SALON'S NEW THEATRE.

Southland Times, Issue 3361, 29 March 1879, Page 2

SALON'S NEW THEATRE.

-. The Uncle Tom Cabin Company, who have recently been performing in the principal towns of the colony, made their first appearance in Inveicatgill last evening in the New Theatre to a well-filled house, ancT shewed by: their acting that- the high? enconiums awarded, them in other quarters were -fully meif fed. Those who have read/the thriiling; tale by Mrs ,Slowe are thoroughly'" --cßivyersaht '''•with*', the features of the;dramatic__yersion presented, and those who had not read that charming work/ ;-_£uld :nOt;fail to - appreciate: .the genius of the authoress;: in the harrowing scenes that were too often enacted in the dark days (now happily gone for ever) of slavery. /Tbe drama, as presented- * last- ; 'h'igrrfp'-embrabed - the ! most striking incidents of the well-known work. "Uncle Tom's- Cabin," and the various characters therein Were, ably, rendered by the different 'artiste's to'; whom they were entrusted. Thefirst scene opened with a slave plantation, and in a very short time the inimitable -quartetc established /"themselves as prime fayontes, /and by their negro songs and dances greatly contributed to the success of the. piece. The great feature throughout the whole entertainment 1 was Clthe^ excellent . • part 7 sing-.; iog ; of the Georgia : Minstrels, >■ as they call themselves, in their respective parts of the plantation si aves;V -Whilst giving the highest praise to Mr Lewis, the perspnator of Uncle Tomj /both; for; his'; acting/ and sihgihgyyetit'hasn'e^ lot we may venture to say of our townsfolk to hear such an excellent contralto voice,; as that of Mr Turner, whose rendering of the " Sweet by and by,",the .finale to the death., scene of Eva, and the sacred hymn of " Nearer my God,"..ih the, death . scene of Uncle Tom,' were / heard : to the greatest! advantage. , Another gentleman who ;\ve; ; believe to be l unknown /to" our town (Mr / Musgrave) soon es-tabiisbed himself in good favor by his huihdroiis representation; of ; the-' Quaker "farmer; ' Another ' well-known actor (Mr G-. M. Collier) though the character he had : to undertake was anything but a pleasant one, faithfully: reprerj sented the brutal character? of Legree, the slave dealer.; / The remaining male charac cers did justice to the 'respective parts allotted to them,, and the yarioos plantation songs and dancescwere perfect ppuitrayals of negro life./ The various parts taken by the ladies of the troupe deserve high praise, especially the paris of Little Eva : (Miss Lizzie -Holmes), and (Miss. Fanny Wiseman), whilst the duplicate parts of Eliza, and Miss Ophelia ' w ere entrusted'.o' "a lady in whom we recogms'ed. one not unknown to Invercargill. When' we consider that the troupe travelled over : : .land yesterday from Dunedin,^ the manner in which they acquitted' thehiselves was in the high est degree creditable. We are re'quested to state there will.be an afternoon peif ormance itoAday, ;;-and : .that pn/Tpesday -evening next Mr /Lewis, in conjunction 'with Little Eva, will take a benefit.