New-York tribune., 1891-12-29
~ Won yONSOND

A piece called "Yon Yonson," which may perhaps
be rightly described farcica melodrama, was rep
resented last night for the first time in NewYork at
the New Park Theatre and its performance was OBJ
served with attention by considerable audience. 1t
is tie work of Mr.. "Gus" Heege and Mr.. Heege acted
,he chief part in It, The scene Is laid In Minnesota.
The first act passes in railway station where several
persons await the arrival and the subsequent de-
parture OF train. The second act passes I'm what Is
called lumber camp and closes with the scenic pre-
sentiment Of log jam and the rush OF waters incident
TO the breaking OF dam. The third act passes in
hotel parlor Twelve persons are implicated in the
plot, which is exceedingly slender-a mere thread on
which 10 hang variety features and tableaus
Yon Yonson is a swede who speaks English in an
imperfect manner and is possessed Of much physical
strength, good heart. imperturbabe manner, and
paper that entities him to certain property once
owned by his father and wrongully withheld from
him. This Swede passes much time In wandering up
and down the stage with wheelbarrow but he VIII
eventually recover the property of which he is un-
Willingly In quest and also lie will find his sister, VINO
has long been lost to him. He is kind Swede ana
he seems TO be almost slmpleon but in emergencies
he becomes shrewd and act with decision. His
strong point is an impassve countenance combined with
q phlegmatlc demeanOr. In the first act be defeats
the purpose of stout Irish woman 10 make him miss
q train. In the second act lie rescues lady from
being crushed death in jam Of logs. In the third
act he dlscomAts scamp and acquires a fortune
And almost all the while he is comcally sapient in
aspect and droy absurd in demeaDOr
This little story has not been skfully tod by Mr..
Heegc The play is crude in construction trivial in
language and mostly commonplace in incident Its
serious part absurd and its sportve part is dsfgured
With slang and with tomfooery. woman is trundled
away on "A wheelbarrow A man is suddenly seized
and prec plated overheard boy makes himself SICK
py smoking pipe Mr.. Yonson tumbles through the
ceiling The stout Irish woman dives through a
window. There is JIG, and many songs are sung by
quartete of lumbeFmen, arrayed in fantastca hanncI
and bearing But Mr.. Heege produces better
impression with his acting than with his pen. lie
yet, indeed in the chrysal!s stae-on his way from
the variety stage 10 that Of the regular drama, and
not far advanced in the process Of evouton-but he
possesses the two fine qualities Of repose and grace
his theory Of farce is right and his practice OF II Is
adnt. lie preserves absolute gravity OF manner and,
At the same time pursues line OF comic conduct
His acting IL less eectivef0r the that
is hard and monotonOus and apparently msincere.
The Swede dialect is novel, but not agreeable, and
possibly this hampers the art that Mr.. Heegc would
otherwise display. lie did not invariably maintain it,
and whenever ne lapsed Into natural manner OF speech
he was more agreeable. He had measure Of success,
but hope he would prove 10 he comedian of
higher order than Is commonly seen not fulfilled.
The composition of Mr.. Heego's company is shown in
the following cast