National Republican., 1882-12-06
DRAMA AND MUSIC.
THE NATIONAL THEATER.

.
such advantages as accrue from the favor of
London. Well advanced in years before her
| labors first were laureled, she comes to us
now in the maturity of power but the decline
/ of life.
This would be an ungraceful thing to say
| did it not express a first thought that sug-
/ gosted itself when last evenings Rosdttnd
emerged from the back of the stage and
turned hor wan, dramatic face toward the
audience. II is not an unkindly renecuon'
With sunlSon checks have come great honors,
| hard won and modestly worm and that putting
| aside of simply physical attractiveness Wnlcn
is u part of the process of growing olu mas
been compensated by u heightened lnteiiec!-
uulity, certain spiritual grace, whlch Is
much more easily folt than described. inc
charm that permeatcs Nodieska's Rosahnd is
not found in any other Interpretation oil tne
part. Commonly and properly, in fitness WIN
the story, tho actress who essays the char-
acter takes on more or less OF its hoydenlsh
high spirits, and lends to its force WhateVer
| aid a higher animulsm can give. Wlth Mou-
jcslIa comes a demonstration that even the
manishness of ROsaliRd can be made ladyllke'
There is almost an inCongruity in the delicacy
| with which its very strongest lines are traced
/ Tho picture is less one of power than OF SIN,
gular flncncss. Ii suggests less the 1ull anu
| hoalthful smell of fresh natural flowers than
one of those dry and rare perfumes when the
intricate and patient chemistry of the East
alone produces This sort of delineation must
be caviar to the general, who would prefer
the rcd-lippcd, moist-eyed, very living hoSd-
| iiRd that found so splendid a representative
in Nelson, whose lusty woo me, woo me
was ut once entrcaty and command, and IRE
sstible az either. This one is Rosdiind @sthet-
ically heightened. Its graduations OF light
and shade are not only exquisite in themselves,
but significant of an earnest mentality, pccu-
liar insight. Nothing could be finer in its way
than the pride and indignation with which
she answers the usurper's charge OF treason
against his banishcd brother, in one of the
earlier passages of the play. Nor could
more touching earncstness be thrown into the
complaint "Alas! How full of briars is this
work -a-day worldw 1t is, indeed, in these
touches and their like that the master-key of
Modicska's reading Is found. To her mind
Rosalind would seem to be u creature OF
serious soul so out of suits with fortune that
her very lightest moods bear traces Of her
Christening. There is little of the earthly
about or in it,
BY what course of reasoning Madame Mod
ieska reconciles such portraiture with the OBJ
vious and unmistakable traits of Rosat'hd
is perpleXing question. Rosdt'nd IS a
strange creation, in which soul has less share
than spirit and spirit less than body. A
young woman who falls captive before mere
exhibition of physical strength, and gives her
self up in the midst of romantic outdoor
adventure to q passion encouraged by ht-
tie in its object beyond sort of finer
brute force cannot be truly pictured in
winsome tracery and tnts so light that flesh
and blood and the influences of robust health
are scarce suggested by even the deepest OF
them. Nor can it be said that Madame Mod
icska at any time succeeds in divertlne
the mind from the finessc of her work SO fai
as to create even partial illusion. At al
times the spectator admires; but at none is
he led to forget that it is Madame Modjeska
who moves and speaks before him-not
Madame Modieska transfused into Rosalind
but Rosatnd as Madame Modjeska, actress.
The performance of the play as whole was
admirable In these days OF travelling com
panies when the art of acting is no longer con
served in substantial theaters that serve as
schools it is surprising as we'll as pleasant tc
find grouped in one organization sufficiently
large number of really good actors to play
} Shakespeare comedy well. The Orlando Of Mr.
Barrymore, the Jacques of Mr.. Clement, the
banished Duke of Mr.. Cooper, the adam OF Mr.
Grtliths, the Celia of Miss Milton, the Touch
stone of Mr., Owen, and nearly all the othel
work of the company, deserve very hlgh
praise. So much does the performances abound
in excellence that even the set traditional
stupidities which mark many OF the scenes
are forgivable. The whole play was hand
somely read. p
FoRDs OPERA HOUSE.
Whoever has admired the old pantomime
and vet wearied of the old pantomimic form
should go to Fords this week and renew his
youth over the Hanlon Brothers and theil
"Voyage en- Suisse" These remarkably
clever acrobats and comedians have succeeded
: in putting worn-out materials into shape Sc
fresh that q first glance scarce detects Tho
trick If purely animal fun can be carried II
a higher point, this writer for one values hi
life too we'll to care to see it done. Anything
more inccssantly and imperatiyely provocatlv'
5 of hearty laughter would surely kill. ltwoult
be of no use trying to describe it. Whateve
there may be of plot or purpose in the enter
tainment beyond purpose to riotously amuse
nobody could remember at the end OF IT. MOS
g of those who see it through would probably fine
@ themselves at loss to tell just what they hat
been laughing at, and yet every one laughs con
sumedly the whole evening long 1t is rough
- and-tumble fun of the most uproarious Sort
: representation of aseries OF accidents and be
a deyilments so closely crowded together ant
so deftly carried on that not an instant OF res
is given the spectator anywhere during II
a progress. People alphabetically inclined ma
{. better keep ont of its neighborhood.
GEORGETOWN AMATEUR ORCHESTRA.
!. The Georgetown Amateur Orchestra CAV
its fourth public rehearsal last night in tn
hall of the Curtis building before an au
> dience, whose size and appreciation amply in
. dicatcd the hold this organization has upo
IS the esteem of its friends The number
n played were Gle ROi d'Yvetot," Auber; syn
IS phony No 5, Haydn "Traumbilder," fantasii
y Lumbye and the Eleonoren waltz, Parlov
y The performance of the symphony was
= great improvement upon the work {
IS last year, and shows the labor of preparatio
9 has been conscientious and painstaking on tn
u part of both conductor and instrumentalst
and that it is the desire of all to improve. Thi
was fully exhibited in the very excellent mar
ner in which some of the difficult movement
were played. The "Traumbilder," con
, mcncing with the string instruments, muille
J. in sound by the use of mutes, and introducin
e several solos, including one upon the zithe
q appcared from the enthusiastic manner !
"a which it was received to be one of I'll
Is most attractive pieces on the programme
q which throughout was well selected. Mr.
n Charles b. McCartec, though severel
e indisposed and suffering from n cold, san
most delightfully."- "Batti, Batti," Mozar
and "Oh, That We Two Were Maying," b
Gounod. Her pleasing manner, clear. an
distinct pronunciation, combined with 81
Il prano voice which careful study and trainin
has done much to perfect, rendered this OF
- :, of the most pleasing features of the evening
IL entertainment, and called forth hearty an
&c well-deserved encores.
N NOTES.
= During Mr.. Jefferson's engagement nel
~ week the Poor Gentleman will be produce
for the first time.
This and tomorrow evenings Madame Mot
ieslla will play the titular character in Fr0l
- Frou" On Friday evening and Saturda
:, afternoon Camille" is to be played,