The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-08
THERE is SOMETHING NEW
Old Theories About Stage Athletics
Have Been Overthrow.
Gymnasium Instructors Trying 10 Find Out
How Seymour Does His Tricks.

tlineS leIintu mover are seen OcCd-
sionally; but. after all, they are but old
feats in new dress.
Such in substance was the statement
made by well-known local athlete this
morning; and he followed it with the
statement that i'm Providence this week
those interested in athletics have seen
demonstration of the falsity of the
common saying.
II refer" said he. "to the act Of o.
G.. Seymour, who, with Mile. Dupree.
the graceful dancer. is at keith's. If
You have no special familiarity with
athletics, you probably are not aware
or the fact, FOR such IL IS, that the
acrobatic, genuine novelty, and one
that in Boston last week aroused the
greatest curiosity among gymnasium
instructors and pupils; and that is
how / heard OF it. Now. they are all
trying 10 learn how TO do it; but /
fancy they'll put in a good many
months OF mighty hard work before
they can even initiate it.
Young Seymour. who is only about
80 years old, has long been known as an
acrobatic performer, whose suppleness
and agility have placed him in the very
front rank; and perhaps you viii re-
member his being here in Providence
last season as a great feature OF the
Primrose and West minstrel company.
He may almost be called Provl-
dence boy, too. for, though he comes
from the wooden nutmeg state, he has
relatives here and a large number OF
acquaintances.
II have seen him do some remarka-
BILE twists and springs and somersaults
and all that sort OF thing, which OF
course was just what lots Of others did:
but you never saw anybody else. either
in circus or on the stage, do anything
10 be compared in any sense with his
jumping that he is now doing. You
have seen acrobats. jump very high and
make long running and standing
jumps: but did you ever before see a
man jump five or six feet in the air
without bending his knees? | rather
guess not. Did you ever before see a
man who could stand al the side OF
an upright plano and hop over it with
out touching anything. and do it as
easily as you would jump over a cat on
the floor? Well. l should say not, nor
anybody else. The fact is. as | told you,
Seymour has actually got something
new: and it's vastly more remarkable
than nine out of ten people who see it
even guess. It's beyond the comprehen-
sion OF anybody not thoroughly faml-
lar with athletics. and so ii doesn't
draw out as much applause as il de-
serves; but you'll find that the won
derful nature and the novelty of his
performance is something that grows
on those who see II. and that they go
out and talk about IL a whole lot
This clever young acrobat has act
ually opened an entirely new field in
and he has had such long
and valuable stage experience as to
enable him TO enhance the value and
effect OF his act by appearing in char
ig Ia
last thing you would expect His APP
pearance as a Chinese servant makes |
his acrobatic work come as a tremend- |
Gus surprise to you; and Of course that |
heightens the effect greatly, while his |
playing on various musical instru- !
ments and the dancing Of his partner |
sufficient variety to make |
his acrobatic work stand out all the |
more strongly by contrast. Take ii all |
I'm all, his act, just as 1t is, certainly is |
one OF the most novel, and one of the |
most interesting to any one familiar |
with athletics, that / have seen for
ong time; and several parties of local |
levotees of athletics have already been |
made up to go 10 see ii.
In a subsequent chat with Mr.. Sey-
nour himself. that gentleman was
found TO be disinclined 10 speak Of his |
)wn act in enthusiastic terms, saying |
hat he claimed only to be displaying |
he results of many years of very hard
md very patient work, in which his
aim had been to produce
as far different from the
work of others as to Justify his taking
some little pride in the fact that ii pos
essed individuality and freshness.
And how do you manage TO hop over
he upright piano while standing be-
ide it?" was asked.
We'll, strictly speaking" was the re-
4 \
With apparent ease; but you see il
makes an ever so much more effective
inish of my act 10 take a little run up
o it, and so / do il in that way, for
'ou know we have to study effect in
hese things. AS to how 1 do IT, how
ver, / can give you only one answer,
md it's the same answer I'd have to
rive you If you asked how in two
jumps j clear distance of 26 feet and
ise to a height of nearly eight feet in
ach jump. or how i jump up on to
he seat of the chair standing on the
able. or any other of my features. The
nswer is simply practice / have
'racticed and practiced and practiced
n every known kind OF athletic and ac-
obatic exercise and training: and, as
result | have cotton TO the point
where | simply do IL. That's really all
can say. ! simply do IL: and am able
o do Il simply because by all these |
ears of hard work / have acquired the
equisite agility suppieness and mus
uiar development to do IL. / know |
hat must be rather an unsatisfactory |
nswer, especially If YOU don't know
1uch about these things. but IL / were
D give that answer 10 any athlete or
crobat. he'd understand il at once, and
ed recognize its aptness and compre-
And have / got through? Bless you.
o. I'm practicing all the time now.and
rying to learn things ever so much !
lore difficult and surprising; and. un-
'ss | am much mistaken. IL won't be |
ing before ] will have mastered sew
raj new tricks or feats that Will he
more sensational and !
ovel even than what I am now doing
How do ! like vaudeville? Well. i'm a
anse ] may say that il is an old story
, me. have always been 10 all intents
nj purposes n speciality performer:
nd my professional career Is trine
niger than that or what we know to-
nv as vaudeville | must say. how
YER. that in all my experience. have
ever SO enjoyed my work. I have new
.een such intelligrntlv apprecfntive
4 H..s. 4 4.