PRIVATE THEATRICALS.

BY AN AMATEUR.

WHAT a fund of pleasurable sensations do these words convey to my ears! From my very childhood I have ever evinced a passion for plays, theatres, actors, and play-bills. I even have a sort of respect for those nuisances the " ginger-beer, spruce-beer, bottled-ale, and cyder" people, who haunt the minors, and whom, I regret to say, I frequently see and hear also now o'nights in the hitherto sacred territories of the majors. This perhaps arose from an association of ideas, just as a hungry man luxuriates in the bell which proclaims the approach of dinner, with a tongue unpleasant per se, but delightful from its being the forerunner of pleasure: so it was with these living belles. They used to be the first sound greeting my ears on stepping out of the carriage on those nights, when, to his infinite satisfaction, the dear boy was taken to Astley's.

From a boy I grew up to a youth; and I always found that my spare cash had a vent at the doors of the theatre. From frequenting them I naturally acquired some knowledge on the subject, and was generally esteemed among my school-fellows as an infallible authority on the merits or demerits of this or that piece or actor. Having arrived at this dignity of dramatic lawgiver, the next step, that of becoming an amateur performer, followed as a consequence: everybody said I was a good actor, and I of course was not long in coinciding with so just a decision, and I easily fancied I had a “turn for the stage." This effected, it was all over with me, and I became a confirmed private-theatrical man. Not that I mean that I became a subscriber at the Sans Souci, or the Minor Theatre in Catherine-street: no, di prohibete nefas-I thank my stars I never did that yet-my mania took a very different, and I think far wiser turn: my theatrical talents were devoted to the enlivening, by harmless laughter, the family circle. Whenever anything extraordinary was to be done, I always proposed a play, and a play was generally the thing. It is not a momentary or fleeting amusement, (I speak strictly of private theatricals,) for what can equal the fun of getting up such an evening's amusement? If well done it takes weeks of preparation; for half the fun consists of being one's own milliner or tailor, besides the comfort of wearing one's own clothes-(oh, I loathe a Monmouthstreet dress!)

The first play I ever managed and superintended was that delightful mockheroic, tragic-burlesque opera of "Bombastes Furioso." In the character of the victorious General I made my first bow before an audience, private or public. Of all pieces, this is the most suited to such an use; so compact, so easily learnt, so easily remembered, and so easily acted. If it is but correctly spoken, it is sure to be applauded, for it is witty and very short your audience cannot tire of it, for, like lightning, which is gone ere you can say it lightens, so "Bombastes is finished ere you have time to think of its merits or faults.

My first company consisted of very juvenile performers indeed; I was the eldest, and was then only sixteen, while the other parts were sustained by my brothers and sister, all between the ages of seven and twelve. It may be readily credited, therefore, that this was their first appearance also, and that I had some degree of trouble in officering so very raw a company. However, I managed to my infinite satisfaction, and gained to myself the character of an excellent actor, both from my own performance, as also those of my brothers and sister, all of whom, of course, received their instructions from me. The great success of my first attempt turned my brain, and for a long time subsequently I was always on the look-out to catch opportunities for gratifying my theatrical ardour; nor was I without ample field to work on. In the course of the following year I was removed from the public school where I then was, and sent to rusticate at a private Feb.-VOL. XXXVII. NO. CXLVI.

tutor's, for the preparation necessary to my commencing a college life. The Reverend G. B—, LL.D. (not A.S.S.,) with whom I had the good fortune to be so domiciled, resided on a curacy in a village not fifty miles from Alma Mater. To an extensive knowledge of the world, and a great suitability to the duties of his office, this gentleman superadded, what in my mind surpassed all the other qualifications for a private tutor, namely, a willingness to make companions, not school-boys, of his pupils, and ever evinced a desire to communicate a portion of his extensive information to them. He had travelled much during his youth among the busy scenes of the peninsular war, and I soon found out that he had himself, when in Sicily, engaged in private theatricals. This instantly fired me with the hopes of getting up plays, and I resolved to beat up a company. I accordingly, one evening, as all my fellow-pupils were assembled over the fire in the backparlour, where we had congregated ostensibly for the purpose of preparing our studies for the following day, and of making verses,-but where, in fact, we generally made any thing but verses,-I took the opportunity of turning the conversation to the subject of the stage. Not unlike the man who went to a party of savants ready charged with a luminous disquisition on gunpowder, and took the opportunity of the pretended report of a gun to let loose the following remark, "By the bye, what a glorious invention that of gunpowder is!" I also introduced my plan by saying, "Talking of plays, did you ever see ، Bombastes Furioso? " As I had calculated, no one had; and I then recited from memory, no difficult task, the leading points and most witty speeches throughout the whole composition. Somehow or other, I was a tolerable mimic, and had, at that time, acquired the fame of a good actor, as I have before hinted. I exerted all my humour on this occasion, and, with such effect, as to produce roars of laughter. This of course was overheard, and when the cause of such boisterous and unstudious merriment was ascertained, it needed little to bring about a proposal from us for leave to act a play, and to wring an acquiescence on the part of the Doctor. We accordingly started that very night; I knew the play of "Bombastes by heart, on which we had fixed, and, as it was not at that time illustrated by Cruikshank, it was not of such easy access as now: I, therefore, sat myself down to the task of writing out all the parts, and finished before I closed my eyes that night. The following evening we had a rehearsal, and I gave it as my opinion that in a week we might be ready for visitors. It was to be kept a grand secret-all our dresses were to be made by ourselves-not even the Doctor's family were to be gratified by a peep at them, and the invitations even were to be worded so as not to convey any thing beyond the idea of a common evening party. In the course of the following day the whole village was set by the ears to find out what “the Doctor's gentlemen" could be about. One lady, in particular, called on the second day, and very kindly told us all the surmises and guesses entertained on the subject by the village people, under the anxious hope of being the first to receive the real information from our own lips; and, although she promised secresy, I, who was manager, and was in the room at the time, knew her of old, and therefore kept a most mysterious silence. I confessed having purchased twenty yards of yellow serge (all which was to be expended upon my epaulettes), but said that "I saw nothing singular in such an event."

"But what were the twelve yards of glazed blue calico for?"

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Oh, I have nothing to do with that; I suppose Spencer, who bought it, is going to make a present to one of the servants."

"This would not do," she said: "she knew there was something in the wind; perhaps you can tell me," she added, "why you had your Wellington boots lengthened to such an enormous size by the shoemaker? Surely you can't wear them so-can you?"

These I had intended for the General's jack-boots. Oh," said I," I am thinking of making them into fishing-boots, to pull up over my knees."

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Humph," said she; and finding nothing could be got out of me, off she went to gather fresh information from the only milliner in the village; shrewdly guessing that, do what we would, if anything like a masquerade was on foot, we must have recourse to Mrs. Aplin to make our ladies' dresses for us. However, she had cunning people to deal with: Spencer had taken the said blue calico to her for the purpose of being made into "Distaffina's" gown, but had also given orders to have it kept a dead secret. She vowed she would work with closed doors to keep out vexatious intruders, among whom Spencer had especially pointed out this lady; and not without reason, for really her occupation was scandal and gossip, and that not from any bad motive, but positively by way of employment. Her name was Lock, and she was the wife of a gentleman residing on his own property, which he farmed. Being the second son, he was always called Mr. Peter Lock, and for brevity's sake, he was usually styled, behind his back, Mr. Peter. She, of course, shared this economy of breath, and was called Mrs. Peter. Spencer gave her the soubriquet of "Repeater." Leaving her, however, to make what she could out of Mrs. Aplin, I proceed to the business of the play. The tinker's powers were put to their stretch to manufacture tin stars and orders to decorate the person of the king, while I gave him instructions to cut out a most stupendous pair of spurs to ornament the jack-boots with which Mrs. Peter had been so marvellously puzzled. Play-bills were printed by us on silk at great cost and labour, which were to be circulated only on the drawing up of the curtain; for so far was our secret to extend, as to leave the audience in ignorance of what was intended to be represented, after they must have made the discovery that something there was for them to see out of the usual way. The name of the play was no great difficulty to keep secret, as it could only reach them through the medium of the servants; and they, we knew, would not succeed in transmitting that gentle title, pure and unaltered, to the ears of the visitors. Such was the case; for the aforesaid Mrs." Repeater” told us, the day before the play-day, (for she regularly dropped in every day,) that she knew what it was we were going to do; that it was a play, she was certain, though she had not learnt the name, at least she had heard it called by so many and so various appellations, that she could not satisfy herself upon the truth, but that she could make a guess at it, &c. I let her guess, and guess on, till she actually got out of temper at my official taciturnity, and took herself off in a great huff. At length the long-appointed day arrived-expectata dies aderat; and, as the moments flew, my heart began to beat high with expectation. I superintended the arrangement of the theatre, while the Doctor ordered the accommodation for the company. In our theatre, which afterwards acquired great celebrity from its compactness and perfection, we had contented ourselves with merely acting a play; we aped no scenery of any description, not even a green curtain--that orthodox appendage to a theatre,-but instead of it made use of window-curtains, which drew across the stage from the middle. We had, however, orchestralights, though no orchestra, save the piano; and our only separation from the audience, when the curtain was drawn-I can't say up-was formed by these lights, which were placed behind a plank stretched in a curve across the room, and covered with green baise. Seven was our hour, and that of dinner was five,—but who could on that day eat? I, as manager, had no time of course to satisfy the cravings of hunger; and as for the rest of the corps dramatique, they all looked more like criminals about to march out to execution, than followers of merry Thespis. So nervously inclined were they, that most assuredly their forks would have found the road to any other feature in their faces sooner than to their mouths. I never could eat when I was going to a play, still less could I condescend to do so when about to act myself.

The dinner hour passed, and we had a rehearsal for the last time, more for the purpose of passing the time than anything else. Just as we were in

the middle of the last scene, and I was making a dead pause, methought I heard the distant rolling of a carriage. I listened, so did we all, in breathless silence, and found that it really was an arrival. Down, or rather across went the curtain, and away we all scampered up to our respective rooms, for we had not dressed yet. Here such a scene of confusion ensued as baffles all description, each one in want of some most essential article. "Where's my wig?" exclaimed the king; "I want the powder to put on my hair!" exclaimed I; but, of all the company, poor Spencer was the worst off: he had, unknown to us, got a pair of stays, and in these he had determined to act “Distaffina," and to enable himself to bear the unaccustomed pressure, he had put on his armour, for such it was, soon after breakfast. I had frequently had occasion during the day to remark how very slow he was, but never dreamt that his stiffness proceeded from tight lacing. Now, however, his nerves gave way; and just as he had concluded his toilette, during which I plainly saw he was suffering greatly, he was obliged to let the secret out, for he was on the point of fainting. "Good gracious," said I, "Spencer, what's the matter?" no little alarm for the success of the play being mingled with anxiety for his own safety.

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Nothing; oh, nothing at all, except that I can't bear this any longer." "Bear what? why you are not going to shirk now, and spoil the whole thing?"

"No," said he, "but I am going to take off a pair of stays which I have been fool enough to put on, or I shall certainly faint.”

Glad to find it arose from a cause so easily cured, I left him to undress, and proceeded to assist the king, whom I found, more regum, utterly unable to do anything for himself: his room was just over the entrance door; and as he bungled his legs in and out of the coat by mistake for his breeches, and put on his waistcoat three times inside out, he had the peculiar satisfaction of seeing the carriages roll down the avenue leading to the garden, and of hearing the busy hum of visitors down stairs. He was in a profuse perspiration, having entirely abandoned all hope of being dressed, as he said, “much before it was all over," and almost crying from very nervous vexation: with my assistance, however, he was soon dressed to his infinite satisfaction; and just as I had put the finishing hand to my own costume, by pulling on the questionable jack-boots, up came the Doctor to announce that the company had all arrived-that they were on the tiptoe of expectation-and that the overture was now about to begin. As hé concluded we heard the sounds of the music, which had at that moment anything but a pleasing effect upon our senses. The king, however, took his seat at the throne, assumed the proper melancholy suited to the character, and as the last notes of the overture were played, all was arranged. The chilling sounds of a small bell announced to the audience that the curtains were about to be withdrawn;—all was deep silence till the whole scene was displayed; of course great applause ensued (for private performers always meet with kind and encouraging spectators); this gradually subsiding, the business of the play began with the song, &c.

The whole was received with unbounded applause, especially Distaffina's song, which was encored. My dress was the cause of great merriment; and as I marched on at the head of my "brave army," I could plainly see Mrs. Peter's eyes fasten on my jack-boots, as she audibly exclaimed, "There, there are the boots!-I said so!" So pleased were we with ourselves and our reception, that we that evening, after the play, determined to issue cards for another. We fixed upon the "Mayor of Garrett," which was got up in the short space of eight days; then we acted "Tom Thumb," and added thereto the interlude of "Pyramus and Thisbe," taken out of the "Midsummer Night's Dream." In each of these two latter I sustained the part of a female: in the first, that of the Princess Huncamunca; while in the latter I was the fair Thisbe-that "flower of odorous savours sweet." This was attempting Shakspeare, but Shakspeare in his easiest form; and,

from our success, we determined to take a loftier flight, and perform something else of his. The great point was to fix upon any one play which could be cut down to our means; for, as we only numbered seven, including a very clever girl of ten years old, a daughter of Dr. B-'s, who took the part of Puck, it would be quite out of the question to think of getting up the whole of any one play of Shakspeare. At last we fixed upon the Tempest." All agreed that I should make a capital Caliban, Spencer a sweet Miranda, while little Fanny was declared to be just the thing for Ariel. It was now summer,- -a period when the country, by a strange anomaly, is depopulated of its inhabitants,-and we were obliged to postpone till the winter our next performance. This delay gave us great time for preparation; indeed no expense or pains were spared in decorating our theatre during the recess. Scenes were painted to give all due effect to the shipwreck: thunder, lightning, and rain, were laid in in great quantities; and a great addition made to the theatre by my plan of a proscenium, whereon was nailed a beautifully painted blue and gold curtain, the work of the Doctor, which occupied the whole of the space except that devoted to the curtain: and the latter, by machinery, the invention of the village carpenter, was at last made to draw up and down, to my great satisfaction. With constant rehearsals we at last mastered the arduous undertaking; and I looked forward with confidence to the next performance, which promised to be the best as it was to be the last, in consequence of my removal to College, together with Spencer. In rehearsing for Caliban, it had been my aim to disguise myself both in form and voice as much as possible. I accordingly invented a patent dress, fitting tight, and on it I sewed quantities of horses' and cows' tails; the whole country was scoured to procure hair for me, and at last, by pressing into my service the hide of a large black dog, which most opportunely departed this life, I concocted a very complete dress. In my voice I equally succeeded; for, from the idea of Caliban being half a beast, I had taught myself to speak from somewhere lower than my diaphragm, so that my most intimate friends could hardly have recognized my tones,-for I acquired a most satisfactory growl. In addition to the Tempest we got up a farce, translated, as the play-bills (which were now regularly printed) announced, "expressly for this occasion from the French." We were now involved in a regular drama and a farce, and had enough on our hands for amateurs to accomplish. However, as the winter approached, all was ready: we were now old hands at it, and regarded it more as a matter of business than anything else. All the neighbourhood was summoned to this one grand effort, and we mustered nearly fifty spectators, and calmly did we calculate when it would be absolutely necessary for us to prepare our dresses; so much does habit accustom us to what once were novelties, and as such required particular attention.

The whole play went off admirably, with one exception, of rather a ludicrous nature. I mentioned that we had got a splendid scene for the opening to represent the shipwreck; and it was so arranged as that the vessel should be seen, amid thunder and lightning, to toss and pitch about for a certain time, by means of a slit cut across the scene, till it came to the end of the sea, where, as she could not go any farther, we unanimously agreed it would be as well to sink her. All this machinery was to be worked by Prospero, who was not to come on from out his cave till the ship had gone to the bottom. As I was not to take an immediate part at the opening, I was entrusted with the lightning, while Stephano thundered with a large sheet of tin. Well, the curtain rose; the scene was illumined by frequent flashes of lightning, which bore the proportion of about ten to one of the peals of thunder; for we foolishly acted our respective parts of the storm to the full bent of our power, and I lightened across with my rosin, while Stephano thundered away as quickly as possible. At last it became a complete race who should do most in his own line; and, as I strove to give greater effect to each succeeding flash, by sending it on the stage to