The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-10-18
AMUSE M ENTS.

|
two, with something like "Adrlennc Lccouvreur "
to show her power TO enact tragic part will bc all
the plays she viii need. II Ia In the most successful
| dramas which the French stage has given us that
Mile. Rheas refined and cultivated art Is shown at
| It's best. Had her recent season begun with the
dangerous Game the first impression made by
the company would have been much pleasanter than
| that made In the Chicago production. We are sur
prlscd that an actress OF Rheas taste and culture
and manager experienced as MI. Morrssey should
fall to see the mmeasurable superiority OF the poor
| est work OF Sardou TO the best OF the Barrons OF
CAROLS. There Is an unfaulng charm both In the
| situations aud the dialogue OF the great French
| dramatist. Such plays as " Lady Ashley and An
American Countess" are totally destitute OF this
charm There seems to he fashion just now to
applaud things because they are American; hui art
knows no country, and the true rule Is to praise only
what Ia intrinsically good and wholesome The
fact that a play was written In Chicago or
by journalist does not concern us except minor
incident. In both cases our pleasure would be en-
hanced by such knowledge u the work were really
good one. but IL the play Ia bad and unworthy
place the stage tho fact that It s American does
not help the case at all. The stage is now a great
teacher OF manners and morals. Is opportunities
are wasted when they are devoted to the represer-
tation OF works essentially weak and poihtless.
Mile Rheais one OF the best artists we possess and
II Is pity to scc her talents wasted. All that is
Vcst Ill Nhcd u tHTDNn away IN attempt 10
do anything with these trashy and ephemeral parts
which unworthy the efforts OF any real artist.
But we believe there is better field for such an
actress WIN good company than is Afforded by
such rcpertoty as we have Indicated In this con-
nection |, Is proper TO say that the statement In our
last Issue that Rhca ls dissatisfied with hcr company,
which we copied from New York paper, is denied
by the lady herself
w hp uCxVu toll of tho
that Mile. Nhea and her company, who opened the
New National Theatre week before last, will be here
again in January, when they will play at the Ma
tiona and Will appear In the "School for Scandal
and other nne old English comedies
Last week we had at the upper theatres two Of
those amusing tribes which serve TO amuse but offer
no mark for criticism Both played to merry but
not overlowng audiences Evans and Hoey were
as grotesquey funny as ever In the "Parlor Match
and Mr. Roland Reed, comedian comparatively
new to our threatregoers, achieved complete sue
cess. "Humbug" Ia really cheerful bit of nom
| sense. and Mr.. Reeds comic talents ind ample room
| in rs various laugh-rrovokIng situations
"a Parlor Match at Albaughs last week proved
II anything more amusing than on Its previous visit,
| Messrs Evans aud Hocy having enriched 1t with
| new comic business aud being more spirited than
ever In It's presentation There is great deal Of
genuine comic unction In the latters Ola Hoss, and
his grocsque rapid dancing fairly elected screams
| OF delight from the audience. Miss Helena French
looked the part Of tho chldikc Kidd more than did
Miss Yeamans, but could not give 1t the same force
and effectiveness II there must be wild ahsurdities
upon the boards. 1t ls to be wished they were all as
good Of the kind as "A Paror Match.'
Why DO the public all wildly applaud the successful
smart rascalupon the stage? There must be vein of
secret roguery in all Of that would like to graf
ify, but only dare TO cvnce by sympath las were for
| It's feigned exponent. Mr.. Roland Reed and his
author have relied upon this in concoctng and pre-
seniing " Humbug," which might be new series Of
| the adventures OF MOllerC's ScdDin. II evidently
met with acceptance from audiences at the New
National last week, although there Is little nothing
In the piece except Mr.. Reeds ceaseess dash and
us co0,fcd. The incidents are ingenousy devised
however, to keep Jack buster, whom he represents
constantly In difficulties. from which he only escapes
by his presence Of mind and unblushlng efronery.
A stonter and more vigorous exponent of the pork
butchers widow whom he marrics would add to the
| effect of some OF the situations.
| AT Abaughs Grand Opera House this week Mir
Frank Mayo will appear In hts great creation OF the
| part OF Norieck In the drama of that name The
| play Is one OF those strong romantic works that
never appc II in vain to the public heart. BY many
1t Is preferred even to his Dtry Crockett aud 1t has
| just had most successful run In New York The
plot may be criticised AZ being rather severe upon
the unfortunate natives OF Poland, but this is for
gotten In the Interest excited by the lonely Nordec
who, at first apparently cut OF from love and sym
pathy even on the part OF his own mother, conquers
| respect and then admiration by his coolness colr-
age, aud lofty bearing In time OF great trial. II Is
another version OF the savage redeemed through The
power OF love. MIR. Mayo Is we'll supported by his
associates in the cast. AMI the stage OF the Opera
| House will afford an adequate setting to the fine
| scenery.
| This week al The New National Mr.. James O'Ne,ll
will rcappear In his great impersonalon of the elder
numas's melodramatic hero, Monte Cristo The
Courier, OF Buffalo, speaking OF this production In
| that city, says:
! Since the demise of the iameuted Fechtcr the
most successful exponent OF the dual role OF Ed.
| nlund Ddntes aud Count de Monte CriStO on the
| English-spcakipg stage has undoubtedly been the
James ONei The play has lost none of s thrilling
interest or melodramatlc effectiveness. Its many
novel, inspiring, and fascinating as Of yore. Mr..
ONeills work is, II anything, imbued with even
greater dash, grace, fire, and chivaric spirit than
ever before, and Its artistic and salient points were
made TO tell with splendid emphasis The enthusl-
asm OF the audience was spontaneous and energetic
The support was all that could be desired. j. W.
shannon, who last season appeared as CdderOusSe,
while W. H. Wallis, his successor, was entirely salts.
factory. S. Miller Kent still makes manly Albert
de Morce,J, while John V. Melton az Ddagidrs, II.
Is. Bradley as YHtefort, aud IL. Gould as Fernande,
were all acceptable. Elizabeth Robins met the re-
qulrements Of the part OF Mercedes IN handsome
ssy, M, unu % w I'M @ VIII Apply ,o Ihe fiSlertcodn 0i
iotteS tn Wsu EsnnIn ,r H. ,e. D"mgm % Was ~, ~,
most at,rac,ive nresamco ,bn, .ouS mUam san y,
,vare ,voii onro, sor i"o'c""h"s chafaoeis
"e'e "e'' oaie" ''i'
| '.''''
charies H. Hoyts great success, "a Tin Soldier, y
opens for one week at Fords Opera House to.mor-
| row evening. The New york Ereuiuo poe, in
| snoo,,.. -. ~, ,,S osa y ,oe', ~
speah"R vi 'he opening performance Vi ihls play
In that city, says: =" Not vacant seat or square
foot OF standing room existed al the opening OF the
regular season OF the Bijou Theatre, when Cbarles
| ii. Hoyts 'satIrical ct cntera,' "A Tin Soldier
was presented. II Is hardly the same t,Tn Soldier
that held the boards for short time at This theatre
last season. The frame is there but with new raj
ment, FURNISHED armOr and many changes in both play
andcompany IL bears little to the Original
production Mr. IIOyt has added but little to The farce
from literary Btandpoint bt several radical
mlrth provoking qualities. With two such sterling
comedians as George w. Wilson and James n. Pow
ers, porrayng the pratical plumber and his appreu-
tce, 1t goes without saying that these comedy roles
are worked for all they are WORTH Indeed, q sober
face is an imp0ssibility when either of these wor-
thies occupies the stage. These alone would make
otr l,,,ta