THE THEATRF.

Otago Witness, Issue 851, 21 March 1868, Page 14

THE THEATRF.

(From the JXult Tacss, March 13. ) ~

The attendsnce- at ihe r Prince3S Theatre last evening was proof of the'propHety and the generosity of the offer made by the mem- " bers of the, company, when . they tendered their services for a complm«ntary benefit to Mrs Robert Heir. The spirit which prompted that offer, and the offer by the proprietor of the use of the 'house' on the occasion, emM scarcely fail to excite among th^ people of Dunedin an apprec ; ative sympathy, r.U'l of this sympathy tke-e was lnst e^enine. abundant indication in thn crowded state of- the house, and in the demeanour of all present. Had the capacity of the Princess Theatre be : nsr double what it is. the space would, no doubt, have ben fully occupied. As it' was. the l-.ousji has not for a length of time presented such an anpearance as it did last night, and it was not alone in that circumstance that proof was given of the public sympathy with Mrs Heir in her domestic bereavement, and of admiration of those, abilities which sh« has for a number of years exhibited as a leading actress on the Colonial stage. In the respectful and tender reception given to Mr<> Heir" in the profusion o£ bouquets with whi<-h she wa3 present=d, and in the warm applause of her acting, there were additional pxpressions of the feelings which prompted the afreruiance. and of the feelings which were inevrably induced, before the conclusion of the perform ance, among thpse to whom except by reputation, her powers as an actress were unknown. With a somewhat surges tive appropriateness, th 3 play selected for the occasion was that of " Leah, the Forsaken." The play i 3 one in which the best actresses who have visited Dmedin have appeared, and have intensely impressed their audiences; bnt th->re are characteristics about the acting of Mrs Heir, in the pnrt of Leah, which justify the assertion that by none of her predecessors has she been ex celled. Her performance of that chftracfrr last evening was unquestionably, of its'lf. the best dramatic representat on witnessed in Dunedin for many days, and it could- not but excite the hope that circumstances may arise to induce the return of Mrs Hen* to this ' colony at another and a more auspicious time. The success of the play as a whole, was promotedby the presence of Mr and Mrs Hall among the company, and by the fact of all the members of the company not merely tendering their services, but rendering these services most effectively. Mr Roberts played the part of Rudolph carefully, and with t %ste, and Mrs J. L. Hall, as Anna, sustained her part pleasingly. Mr Seffcon was Nathan, and he certainly did not convey other than the common impression that N'athtn is an illfavored character. In frho representation of the play there were evidences of due attention having been given to rehearsal by all, perhaps, but the practitioner with the lime light at the wings. If such an accessory to the effectiveness of the scenes is to be employed, steadiness of hand on the part of the operator is at least worthy of cultivation. After the conclusion of the play, Miss Harriett Gordon contributed her share of the, enterta ; - ment, by singing very exquisitely, the sone;3 " To. hear the Gen+le Lark," and "Auld TJnhin Gray." The performances were concluded, it *> r.-.fher advanced hour, with the f;>.rce "H. M.S Spitfire." In the interval. aiW Mis* Oordon had suntr, Mrs H<nr enmo upon th^ stage, and spoke the following address, which had been written for the occasion by Mr B. L. Farjeon :—: — When first T saw Duneflin's loreiv bay, The clouds for me were dark. Though bright

the day, Scarce could I look upon the. venlaii* isles. Whose moss crowned top 3 received fair Nature's smiles. And there imprisoned them. My heart was

filled With grief — with grief by that High Power willed,

Who wills our fate 3, and in whose Irmds we

are Less than the glimmer of a lonely star ' But when Isefc my foot upon t^e la^r), And felt the pressure of en.eh frion.dly hand Held out to me in sympathy, 1 V.:\e\v That friends surrounded me — a»d th^n tb/re

grew A wish to see and thank thf ti for the lore Which brought indeed — as the Heaven-sent

dove Brought peace and gladness to the stormtossed ark — Some gleams of sunshine to my troubled

bark. Dear friends, I thank you — thank y">u from

my heart. And those kind comrades who have taken

part Tn this night's task. Tinsel fi»hly thny came, Showing good-will in something more than

name. To-night contains for me remembrance

sweet — May time fly swiftly till asj-un -we meet t

The Austrian bMt> Novara has reached Cadiz with the body of the Emperor Maximilian.

The other day a carrier had Wo barrels to deliver — one containing gu»n<\ and the other Roman cemmt. He delivered them crosswise ; nnd the - fanner's man was astonished to find the " 'oreipn muck," when watered, turn to stone ; while the mason could not go on with bia joY», the cement wa^ ao remarkably f rr\graut 1 Tho blunder waa at last discovered.