MISS DARGON'S RECITALS AT OAMARU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 6, 30 May 1884, Page 17

MISS DARGON'S RECITALS AT OAMARU.

(By one of her Audience.) This distinguished American actress who, by the force of her geniusi has won for herself a foremost place in the dramatic world, has paid a visit to Oamaru, and by many Oamatuviaus this visit will be chronicled as a red-letter event. One or two others and myself formed a small party for the purpose of attending both her recitals, and our hope was not so much that we might behold her in new scenes and characters in which unquestionably she would charm and delight us, as to renew her acquaintance in the same pieces in which, in other lands, she had drawn us out of ourselves, and moved us alternately t) smiles and tears. With feelings akia to rapture, therefore, we observed that she would appear in her wondrous renderings of " Beautiful Snow," " The Raven," " Fontenoy," and the " Charge of the Light Brigade," selections which, to persons who have once heard her read them, must for ever be associated in their minds and hearts with the name of Augusta Dargon. On Friday night she made her first appearance in Oamaru at the new Public Hall, and commenced the entertainment by giving a couple of scsnea from tbe " School for Scandal." What shall we say of her reading? what of her acting ? Shall we attempt a critique? The fates forbid 1 We are no more fit to criticise Miss Dargon than is a barndoor fowl to mate with an eagle. In our chequered lives we have seen actors and actresses ad libitum. — nay more, we have seen many theatrical stars in the same rSles and assisted by powerful companies, and we have freely given our criticisms, adverse or otherwise. But with Miss Dargon it is different. Before the force and fire oE her genius we stand silent : we have nothing to say. During her recital of "Beautiful Snow" we were conscious of but one idea, one afoHostf -prayer arising from our deeply stirred hearts that some kind soul would whisper in the ear of the despairing, crouching, shamed creature, with that fearful look of hunted misery in her eves, that a full free pardon might still be hers if she would have it. Oh 1 for some one to tell her about the Nuns of the " Good Shepherd," who would shelter her, and pity her, and give her so gladly and lovingly for tbe sake of their Divine Master that pitiful " morsel of bread •' for which she was selling her immortal soul 1 " God help her, and all poor fallen women " went up from our inmost^ hearts, and the big tears of compassion rolled down our blanching cheeks. Who amongst us would dare to deny that by her vivid realisation «f that one piece Miss Dargon preached a powerful and soul-stirring sermon, and held up a red danger-flag before the eyes of any weaker sisters. In Edgar Allan Poe's " Raven " we were the privileged witnesses of a piece of splendid acting ;— gradually, and with consummate skill, this talented lady passed from her impersonation of the melancholic to the frantic state of a diseased mind, sinking back finally into tfce exhausted and despairing mood, with the mad glitter fading Blowly out of her eyes. In a totally different style was " London Assurance," in which piece we were introduced into the home of a fox-hunting squire to be at once fascinated by the joyous and volatile "Lady Gay Spanker." i During her ladyship's excited description, to the languid London swell, of a fox-bunt, we were carried in imagination over hedges and ditches, through bush and brake, now half a length ahead, now neck and neck, rushing on in wild enthusiasm, till we suddenly realised that the hunt scene was over, and an appreciative audieDce rewarding by their hearty plaudits the exertions of the fair artiste. " Fontenoy " was simply inimitable, as was on the following evening " The Charge of the Light Brigade." In these pieces Miss Dargon was absolutely inspired, and with flashing eyes, ringing voice, and figure drawn up to its fullest height, she seemed to lead on the troops to victory or death. ad bo on throughout the programme. Each effort seemed superior to those which had preceded it, and we were astonished at finding the entertainment over long before we were ready to go. Anyone who misses the opportunity of bearing Miss Dargon will be a great loser. As she is proceeding towards Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland, our advice to fathers and mothers is this, " Take your children to see and hear Miss Dargon by way of a lesson and treat to them and you. A lesson they would undoubtedly receive ; and no amount of ordinary school elocution would do half as much for them as one night at Miss Dargon's recitals. They would learn from her to pronounce not only every syllable, but every letter, with clearness, distinctness, and accuracy, and to avoid the common faults of " mouthing," or of muttering their words. They would learn from her also that to do justice to any fine comoosition, no matter whether it be gay or pathetic, they must first 'study it carefully and endeavour to grasp the author's ideal, and then, with patience and perseverance, work their way up to it." To the husbands and wives, young men and maidens, our ad « ice is, " Go and hear Miss Dargon and you will join us in sounding her well-merited

praises, besides securing for yourselves an evening's refined, cultured and intellectual enjoyment." ' *"" lureil > Of Miss Dargon herself what shall we say ?— nay, what need we a*** l 8 n °r . fcer " ameof world-wide celebrity, and have not her amiable qualities, tender sympathies, and womanly virtues endeared her to the hearts of her fellow-colonists, and won for her the ner. sonal friendship and esteem of all those who are capable of recoznis ing a good, true woman ? To narrow-minded, ignorant persons who cast an unfriendly and suspicious eye on those of their more bieblv endowed fellow beings who turn to good account the God-eift of genms, we can only say that they do not. and can not, appreciate Miss Dargon. True, her immense intellect lifts her up o'ufc of the crowd and sets her in a measure apart from other people, but the space is bridged over by her warm and kindly di There is no need to recommend her to the kindness of the inhabitants of the northern towns of New Zealand, for her brilliant talents will make their own way wherever she goes, and she carries with her the wonderful talisman of genius enabling her to move and sway vast crowds of men and women to laughter, to tears, tj pity, or to wrath One word to the ladies. Alias Dargon on the platform is as quietly and unostentatiously at home as any lady in her own draw ing-room. Her manner is calmly confident, and modestly dignified Her dress is extremely rich and handsome, and her whole appearance that of a thorough lady. Fy In fine, Miss Dargon may be regarded not only as a most talented artiste, and highly-cultured lady, bufc as a public benefactress For ra every town wherein she appears she does much to raise the public tastes and educate the masses, and those who appreciate her efforts would be the very last to countenance, patronise; or even tolerate for a moment anything approaching vulgarity.