Sydney Theatrical Intelligence

SYDNEY THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE

[FROM A CORRESPONDENT]

On Saturday evening last, Capt. Piper and many of his friends visited the Theatre. The "haut ton" mustered pretty strong in the Dress Circle. The performance commenced with the "Lear of Private Life." Mr. Simmons's personification of the fond, doting and ultimately maniac Father, was excellent, as well as Mrs. Taylor's exquisite performance of the tender dutiful confiding artless daughter, who relying on the promises of " Alvanley" consequently brings herself to ruin and goads her parent on to madness. in her departure from " Alvanley" and the scene which arises in the forest where she recognizes her father, her acting was truly effective; as was that of Mr. S. - Ample applause was the reward of their exertions. From the intense feeling she exhibits in this line of the drama, which may be termed the Tragedy of Domestic life, we should recommend to the manager's notice, Annetta, Victorine, The Sergeant's wife. Mrs. Jones was the Merriel and was a poor substitute for Miss Winstanley who originally played it here. It is a matter of regret to find that young lady absent from the establishment; for with all its dramatic strength, it requires more females- from the improvement she had lately shown and from her capital performance of Mrs. Tucker, Norna, and some other little characters she was rising in public favour. Grove's "Alvanley" may be rated as his best character, the other characters are all so trifling that the actors could not well acquit themselves better or worse than they did. A" Day after Wedding" closed the performance. There arose many ludicrous points about this little piece, that it cannot but excite laughter, and it did so abundantly, but did it give general satisfaction? We will pass over it in silence - it was wrong cast. Mrs Chester introduced three songs and was very happy in "Should he upbraid." It is impossible to observe the spirit which prevails on the Sydney Stage to produce horrible and terrific melo-dramas, instead of those fine, true, mirth inspiring and moral pictures which Mr. Centlives, Faraquhar, Morton, Reynolds, Colman, Sheridan have spread before us to make us ashamed of our follies but not of our species, We are now almost continually presented with odious and appalling dramas, which tho' calculated powerfully to disturb the wellspring of our emotions, have any thing but a pleasing or beneficial effect on the heart. Being profoundly impressed with a veneration for the drama and still more so for the moral lesson it ought to convey, we cannot behold with indifference our stage transformed into an exhibition of crimes which are beyond human imagination. The production of "Father and Son" last night causes these remarks, it being a tissue of improbabilities at the same time the heart shudders to behold a parent committing crimes, with the knowledge of his children, merely to cover his former sins and aggrandize his face. Instead of time being spent in such productions, something better might be substituted, which would tend to cultivate a correct and judicious taste for the drama. We do not advise the old plays indiscriminatingly, but a careful observer could select such as would suit the present stage. We understand Miss Winstanley's absence is caused by some disarrangement with the manager respecting her salary. This of course the public have nothing to do with. It is to be hoped however that her absence will not be long.