THE DRAMA.
NIBLO'S GARDEN - THE SCOUTS OF THE PRAIRIE.
In Niblo's Garden, last night, an assemblage of about 4,000 persons beheld a spectacle which is mildly and feebly characterized as extraordinary. The occasion was that of the first performance in this city of a dramatic work called “The Scouts of the Prairie;" and, for our own poor part, it gave us wonder great as our delight to see this representation. What it gave to the audience, in general, conjecture struggles to determine. The multitude, which was rather a coarse one, hailed it with frequent noise, and seemed especially rejoiced at those portions wherein guns were shot off and gore was started. Those supreme moments occurred with sufficient frequency to keep the theater in a tumult, and, if that means success, the display was successful. To speak of it seriously is very difficult; to speak of it patiently is impossible. The play of “The Scouts of the Prairie '' is idiotic; the action that gave it illustration is tomfoolery: there was but one person of the stage- Mr. George C. Davenport - who possesses a particle of talent for acting, and the stuff allotted to his interpretation in mere folly. It is not a play. However, that this remarkable exhibition has been brought forward. It comes as a medium for the presentation of two persons - Mr. Cody and Mr. Omohundro, otherwise known as Buffalo Bull and Texas Jack - who are understood to have once been trappers, or hunters or something of that kind, on the prairies of the South West. These two young men movie about the stage with supple strides, and manifested strength; agility and good humor. They have, it appears, been blessed with fine physical constitutions, and, ad driver of the peaceful night omnibus we should say they might attain a lofty eminence. Mr. Cody, the Buffalo Bill, discharged pistols in a very liberal way and, at times, when surrounded with defunct Indians, and standing stalwart In a cloud of smoke and dust, through which the yelps of the supers sounded in hideous discord, he was sublime, The dramatic business in which he was engaged contemplated the rescue of a hunter from the outshops of a Mormons, and the incidental killing of all the savage willing gun-shot distance. Mr. Ned Buntline, the author of the conception, delivered some options on the use of liquor, which he said was injurious and had done a great deal of harm. A reference to Father Mathew rendered this ebullition quite thrilling, Mr., Buntline was several times captured and bound, but he's continued to preach, and he contrived to escape from bondage, the stake, and all perils else, till happily the end of the second net,-he was slain. Mr. Buntline seemed, in a vague, far-off way, to be aping the really, grand portraiture of Pathfinder, is Cooper's well-known novel. If he has any sense at all, which seems doubtful, this gentleman must be aware that his pretensions as a play - writer are ridiculous. The managers of Niblo's (Garden have produced his "realism" because they believe that it will pay-and so it with, if audacious nose use, so absolute as to be really magnificent, chances to produce upon the public mind the effect of novelty. They have put it upon the stage in carefully constructed attire and have advertised it with their customary skill. Mile Morlacchi, a peerless dancer, but very absurd as an actress, played an Indian girl, last night, and was laughed at, as she deserved to be, The Hon. Mr. Cody, called out at the end of the first act, made a short speech, full of boyish candor. To dwell upon details would be idle - since the whole subject is worse than trivial, and since those who are responsible for this [?] use of a beautiful stage and one of the most delightful theaters in the country may be grateful to see it in universal laughter.
DRAMATIC NOTES.
AMUSEMENTS.
NIBLO'S GARDEN--THE "SCOUTS OF THE PRAIRIE."
Mr. Ned Buntline has now entered a field in
which he can at least make money. He has written
a play called the "Scouts of the Prairie," which has
no more interest than the many stories of Western
life which he has given to the world; but fortunately
there are resources which the dramatist can
command that are unknown to the novelist. Mr.
Ned Buntline enacts a part in his play. It was this
and the kindred fact that the somewhat famous
Buffalo Bill would support, together with a band of
real Indians, that drew an overwhelming audience
last evening to Niblo's Garden, filling the gallery at
least an hour before the curtain rose with the
noisiest of urchins, and later filled the aisles and
lobby with an eager crowd. The play, as may
readily be imagined, is destitute of any literary
or dramatic merit whatever. It scarcely
coheres sufficiently to interest one in the
story. It furnishes a series of traditional pictures in which the red men make bombastic speeches about the dew, the morning cloud, and the baseness of he white man. They have a strong desire to capture somebody, and consequently jump about and yell and fall upon a trapper called Cale Durg, who is no less a person age than Ned Buntline. The tie him to a tree and prepare to roast him. And at that moment Buffalo Bill.
THE SCOUTS OF THE PRAIRIE.
Since the first night of the "Black Crook '' we have seen so such jam at Niblo's as that of last evening. Seats aisles, stairs and galleries were crod'de to overflowing, the family circle was packed with people until it looked like a thickset hedge, and gods and “pitites”vied with each other in the laughter and applause that greeted the successive scenes of "The Scouts of the Prairie," To criticize this composition as a play, or analyze its plot, would be ridiculous, for it has nothing to do with art. It is simply a dime novel set scenery. In its fustian temperance lectures, it's pinckbeck heroes, and it's unnatural presentation of the borderer's life and character is highly absurd; while it is made to appear still middle so by the personation of full-blood and halt-blood Indian girls by Italian coryphees, who combine broken English with rant, and strut in equal measure
But censure must stop here. Considered as a catchpenny show, it is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable ever seen on our theatrical boards. The bringing of Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack and their seventeen Pawnee scouts by the voluptuous girls of the ballet to cut and hack and shoot and yell is an idea of striking originality. It is the coming of Mahoment to the mountain, as the mountain could not [?] would not go to Mahomet, and it will prove a great pecuniary success to the management.
Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack are fine, lusty, muscular, handsome young fellows. Their bodies are suppleness itself, and their bearing and glance mark their long familiarity with free life of the prairie. Their principal occupation in this piece, as a Boston critic has truthfully remarked, seems to consist of rushing on the stage at intervals and firing off handsome guns and revolvers. It should also be remarked that Texas Jack shows his contempt for shams by the gusto with which he does some kissing business that is assigned to him. He smacks his girl like the snapping of a cap. But the boys do have some speaking allotted to them, and get through it with no little credit to their trainers. The main interest in their performance lies in their indicating to us ignorant New Yorkers just how they fight Indians, scout, scalp, and throw the laszoo. Their very presence on the stage gives a fine flavor of realism to the whole affair, und sounds an audience, away pleased from a play that, without them and their doings, would make both pit and gallery yawn.- Ned Buntline, the author and hero of the piece, acted his part with rheumatic intentness, outbisoning Bill and Jack themselves in the strangeness of his accoutrements and impressiveness of getup. He is a born sensationalist, but no doubt a good fellow at heart; and we hope he may reap an abundant reward from this latest and most ambitious of his theatrical undertakings. [?] by Nr. Voegtlin was, as usual, excellent.
THE SCOUTS OF THE PRAIRIE
"Ned Buntline's" sensational drama, "Scouts of the Prairie" was given in Corinthian Hall last evening before a packed audience. The original heroes," "Buffalo Bill," Han. W.F. CODY, and "Texas Jack," J.B. OMOHUNDRO, with the celebrated novel writer, Col. E. C. Z. JUDSON, "Ned Buntline" appeared in the prominent parts of the drama and judging from the frequent and prolonged applause, gave the best satisfaction. The above celebrities were, of course, the great attraction, yet the "peerless Morlacchi," Dove Eye and the redskin chief had plenty of admirers. The Scouts rendered their part in that bold, free and easy manner, characteristic of frontier men representing their characters "to the life.'' When in mortal combat with the redskins, they exhibited a careless way of handling their seven shooters which caused a feeling of uneasiness among the timid portion of the audience. The appeared in the costume worn in service on the plains. Care Durg (Col. JUDSON) look and appeared every inch in trapper, and when captured and shoot delivered his "last shot" with unerring aim, before closing by his comrades, who gave the reds a red-hot reception, coming off triumphant. M'lle Morlacchi, the Italian danseuse, rendered the character of Dove Eye with great success, considering that it is somewhat out of here line. Scareely any against accent was noticeable in her English pronunciation. Hazel Eye also did finely, and: In fact, every member of the troupe, "Injuns" and all, spoke and acted their parts perfectly. A matinee will be given
