure to meet with encouragement at the hands of a Poverty Bay audience, nor was this an exceptional instance ; always a good-natured audience, the Gisborneites entered fully into the spirit of the thing, and leut all their efforts to reward the performers by their manifest approbation of the proceedings. One thing we would call attention to in all amateur theatricals, and that is the impossibility of attempting to reserve any seats ! Difficult always, except in well-ordered theatres, reserving of seats is productive of evil among amateur performances ; but even should it be attempted, the seats should be most carefully ana unmistakeably placarded. As it happened there was but little inconvenience created on this occasion, but we have seen serious annoyance arising from careless reservation of seats. The performance commenced by an overture (on the pianofoi'te), rendered by Mr Towsey, who presided at that instrument. Cant. Chrisp then followed with a song, “The Anchor’s weighed,” which deservedly met with high approbation. Madame Stewart then followed with “The Flag rides halfmast high,” rendered most completely, with artistic taste and pathos; this elicited a hearty encore, and Madame Stewart, on reappearing, repeated the last verse. Mr J. Hall then executed a clarionet solo, and was followed by Master Donald Ross with a comic song, entitled “The Electric Light,” which brought down the house. Mrs 6. D. Berry then relieved Mr Towsey at the piano, and MrC. D. Berry sang “ Darling Flo’,” and received a hearty encore, to which he responded with “Friends of my youth.” Mr Towsey sang with great effect “There is a flower that bloometh," and on being loudly encored, repeated the last verses. Mr Cecil Ward then played a clarionet solo, “Happy be thy dreams,” eliciting great applause, and was followed by Mr Goldsmith who sung “The British Lion” or “Beware how you tread on his tail,” and in response to the loud encore with which that song was received, gave “Why do summer roses fade?” and was loudly applauded. Madame Stewart brought the concert to a close by singing “ Maudolinata, ” which was rendered as only Madame Stewart is capable of rendering it amongst us, and which fairly brought down the house. After an interval of ten minutes following the conclusion of the concert, the curtain rang up to the well-known farce of “Bombastes Furioso,” in which the part of King Artaxominous was taken by Mr E. H. Pavitt, Fusbos by Mr J. Bourke, Bombaiites Furioso by Mr G. McElwaine. and last though not least Distafflna, by Mr M. H. Smith. The general get up was good, and the funniosities of the farce were well carried out, During the course of the performance several lo- al hits were made both in prose and song; the Standard, the “Herald,” Captain Tucker, Mr E. P. Joyce, and Mr Allan McDonald, M.H.R., all coming in for a fair share of good-natured chaffl Distaffina found great favor in the eyes of the audience while the solemnity of Fusbos, the pompous grandiloquence of the General, and the maudlin lamentations of tha lovesick and beery King, afforded any quantity of merriment to the audience, among whom there were no cavilling or ill-natured criticism; and if the performance doos not rank high as an artistic one, it certainly had the merit of being a laughter producing one ; which we imagine was the required desideratum. If the Gisborne Amateur Dramatic Club only rehearse together, and continue to use efforts to so laudable ends we feel sure they will meet with that success which t they are most entitled to, and which, if our wishes could be of any avail, would increase and multiply in just proportion to such deserts. After an | enjoyable evening the curtain fell at about 10 p.m., and the audience separated.