Amateur Theatrical Entertainment at Rangiora.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5092, 28 August 1884, Page 2

Amateur Theatrical Entertainment at Rangiora.

LOCALLY WRITTEN PIECES. At the Rangiora Literary Institute Hall last evening, a party of Rangiora ladies and gentlemen gave a dramatic entertainment to a large audience in aid of a fund to add another dressing-room to the Institute Buildings. The entertainment was an amateur one both as regards the actors and the two pieces played, the latter having been, the one entirely written, and the other draui&tised from a short story that 'appeared in ono of the English magazine. , by Mr C. E. Tribe, of Rangiora. The opening piece was a comedy in three acts, entitled, "On his Knees, or Not at All," of which the following is a brief outline. John Roydon Morland, Esq., the owner of Hartley Chase, a fine estate which is heavily mortgaged, to relievo himself from monetary embarrassments attempts to coerce an alliance between his son Roydon and Miss Jessie Craike, an heiress who owns- the neighbouring estate of Harewood. Roydon objects to fall in with his father's wishes for the very good reason that he i_s head-over-ears in love with a fair cousin of his father's choice, named Dorothy Fenton, whoso father being away in India, had placed her under the wing of her {.unt, Miss Dorothy de Lacy, an acoidnlated maid of an uncertain age. In this old lady the Squire possessesan important ally, and for the purpose of furthering his plans for tho prevention of Roydon's attentions to Dolly, writes to appoint a meeting at night in a shrubbery in the grounds. This letter is despatched by his groom Jim, who had also boen entrusted by Roydon with a note for Dolly, asking her to meet liim in the shrubbery before-mentioned, and on the same evening. Jim being of a pryingnature, opened tho lotters, and after mastering their contents, unwittingly places them in the wrong envelopes . The old lady is agreeably surprised at the affectionate tone of her letter and the young lady disappointed at the formal language of hers, but h<jfch keep theiy

tmmjSvaxiiivnmaasmmmma^aianearßWi^ i__mri' ji Appointments with the result that Roydon proposes to the former, and the Squiro agrees to pay the latter JE2OOO to prevent his son's marriage. Complications are, however, prevented from becoming serious by Jim, who had been a hidden third party during each interview. Shortly after this affair, Dolly receives information that a will had been found which placed her in possession of the fortune and property enjoyed by her •cousin. Roydon calls upon her the same morning, proposes, and is accepted, but is not informed of her good fortune. Immediately after Roydon has been shown out _ia father pays Dolly a visit, and implores her not to encourage his son's addresses, as his union with Miss Craike was of the -utmost importance. To his surprise and pleasure, Dolly replies that she will never marry the son until the father goes on his Tmees and implores her to do so. His exultation is, however, of short duration, ! for the old lady almost at once bursts into the room with the news of Dolly's good fortune, which she had only just learned. The Squiro now hy his words shows that he has a better side to his nature than his previous conduct would lead people to j "believe, the mainspring for all his actions having been anxiety for his son's welfare jnore than for his own. He at first refuses j to kneel to Dolly on Roydon's behalf, but j tdtimately yields to the earnest solicits- , tions of the young lady herself, and j -thus makes the way clear for a happy • flnale. The character of the Squire j wa3 taken by Mr G. Buckham, and was j fully realised, his acting in the closing j scene being exceedingly good. Mr Tribe , as Roydon Morland was quite at home, .and Mr G. Mannering assumed the r6le of the prying but witty groom with considerable success. The lady amateurs who played the ladies' parts acquitted them- . selves very creditably, the representation of Dolly being exceptionally pleasing. After a musical interval of fifteen minutes, the second part of the entertainment was entered upon. This consisted of an amusing ♦farce, entitled " Our Long-lost Brother," •dramatised from a story called " Polipodium House," in which two old maids receive a lunatic just escaped from an asylum in mistake for a longJost brother they were • expecting from India, and afterwards assist to capture their brother, whom they suppose to be .the lunatic, and treat in a most -undignified manner. The characters in -this piece were taken by the same ladies .and gentlemen, with the addition of Mrs _TNeil ; Mr Tribe as Samuel Simmons the lunatic provoking much merriment. Both -the plays were very well received by the .audience, and at the conclusion the author was called before the curtain;