ST. PATRICK'S DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10671, 21 January 1911, Page 6

ST. PATRICK'S DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

"CASTE." fit essaying the interpretation of Pobortson's roiuody-diuma "Caste" the members of Si. Patrick's Dramatic Sqcioty invested themselves- with a task calculated to lullj tost the claims of the Society to a place amongst the first-rankers in,the realms of amateur theatricals. That the Society was ablelast evening "to sustain the good reputation earned by previous meritorious performances in a«piooo that- presented greater difficulties, .both as regards in-;teVpretatioii:'-and .setting, bespeaks the care and\ attention paid m practice and rehearsal to * htsti ionie detail. Rut alter alljl is hard to eriiieh-p the amateur theatrical oerformanoe, or men lO find a standard by which it can he eritip^Pff; the "vcr\ fact of a performer being an amateur <lisui :i>.s> criticism. 'l'lieio is bound to be an absence ot I hat •'polish""'which is ilie finish of the professional "play-aeloi, otherwise ilie teini amateur'would he a nu.-iiomu . And in saying tliis,w'e are not forgetful that mans who claim professional ability on "the t.tago lail l.j attain higher "levels than those" attained by last night's performer; in- "Caste." The pieso is one that presents,possibilities, and though there were" apparent' lapses, such for instance as in th" conception of a soldier, there was e\ideilt a deLerniination 1o give to. ilie pla\ a rondeiing ihat was in keeping with Ihe id rt :il ui I lie. author. Tlic./oharaoteis, although not nuiiicioiis, are widely duciiAcnl in t.\pe, ami each has an impoilanu part. 'l'lie story is a simple one. and as the details' are worked out the line helwcen gentility and:vnlgaril.\ (wo "iio th'e term in its Plebeian .sense) becomes clearly marked. Miss N l''aloonor,_as fOsihei Ecclos, had a difficult .part. Novertheless she displayed qualifications that justified her acceptance of the role, especially in the second and third acts. ! in union she appeared with less eonI strainl'than in. the first. .Miss K. Haimon was happy in her part of Polly Rccles, Esther's sister, and to her was due much of the success of the piece. Miss M. O'Grady, as the Marquis do St. Maur, was quoenh and proud, although at times lacking in force—a fault that will. undoubtedly diminish with practice. Of Ihe male characters, Mr W.M'Comhio had the mosl important, and is to be complimented on the manner in which he mad" bis dobut. Mr'H. L. Warsaw, as Caplain Hawtree, sustained the part uilh dignity The comedy was supplied by Mr .F. J. Mulvihill and M~r .J. A. Birss, the -foimer as Eccles (a toper and ne'er-do-well) and the latter as Sam Gerridgc (a painter in love with Polly). Each had his share in maintaining the merriment of'the piece. Mr T. (b< Spoil"; acted us stage manager, and an efficient orchestra under Mr I l '. Graham supplied the music.