"THE OCTOROON."

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 37

"THE OCTOROON."

If the attendance at the City Hail on Saturday night he any criterion the KennedyDeering Company have "caught on" in Dunedm. Long before 8 o'clock the people began to stream in, and by the time the performance was about to commence the building was literally packed. As the manager mentioned during the course of some remarks at a later period of the evening, tha attendance was the largest the company has yet had since the adoption by them of popular prices. Nor can anyone wonder at these large "houses" for the performances that have taken place so far are such as would do credit to much more pretentious combinations. The plays are all staged with completeness, the appointments and costumes are admirable, while the acting is uniformly good. On Saturday night that capital drama "The Octoroon" was paced on the boards, and the manner in which it was produced deserves every praise. The audience was an appreciative one, and the applause bestowed on the different performers during the evening was frequent and emphatic. Mr Kennedy gave an able representation of the part of Salem Scudder. His acting right through was easy and natural, his points were all quietly though effectively made. Mr Frank Norton, who appeared as Jacob M'Clobkey, made a firstclass villain. That bis efforts were successful was amply testified by the vigorous hooting with which he was greeted when he made his appearance before the cmtain at the termination of the acts. The acting of Miss Lnura Raymond as Zae was marked by a grace and spontaneity which won for her cordial and appreciative applause during the evening. Miss Hettie Howard, as Mrs Peyton, and Miss Lily Hill, as Dora Sunnyside, were equally successful. Mr lane, whose name did not appear on the programme, was cast as George Peyton, which he represented with a fair amount of success, while another amateur, Mr J. S. Montgomery, deserves credit for his impersonation of the Indian Wah-no-tee. The part of the old negro Pete was filled by Mr Oily Deering, who fully grasped the opportunities ho had of displaying his undoubted histrionic abilities. The reßt of the more important parts were taken by Messrs W. J. Coulter, Harry Saville, J. Martin, and W. Sedger, and a number of others, all of whom cirried out their duties satisfactorily. «• The Octoroon " was repeated on Tuesday night, and "Current Cash" is announced for this (Thursday) evening.