The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-15
ADJUSTMENTS.
MR.. JEFFERSON AT THE GRAND.

MR.. JEFFERSON AT THE GRAND.
1t would not be easy to depict in words
the content, joy, and admiration which
shone in the faces of the assemblage that
last night welcomed Mr.. Jefferson, as Grip
Van Winkle," at the Grand Opera-house.
1t would be still more difficult to express
in precise terms those blended charms of
poetic personality and felicitous art which
pervade the acting of Mr.. Jefferson, and
which contain the secret of its strong and
continuous hold upon the public mind.
rip Van Winkle'' brings out the old low
ers of the drama, and most of the audience
last night had seen the play many times be-
fore. Many have not missed an opportu-
nifty to be present from the first time Mr..
Jefferson played the character here-some
They were delighted then, have been de-
lighted on every occasion since and were
more than delighted last night. He
was poetic and spiritual then; he
is more so now. He showed
then, very clearly, the power to transfigure
| common life, to interpret rather than to
copy nature, to use facts as symbols-valu-
able not for what they are but for what
they mean-and to make ideals actual His
RIP Van Winkle''-which is neither that
of the legend nor of Irving, nor of Mr..
Boucicault, nor of any previous actor of
the past-has grown out of these natural
qualities charms and powers that our COM
ment denotes, until now it is round, mas
sive, spontaneous, certain, and finished.
No element of it is left in neglect or out of
proportion. 1t contains youth andage, frolc
| and sadness, humor and pathos, simplic-
| ity and honest guile, home sentiment and
| forest sentiment, love, friendship, comfort
and health, lonely want and helpless and
despised decrepitude, the natural and the
| supernatural, the actual and the ideal; and
it is shaped ina perfectly symmetrical form,
and wrapt, from first to last, in the at
mosphere of pure romance.
The beauty and interest all centers in the
character of rip Van Winkle," but much
is added by an excellent support like that
which was given by the Olympic Company
last night. The "Meenie" of Miss Mollie
Maeder Steele was finely rendered. The
part just suits her and she does it hand
somely. Miss Clifton's "Gretchen" was
also very finished piece of acting. All
the other members of the company acquit-
ted themselves very creditably Grip Van
Wrinkle" every evening this week and Sat
urday matinee.
PIXIES oPERA-HoUsE.
An audience fair in size and very select
anu laSHlohdple III aPpeaIallce was pleSelt
last night at Pixies to witness Miss Anna
Boyle as "Fanchon, the Cricket" To say
that the audience was both astonished and
charmed, hardly expresses the feelings of
delight that were everywhere expressed at
the close of the performance. No one who
had not seen her-and but few there had
expected any such impersonation of the
rollicking Cricket" as they witnessed at
her hands. The shadow dance and May
pole scene were never better done by Mag
gle Mitchell than by this girl last night
The support, considering this was the
first time the company had
played together, was decidedly good. Mr..
Ed. Barretts "Didier" was neat piece OF
acting, and was very effective. Mr.. Bos-
worth played Father Barbeaud" in his old
effective STYLE and was very warmly re-
ceived. Altogether the performance is a
good one, and is we'll worth seeing. 1t will
be repeated at the matinee this afternoon
and again tonight
ORGAN CONCERTS
The organ concerts at Music Hall are to
be renewed by the great organist, Professor
Whiting The first one takes place Wednes-
day afternoon, when Miss Louise Rollwagen
Al.