The Astor Hall was unquestionably hot on Monday night (31st ult.), but notwithstanding the counter attraction of the open-air concert in the Public Garden, the hall was Well filled, a sufficient proof if it were needed of the very favourable impression Miss Janet Waldorf and her company produced in As You Like It at the Country Club. It was gratifying to find that there are still so many votaries in Shanghai of the legitimate poetic drama, and what we suppose we must call the old-fashioned, dignified, school of acting. So much has the taste of the town changed since the days of the patent theatres, when five-act dramas in blank verse crowded the pits of Drury Lane and Covent Garden, and no dramatic criticism appeared without a reference to the sock and buskin, that if Ingomar, the Barbarian were announced at a London theatre now, there would only be a sparse audience of "octogeraniums," as Dean Hole's gardener called them, who still remember the "palmy days of the drama." No actor at leading theatre nowadays ''struts and frets" his hour on the stage, though happily the grand old traditions still survive in stock companies in the provinces, and, as we see, in the United States, where many good old customs remain. that are becoming or have become obsolete in the mother country.
Tngomar, the Barbarian was adapted from: the German original by Maria Anne Lovell, an actress born in 1803 who, after 'a very successful career in London, married an actor in 1830, retired from the stage, and became a dramatist. Ingomar was produced in 1851 at Drury Lane, Miss Vandenhof creating the part of Parthenia, and by the -beauty of her acting making the play a triumphant success, and Mr. Anderson, the most popular jeune premier of his day, that of Ingomar. It was revived in London by Mary Anderson in 1883. Mr. Henry Neville who is still a star was the original Timarch of Massilia. Mrs. Lovell died in 1877. The performance at the Astor Hall on Monday began with the greater part of the first throw acts of In-omar; Miss Janet Waldorf was Parthenia, Mrs. Currier Actea, Parthenia's mother, Miss Cranna Lykon, fisherman, while Mr. Norval McGregor took the two parts of Polydor, a merchant of Massilia, in the first act, and Ingomar, the Chief of the Alemanni, in the second and third. Poly-dor is a rich old miser whom Actea wants hor daughter to marry. She refuses, till Lykon brings the news that her father has been captured by Ingomar, and is held to ransom. She is willing to sacrifice herself to Polydor, if the latter will pay the ransom and liberate her father and on his refusal, she determines to go alone to Ingomar's camp and rescue her father. In the second act Parthenia is in the camp of the Barbarians, a hostage for her father who has been released, and Jove comes gradually to her and Ingomar, the selection closing with the departure of Tngomar and Parthenin for Massilis, the Barbarian overcome by the charms of the git] having consented to restore her to her father. The opportunity for good acting here is obvious. The high spirit of the Greek irl gradually taming the savagery of the oth, while herself yielding to the attraction of the true manliness which her words evoke, was splendidly portrayed by Miss Waldorf, and most ably seconded by Mr. McGregor, and the fire and energy, the truthfulness and charm, of their representation brought down the house. Mr. Mc-Gregor's versatility, too, was excellently. shown by the ability with which he represented in the first act the selfish old miser Polydor.
Of the long list of dramas, sixteen in all, written by the actor James Sheridan Knowles, The Hunchbacl: is almost the only one that has kept the stage, its long life being due to the excellence of the two female parts, Julia, the serious girl, and Helen, the sprightly. Miss Fanny Kemble was the original Julia when the play was first produced at Covent Garden in 1832, the author faking the part.of Master Walter, the hunchback. There are two scenes in the fourth act that specially commend themselves to young actresses, that between Helen and Modus, in which the former teaches the latter how to make love without the assistance of Ovid; and that between Julia and Clifford, which was the one chosen by Miss Waldorf for Monday last. Julia has been engaged to Clifford when he was Sir Thomas Clifford, rich and prosperous. He is now poor and only "*Master Clifford," and has engaged himself as secretary to the supposed Earl of Rochdale, whom Julia has promised to marry out of spite, for she is still really deeply attached to Clifford. In the scene given on Monday Clifford brings a letter from the Earl to his fiancee, asking her-to fix the wedding for the following night,-and the struggle between love and duty which follows, and which ends with Julia throwing herself into the arms of Clifford, as soon as she is assured that she may do it honourably, and for this she takes Clifford's word, result for which Julia's father, the hunch: back, has been plotting throughout, is certainly the finest piece of work ever done by that somewhat second-rate dramatist, Mr. Knowles. In the part of Julia Miss Waldorf surpassed herself, and as an example of true pathos it would be difficult to find anything much finer than her lifterd, why don't you speak to me?" The sustained power with which Miss Waldorf carried through this very difticult scene, a scene compact of emotion, was admirable and she fully deserved the
did all that was possible with Clifford who applause which it evoked. Mr, MeGrogor is, it must be allowed, a good bit of a prig, and who never understands the character of Julia enough to'really deserve her.
The performance closed with the balcony scene, the scene between the Friar and Juliet in the cell of the former, and the potion scene, from Romeo and Juliet. Of all Shakespeare's creations there are none more difficult than Romeo and his love for no actor or actress ever yet lived who could combine the youth which'the parts demand with the experience required to present them properly. It is no exaggeration to say that we have seldom seen these difficulties better conquered than by Miss Waldorf and Mr. McGregor. The former was a charming Juliet, young and loving at one moment. serious and determined at another. Her voice is a treasure in itself, musical, soft, caressing, and full of power when power is wanted. Her great love, tinged with the playfulness of sweet sixteen, dominated her in the balcony scene, and she was fully equal to the demands made upon her tragic vein in the other scenes, her final soliloquy before the drinks the potion, ending up with her fall as the drug begins to work, was a veritable triumph. Mr. McGregor is fortunate enough to have still youth enough to play Romeo, and a very graceful and impassioned lover he was. He added to his Iabours by taking the part of Friar Laurence in the second scene, playing it with all the impressiveness it demands. Mrs. Currier and Biss Cranna had little to do as the Nurse and Lady Capulet.
It is very unfortunate that the Lyceum is not available at the moment. for the Astor Hall is not only very hot and somewhat noisy, but it is a very difficult room to bearm. The inevitable intervals between the six acts which made up the performance dragged it out to an uncomfortable length, relieved a little though they were by Mr. Koska's playing on the piano. Altogether Miss Waldorf and Mr. McGregor fully confirmed on Monday the high opinion we formed of them from their appearance in As You Like It. The Aresses were good and appropriate, and the scenery, it was understood, was all that could be done with the resources at the command of the management.
"The company on Thursday morning for Hongkong and Manila in the City of Rio de Janeiro.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.