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Show DRAMATIC CRITICISM Editor Journal - "Will and the Way" was produced here on Saturday evening last by the Logan Dramatic Club, to a small but very attentive audience. The performers were greeted quite frequently with applause, which would seem to indicate that the play gave tolerable satisfaction. We are free to confess, however, that this drama is not to our taste; it smacks too much of the purely sensational, and in more than one instance violates the proprieties of dramatic literature. What, for instance, can be more horrible and distressing than to witness the execution of a deliberately planned and cold-blooded murder? Yet here we have the exhibition of one in all its sickening details. Such things are dreadful enough off the stage, when the audience is informed by dialogue, of what has occurred, but being committed openly, in the eyes of the spectators, they become not only painful but exceedingly improper. Scenes of this nature were never presented to the Greeks, even when the drama was at its lowest among that people. An Athenian audience would have risen from their benches as one man, and demanded the punishment of both actors and author. It is safe to assume, as a rule, that representations of murder, planned and executed upon the stage, should never be permitted, nor, on the other hand, should an author descend to such means to render his plays attractive. The instances where really great dramatists have violated this principle are few indeed, and may generally be referred to youth or inexperience; at all events they form not the rule but the exception. The drama under consideration is certainly interesting, especially when the parts are well rendered, and there is no hitch in the stage machinery. The scenes on Saturday evening appeared to need lubricating, for they were manipulated with anything but ease, occasionally a retiring actor would "lend a hand" to the scene shifters, and then backgrounds and side-wings would be brought together with a jerk and a rattle that shook the whole proscenium. Of the acting we shall say but little. The character of the faithful and self-reliant "Martin," servant to "Sir William Mowbray," was very well represented by Mr. O. J. Bywater; dress, action and speech betokened care and attention. Of "McCran Hafey" [?] so much cannot be said. He certainly looked the passionate, relentless lover to perfection, but a habit he has acquired of drawling his speech, very much weakens his power upon the stage. Never having heard the gentleman until Saturday we were very well pleased with his first appearance and the sounds of his voice, but in a few minutes we were so much annoyed by his modus loquendi as to be scarcely able to keep our seat. In addition to his drawl the actor has found it convenient to annex an extra syllable to certain of his words with what effect is more easily imagined than described. The words, if printed as pronounced, would stand somewhat thus: slave-ah, path-ah, heart-ah, hand-ah, man-ah, etc. It is to be regretted that the gentleman has fallen into this mannerism since he does not want ability [?] otherwise to make a very pleasing actor. The character of young Mr. Ashton was well enough spoken, but it lacked spirit, a failing observed in most of the minor characters. Mr. Olsen, in this part, would have appeared better had he been dressed better. His trowsers [trousers] had a painful bag at the knee - suggestive of much sedentary labor. The red face of "Sir William Mowbray" was in pleasing contrast with his white wig. Together they presented a comfortable, [unreadable] appearance that proved very delightfully the remembrance of "Dick Swiveller's [unreadable]." On the whole we were sufficiently paid for our three hours sitting on a hard bench. There were, of course, some failing defects [unreadable] on a few suggestions from the [unreadable] corner, and a most stifling smoke after the vision scene, etc., but "Things like that you know, must be/At every famous victory." We shall be glad to see the company in Providence again, whenever they can make it convenient to visit us. Providence, Oct. 2, 1882. sep. 15 [unreadable] |