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389.
graceful action.

Mr. John Drew as Farmer Ashfield was full of
simple Nature's attributes.

Mrs. John Drew but seldom appeared in the early
part of this season--a thing that was regretted.

August 26th "The Heir at Law"--Dick Dowlas
Mr. Wheatley; Dr. Pangloss Mr. John Drew;
Cecily Homespun Mrs. D. P. Bowers. And for the
first time at this theatre a new farce "Taking by
Storm"--Backkeysen Buff Mr. John Drew; Tom
Piper Mr. F. D. Nelson; Betsy Mizen Mrs. F. D.
Nelson.

August 27th "Romeo and Juliet"--Romeo Mr.
Wheatley; Juliet Mrs. Bowers.

August 29th "The School for Scandal"--Sir
Peter Teazle Mr. Thayer; Joseph Mr. Fredericks;
Charles Mr. Wheatley; Lady Teazle Mrs. D. P.
Bowers.

Mr. Zavistowski and Miss Ludlam danced nightly.
Mr. John Drew often played O'Brian in "The
Irish Emigrant."

August 31st "John Bull" was acted with a very
fair cast. In Dennis Bulgruddery Mr. Drew dis-
played all that prodigality of humor and rich cha-
racteristic expression for which his rare Irish de-
lineations were so remarkable and in which we may
never find his equal. Indeed in a long series of
these old English comedies this young management
rendered excellent rational entertainment to the
public nearly the entire season. "The Poor Gen-
tleman" "The Rivals" &c. were well cast and
performed.

September 3d "The Lady of Lyons" was pro-
duced with much success. Claude Melnotte was
spiritedly and well played by Mr. Wheatly; while
the inflexible military etiquette of General Damas
found a most excellent representative in Thayor;
and Mrs. D. P. Bowers as Pauline seemed to capti-
vate the hearts of all. She was now beginning to
soar on eagle wings to Fame's most lofty flights.

John Drew in Paddy Murphy O'Brallaghan in
"The Irish Dragoon" gave great satisfaction.

Monday September 5th the management pro-
duced with great attention to costumes appoint-
ments scenery &c. Shakspere's "Comedy of
Errors." This play is one of the great bard's
poetical gems not only in the beauties of language
but in racy quiant characters and a plot of much
curious and strange contrivance. The explanatory
speech delivered by the father of the two Antipho-
luses we take leave here to quote for our readers:
"-----------------------In Syracusa was I born and wed
Unto a woman happy but for me!
With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased
By prosp'rous traffic till my factor's death
Drew me unwillingly to
epidamnum.
There we had not been long but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly sons
And strange to hear the one so like the other
They hardly by ourselves could be distinguish'd.
That very hour and in the self-same house
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of such a burden male twins both alike.
These (for their parents were exceeding poor)
I bought and brought up to attend my sons" &c.

Antipholus of Ephesus Mr. Wheatley ; Dromio of
Ephesus Mr. John Drew; antipholus of Syracuse
Mr. Shewell; Dromio of Syracuse Mr. F. D. Nel-
son; Adriance Mrs. D. P. Bowers. These twin
likenesses were inimitable. The Drews of course
were capital indeed only Frank is shorter than
John. Mr. Francis D. Nelson (Frank Drew) on
joining his brother at the Arch Street Theatre this
season with his wife assumed his middle name
only placing the name of Drew for professional
reasons in abeyance and retaining only his true
Christian name changing Nelson into Drew. His
wife did the same.

This popular comedian who now follows so closely
in his late brother's path of fame was born in Dub-
lin October 29th, 1831 and made his first appear-
ance on any stage at the Olympic Theatre in New
York as a boy of precocious talent under the man-
agement of Mr. Mitchell as Tommy in the burlesque
of "Mrs. Normer" a hit at "Norma." He now
is the leading low comedian of the Arch Street Thea-
tre with a great and increasing popularity and per-
sonally growing like his brother in face and figure.
He may truly be called a twin brother for one is
truly "genius to the other."

The late inimitable John Drew was born in Ire-
land on September 3d, 1825. His father being more
or less connected with theatres in the business trans-
actions of the profession led his sons at an early age
into its magic circles. John made his first appear-
ance on any stage at the Bowery Theatre New York
as Doctor O'Toole in "The Irish Tutor" in 1845
under the management of A. W. Jackson Esq.
now lessee of the Winter Garden at New York. Mr.
Drew was eminently talented as a histrion and for the
brief period he had graced the profession had pro-
bably passed through more varied scenes of lights
and shadows traveled further and acted in more
theatres in both hemispheres than any actor of any age
or country. He traversed California the whole of
the Pacific isles Australia and India returning
home by theway of England where he performed
in London and in every provincial theatre of the
three kingdoms with immense applause. Returning
to the United States the free soil of his adop-
tion and the original mother of his fame he was re-
ceived in Philadelphia at the Arch Street Theatre
under the managerial auspices of his wife Mrs. John
Drew where he acted upwards of one hundred and
twenty nights with the most unbounded applause
to full houses. Arriving at the goal of his profes-
sional triumphs at the early age of thirty-seven
years he suddenly departed this life in May
1862 lamented universally while he was an irrepa-
rable loss to the profession. He was interred in the
lot of the Actors' Order of Friendship followed to
the grave by an immense cortege of the profession
and respectable citizens of Philadelphia.

"Paul Pry" "Speed the Plough" "Old Heads
and Young Hearts" &c. were often played to full
audiences. All Power's pieces played by John
Drew seemed to increase in attraction by repeated
representations.

In accordance with the Shakspereian plan "Ham-
let" was produced with the same new effects as the
others on October 3d--Hamlet (first time) Mr.
Wheatley; Ophelia Mrs. D. P. Bowers; First Grave-
digger Mr. John Drew.

It was thought by judges and the public generally
that Mr. Wheatley performed the part of Hamlet
very judieiously. The filial piety so strongly marked
throughout this character--ever manifested in his
great grief for the loss of his father--Wheatley never
lost sight of. The soliloquies of Shakspere are truly
remarkable: their discrimination elucidates the
plot and serves to inform the reader or spectator of
the springs of action inherent in all the persons of
his dramas. He so graphically draws his character
in the thoughts thus expressed in language that it
teaches the actors how to act. But when shall we
see a perfect representation of Ophelia? We seldom
behold in this stage impersonation the combination
of powes vocal and speaking that should deline-
ate it truthfully.

September 23d. "The Comedy of Errors" had
the unprecedented run of seventeen consecutive
nights to fine houses during which time Mr. John
Drew played with it Gerald Pepper in "The White
Horse of the Peppers" Sir Patrick O' Plenipo in
O' Toole Diogenes Hunter in the new farce of "A.
S. S." and Caleb Pipkin in the drama of "The
May Queen" in which was introduced for the first
time in America the old English country dance of
"Pop Goes the Weasel" by the characters and the
corps de ballet.

The management now resolved to produce a series
of Shakspereian plays with stock corps alone aided
by new scenic and costume accessories appropriate
to the age the customs the architecture and per-
sons. This had been Macready's aim by which he
lost money in London but which Charles Kean more
successfully carried out at the Princess' Theatre
during his reign there some few years since. To
Macready belongs the honor of this first attempt at

stage reformation. Messrs. Wheatley & Drew de-
serve commendation for this effort to reform the in-
accuracies od scenic exhibition.

October 5th the new and very successful romantic
drama in four acts and five tableaux called "Pau-
line" (which had made quite a sensation at Lon-

don and Wallack's Lyceum New York) was pro-
duced with new scenery and appropriate appoint-
ments--Count Horace de Bauzeval Mr. William
Wheatley; Lucien de Nerval Mr. D. P. Bowers
Pauline Mrs. D. P. Bowers. This drama had a
successive run of eight nights; with "The Bashful
Irishman" by Mr. J. Drew and other new farces.

October 17th the successful and over popular
comedy of "The Serious Family" was produced
with the original "Serious Family Polka" a lively
quarille--Charles Torrens (first time) Mr. Wheat-
ley; Captain Murphy Maguire (first time) Mr. John
Drew; Aminidab Sleek Mr. E. N. Thayer; Mrs.
Ormsby Delmaine Mrs. D. P. Bowers; Mrs. Charles
Torrens Miss G. Kinlock; Lady Sowerby Creamly
Mrs. Kinlock. "The Serious Family" caused
smiling faces for some evenings at this now ne plus
ultra dramatic temple where Thalia and her train
held comedy rout to crowded houses.

October 18th an entire new farce was produced
for the first time here called "The First Night"--
Mons. Achille Dufard Mr. F. D. Nelson ; Miss Ara-
bella Fitzjames (an actress) Miss Bernard.

From October 17th to November the 6th the come-
dies of "The Serious Family" "The Comedy of
Errors" with "Giraldi" &c. were nightly re-
presented.

November 7th the first night of the drama of
"Bleak House" dramatized from Charles Dickens'
novel of that name which was extremely well
placed upon the stage--Richard Carstone Mr. W.
Wheatley; Inspector Bucket Mr. John Drew; Lady
Dedlock Mrs. D. P. Bowers. This piece was per-
formed some eight or ten times with the other
popular comedies when they returned to the old
comedies of the "Cure for the Heartache" "Wild
Oats" "Laugh when you Can" &c. in conjunc-
tion with "Bleak House."

November 19th "Paul Pry" and "Madelaine."

November 20th "Speed the Plough."

A theatrical incident took place at this time at the
Memphia Theatre that liked to have proved of a
grave character. Mr. Charles in playing Mercutio
in "Romeo and Juliet" was seriously stabbed by
a sword in the hands of Mr. Wilkins who was per-
forming the part of the fiery Tybalt who is slain by
Romeo in the third act. But he has first a combat
with Mercutio whom he fatally wounds. In this
encounter he thrust his weapon by pure accident
into Mr. Charles' side who immediately after says:
"I am hurt.*** A plague o' both your houses;
I'm sped.*** I am peppered I warrant for
this world. To-morrow you shall find me a grave
man."****

He is then borne off as a dying man. However
he did not die of this wound although it was thought
it would have proved fatal. After he received the
hurt and felt it he finished his several little speeches
without omitting a single word or the audience
knowing anything about it till the play was over.
Nor did the players on the stage at the time know
of the real wound he had received till they bore him
off. We once saw a man shot mortally on the stage.
He walked off at the side wing and then fell dead.

November 24th Thanksgiving day two perform-
ances were given "The Comedy of Errors" and a
new comic sketch called "Out on Thanksgiving; or
A Day Well Spent." In the evening the comedy of
"The Serious Family" was given with the drama
of "Madelaine."

November 28th a new American comedy was pre-
sented called "Nationalities; or John Jean and
Jonathan."

December 1st "Nationalities" and an interest-
ing Irish drama called "Aline or the Rose of Kil-
larney" was produced with J. Drew as the hero.

December 8th John Drew's benefit when the co-
medy of "The Road to Ruin" was produced--Young
Dornton Wm. Wheatley; Goldfinch Mr. J. Drew;
Sophia Mrs. D. P. Bowers. And "Born to Good
Luck"--Paddy O'Rafferty J. Drew.

December 9th "Money" and "The Serious Fa-
mily."

December 13th "Cure for the Heartache" and
"The Serious Family."

December 13th. "Cure for the Heartache" and
"The Serious Family."

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