TEMUKA AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1937, 31 August 1889, Page 3

TEMUKA AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

There was a fair attendance at the entertainment given by the above society last Thursday evening in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka. The performance consisted of a two act comedy, entitled “Trust Money, or Solomon’s Wisdom,” and a highly laughable farce, entitled “ Caught by the Cuff.” Both plays were well mounted, and the stage was got up in a really capital manner. The plot of “ Trust Money ” hinges on one Peter Probity, who keeps a chandler’s shop, and is sole executor and trustee to an heiress, to whom is left a fortune of £1632 some odd shillings and pence. Mr Probity’s son, who is clerk in a lawyer’s office, loves the heiress. The lawyer trumps up a charge of forgery against the son, with the result that the dying father of the heiress adds a codicil to his will to the effect that

unless his daughter within one month of his death signs a declaration that < she will not marry Probity, junior, and marry the son of the lawyer she shall forfeit the money. All the play is acted in a little sitting room off the chandler’s shop, where, after some preliminaries, Peter Probity arrives with the money, the possession of which has excited him considerably. Precautions are taken to prevent the money being stolen, but in the absence of Probity from the room his father—who is 91 years of age. childish and deaf—thinks it necessary to hide it in the chimney corner. The son, who is in love with the heiress, decides that “ in the fight with love alone the glory is in flying,” and runs away, and at once suspicion rests on him that he stole the money. The commotion grows fast and furious, but the poor old father forgets all about having hidden the money, and young Probity is arrested. It all ends well when the money is discovered* and young Probity marries the heiress. The cast of characters was as follows: —Solomon Probity (aged 91), Mr G. H. Mogridge; Peter Probity (aged 60), Mr J. Sim; John Probity (aged 21), Mr F. Denby ; Charles Chetty, Mr E. Chapman ; Sifter (a detective), Mr G. Levens; Patty Probity, Miss May Goodey; Grace Emery, Miss Goodey. It is always an intidious thing to write about amateur performers. Some of them are always better than others, but it is not always safe to say so too loudly. We may, however, say in this case that the great burden of the piece fell on the shoulders of Mr Sim, and that he acquitted himself cleverly, The two Misses Goodey also may be congratulated on their acting, and Mr Chapman acted the supercilious young lawyer to the life. Mr Mogridge had very little to do—only to appear very old and feeble and cry out now and then for his gruel, and this he did to perfection The afterpiece, “Caught by the Cuff,” was very funny. It is all played in a boardinghouse, the lady of which has a sneaking regard for Policeman XlOl (Mr G. Levens), who m turn has a strong liking for the suppers she provides for him. The plot hangs on Policeman XIOI telling the lady of the boardinghouse (Miss Ada Erwood) that a desperate character, wearing a policeman’s uniform with one cuff torn off, is about. The lady is frightened, and talks about murder, etc,, to an extent that frightens one of her lodgers. This gentleman has bought a policeman’s coat and hat, which be puts on for protection, but takes them off again, and leaves them on a chair, while he retires into the coal-cellar for safety. Another lodger comes in, puts on the coat, and is arrested as the burglar. It is, of course, cleared up in K the end. The characters were taken as follows: Hector Shakerly Funk, Mr W. Storey; Benjamin Butt (a commercial traveller), Mr Bryan; Job Beat (a policeman), Mr G. Levens; Harry Cuff (a policeman), Mr F. Storey; Mrs Pryor (a boardinghouse keeper), Miss Ada Erwood. Mr Levens, as usual, was extremely good in this, though the part is not exactly suitable to him, and Miss Ada Erwood, for a first appearance, may be congratulated on the way she acted. All the other parts were done exceedingly well, and, on the whole, the entertainment passed off satisfactorily. Not the least enjoyable part of it, however, was the splendid music of the orchestra, consisting of Mrs Foster (piano) and Mrs J. Andrews (clarionet), who played some lively and popular airs in a very pleasing maimer. We understand that a Christy Minstrel entertainment is to be given shortly.