National Republican., 1882-12-07
ADJUSTMENTS.

THE NATIONAL THEATER-MoDJEsKA.
If Madame Modieska possessed fitness for
the higher drama equal to that which she de-
vclops in the modern French, no place within
the limits Of her art lie beyond her power.
Somehow It is that these nervous actresses,
the product of the later schools of Europe,
find at once the most fit materials and their
own highest expression in those perfervid
dramas that sprouted so suddenly and
in such luxuriant abundance upon the
Partisan stage some fifteen years ago It was
so with BernhArdt. IL is so with Modieslta,
whose Gilberte is one oft those rare perform
anceS which leave criticism silent, aud carry
away in admiration whatever may be felt of
question for their moral value. To acknowl-
edge this is to accord the highest praise, and
nothing less will in this case serve. Acting
so consummate that in even the most highly
wrought scenes feeling of spontaneity
and of perfect accord with the physical as well
as the emotional constitution of the subject
character is fully and evenly sustained, is great
acting, of q kind and degree, of course, relative
always'to the truth and breadth of the subj ject-
character itself No finer effort of this descrip-
tion is likely to be seen than Modjeskas third
act as Gilberte. The pitch of nervous intensity
to which she there attains is infectious, and
irresistibly so. In several other passages she
touches upon magnetic lines, but in none
with so fine and true o hand as in this. Her
comedy work is not easy; but in its very
uneasiness she prepares the way for that
vivid outburst in which the character cul-
inmates.
IL would not be an easy task, even were IL
n necessary to sit down to the dissection of q
Characterization during whose development
there Is no hint or thought of how the
wheels go round" To say there was no such
hint or thought In this one is to condense in
very little space what might with ample
justification be expanded into the most COM
prehensive and glowing of all possible forms
of laudatory mention.
1t is the fashion with those who are set up
in Judgment over such matters to brush aside
the works of the later French dramatists as
things frivolous or worse; and to deprecate a
tendency that Is thought to be discovcrable in
them toward the elevation of millinery Mt the
expense of morals Very few plays have been
favored with more condemnation of this
sort than "Frou- -Frou," and few have
borne 1t better, for the reason perhaps that
few of them are quite its equals. While much
of the story is artificial and badly reasoned,
and while the concluding portions are morbid
even mawkishly SO, the fact remains that the
work as whole is interesting, and even its
morbid phases are bent toward u
pertinent lesson in social life. Gilberta
is protest against form of
frivolity that is not peculiar to Partisan
women. She typifies universal class, and
her story is simply display of the possibili-
ties that lie about that class. The play itself
is model of its kind, in structure, develop
ment and unraveling of plot, chsracter-draw
ing, and alterations of sentiment and feeling.
1t was, in the main, well acted last evening,
the Louise of Miss Milton being especially a
strongly marked piece of work. This young
lady has valuable gifts of mental and artistic
insight, which have been well developed and
supplemented by good training in some intel
ligent school.
Better attention might have been given the
stage furnishing. The acting that can divert
attention wholly from inadequate surround
ings is of more lofty sort than in these days
we have reason to expect. little care be-
slowed upon accessories at this theater would
not be thrown away.
NOTES.
The first of the two Thursby concerts to be
given this week is announced for this evening
in Lincoln Hall. The programme is attrac-
tive, both in selection and arrangement.
The advance sale of seats for Mr.. Jeffersons
engagement was begun yesterday with fiat