The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-12-03
ADJUSTMENTS.

Probably the most interesting entertain
meut Of It's kind the stage, either In Europe
America is that which the celebrated anon Brothers
win give ot Fords this week. After performing at
the FoIes Bcrgcrc Ia Paris Tor several years, where
they produced with success numerous pantomimes,
but the latest and perhaps the ost important piece
absurdity invented 10y these gentlemen Is "Ie Voyage
en- suisse. one Of the most extraordinary and At the
time genuinely fanny entertainments placed
the boards OF theatre. After producing this with
Immense applause In Paris and London, tho Hanlons
brought 1t to America, whore II has been received
with the greatest possible favor. Col. r. Ailston
Rrown contributes tho following respecting their
artistic careers " From the night " their first appear
once In America their success was assured, as tlcr
professional attfaCtivcncss proved to he uupreCc-
denied They at once took their position At the head Of
the gymuastlc list, and with accord admitted
TO be the best and most accomplished gymnass before
the public In the old World or the New. All pro-
tossional gentlemen OF the gymnastic persuasion at
ouCc acknowledged their abilities, ana the Ilanons
were admitted 10 I've muscle kings OF Chrlsteudom.
They performed seeming impossibiiitles of
strength, quickuess, and daring that had never
before been attempted. all being accomplished
with graceful ease that delighted the town ana
crowded the theatre nightly. The somersaults OF
William on the shoulders OF Thomas were wonderful
and were the most dncult feats then known to gym
nasts The great secret Of their In their per
formauccs is that they are always In condition. never
allowing themselves to get physically reduced, as
many gymnasts generally do, and then resort to eN-
iaofdinnty means TO get into condition again. The
llanlons Keep so, whether engaged or not; they take
little or no stmulants, and by their constant practice
excel those who resort only to heavy training. In
their exercises they the lghtest kind OF arpara
tus, instead Of heavy dumb-bels, etc. and avoid an
| lifting where q strain Is required. Their per-
formances are scicntinc they calculate every point
from the simplest pose In thoir practice to the
pcated feat Of 2ampillaerosaton. In this act 1t re-
quired more nerve and science combined than In any
other given The feat was thrilling to behold, and
only the grace with which It was DONE aud the APP
parent care aud certainty with which William
caught the different trape2e bars made the feat pleas
ing. The hardest part OF the performance aud
one which had never before been done on this the
other side OF the Atlantic, was the somersault in
| the air This required strength, judgment, AID
quick sight The trapezes were suspended ut height
Of eighteen feet from the ground and the whole dis
lance travelled through the air was 1873 feet which he
vas five seconds In making. There Is one singular
! ity abont these artists which Is common to their
| whole tamily-hs Is their modoSgy. II you fell In
| with George Hanlon 10y chance and without know
! Ing his name you would find him Intellectual quietly
unobtrusivc, and very agreeable gentleman, should
| you meet William or Alfred, you would observe that
they were stlll more quiet and even reserved. You
would most certainly never dream for instant that
! they were such remarkably daring and courageous
gymnass. For gracefulness, manly beauty strength,
cool daring, good humor, case-a the qualities of a
fine physical development that go TO make up the
| perfect gymnast-the Hanlons have superors.
They are all lnguists, speaking, writing and reading
nuently seven languageS-French spanish, Italian,
German, Russian Hindostanee and English. They
are also excellent musicians and at short notice can
oXtemporize concert OF far more excellence than
many whose musical pretensions are more yehemently
urged
There is already great deal of excite.
men among our amusement public about the appear
ance here OF that gifted Polish actress, Helena Mod
eska, Countess Bozenta, who Will appear morrow
evening at the National Theatre. Modjeska will he
supported by the splendid company Of the Glob,
Theatre, Boston, her present American tour being
under the management OF Mr.. John StetsOn. The
repertoire VIII be; Monday, Tuesday, and wednes.
day matinee, "As You Like lt;' "Wednesday and
Thursday evenings, = Frou- Frou;'' Friday evening
and Saturday matinee, 'Camille;'' Saturday even.
Ing =, T Whss Night ins rroYidegee l Erss'
Modjeska was wise in selecting for her farewell per
Torrance in this city shakespeare's sprightlJ
comedy, AS You Like 1t, for in 1t she appears t.
the very best advantage and thus leaves In the minds
of her audience none but the brightest and pleasant
est of memories. The audience was very arge-th,
largest of the week, and 1t audience thai
thoroughly enjoyed the sententious bumor ant
wise saws in which the play abounds. o
all the ROSdfndS now on our stage Mod
ieska is, to the writer's mind, the ideal She ener
completely into the spirit of the characters she act
with such archness and piquancy, and she reads thi
merry lines which faii to her part with such spght
ness, and at the same time correctness that she
pels admiration. me iair st'L CoSlumed me par
neatly and appropriately. Rarely has LAS GOn lik
it, been well presented by the supporting com
pany Mr.. barrymore made manly orlando, an,
Miss Maud Milton clever celia. W. +. owen
TOuchstOne was "A thorough piece OF comedy acting
and added greatly TO the pleasure of the audience b
wit and wisdom which some actors would allow to re
main buried In the sometimes cumbersome text. Ap
plause frequent throughout the evening, and afte
the red curtain descended the audience called out tn
star and appauded and cheered her To the echo, whc
is rare thing for Providence audience to attemp
after a play is over. -
The worst parts of "The Black Flag 5" a
glaringly and impossiby meodramatic; the best, tn
acting of the star company composed of the nimita
BILE Nat Goodwin and his wife, formerly Miss Ellz
Weathersby, Edwin +. Thorn Edwin Varrey, Mis-
Agnes Proctor, and Others and also the freshness
! beauty of the scenery, delightful to the eye afte
. what we have periorce grown accustomed to II
! Washington There elements of success 1
It as a domestic drama partly pastoral and partl
COMIC than in the blood thunder features whic
are curiously mingled In, at the risk of spelling tn
whole. The range of effects for the best meo
drama, is after all limited that Intelligent aud
apt to be sated and to laugh rather tina
, tremble at the most wonderful scenes.
= ." Only Farmers Daughter ?" is one O
S those dream dramas that TO have become sud
denly and curously popular, though they reduce
ing from study of hfe to study of unreal fantasy
1t Is crudely put together and without beauty Of da
Z logue. Miss Agnes Herndon did not prove heTse
strong enough to carry 1t through with only the as
sstance Of such support she afflicted with las
week Her orid ana tropical style is he tier suite
to audiences less cody critical than those of Wash
ingtOn.
g Miss Emma Thursby is undoubtedly tn
o sweetest and most attractive American songstres
now on the concert stage: in fact there is othC
to be compared with her. She is special favor
, ite of Washington audiences, and her two concert
this week are likely to he an event for muscs
circles and an ovation for her. We give the first pro
: gramme elsewhere.