The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-29
AT THE THEATERS.
acknowledgements the Bonnie Brier
Bush"

grown very chary of new productions,
but there must be an exception to every
rule, and that of the year occurred last
night at the Lafayette Square Opera
House, where Frank Perley and Fred
Ranken presented Beside the Bonnie
Brier Bush for the first time on any
stage. 1t was Il notable occasion and the
crowd present was limited in numbers
only by the dimensions of the house and
IN distinction by the people who were not
out of town" Not to have read Ian
MacLarens little tales has, of recent
years, meant literary ostracsm quite as
much as ignorance of "Trilby' would
have three seasons ago and in conse-
quence the devotees of the writer were
quite as much in evidence as the friends
of the Rev. John Watson, D. d. Both
brought their books under their coats
and came with the avowed intention of
criticising-an intention that was for
gotten ten minutes after the curtain had
risen.
In every sense of the word the play.
Beside the Bonnie Brie- Bush is Il
complication and generally from widely
dHiefent sources. As exclusively an
hounced in the advance notices, the stage
version was taken not only from that
volume which gave it name. but also
from Ar MacLarens two other works.
AUD Lang Syne" and Kate Carnegie"
Inc standardization was made by James
Macarthur, a serious literary character
OF some note, and Tom Hail. writer of
light verse. Naturally there is a good
zeal OF medleyizing in the piece and it
Is rather hard to tell where anything
came from. Ultimately one concludes
that the characters are from Beside The
Bonnie Brie- Bush" and "AuId Lang
Syne the situations from Kate Car
neSle and the plot from the minds of
the adapters. This is said with a reaIi-
zaIion that nothing less charitable could
be told of Messrs. Hall and Macarthur
Most of the little censure deserved by
the presentation falls on this plot 1t is
conventional in the extreme and the
usual thing" in a painful degree. 1t is
also so melodramatic that only a flood
announced by the press notices and which
ana not arrive on schedule time was
needed to make one believe firmly that he
was witnessing a production of Fallen
Among Thieves or The Sidewalks of
New York"
But fortunately the story is quite the
least necessary thing in the play BE
side the Bonnie Brier Bush is simply
picture of The Old Homestead framed
IN scotch thistle and with all the beauty
IN treatment, all the simplicity and pow
er and pathoS of that classic in American
play writing. The piece is filed with the
atmosphere of Scotland and 1t is prevela-
lent everywhere. 1t floats into the nos
trils from fields of rye and into the ears
from the wheeZy notes of the bag pipe and
the rough burr of the little dialect used
One sees the hills of Scotland and feels
the hard but hearty characters of the
Scotch people before him The whole
drama is filled to the brim with good in
huences and earnest work. 1t is produc-
ton more satisfactory than satisfying.
nd vii OIL -I,a q
pretty" play this new offering abounds
in strength and really forceful situations.
| Occasionally these show the jointings and
bear marks of having been thrust in bod-
ly but they are always dramatic. There
would have to be many faults in the piece
to make one forget the powerful endiugs
to the first and second acts, together with
the wonderful little story enacted in the
three minutes called for by the last en-
core given that second. He must indeed
be world-wearied man who could sit
through that portion of the piece without
having the tears come into his eyes.
The plot concerns the adventures Of
Flora Campbell, a mere child in stature
and nature, who has fallen in love with
Lord Hay, a young nobleman Her
father, Lachlan Campbell has rather a
cynical Idea of the honesty of the British
nobility, and fOrbids his daughter TO see
the man again. This rule she disobeys.
and thereby deepens the anger already
generated by her refusal to marry Tomp-
kyns. villain, who exercises his power
as land agent enough to be Irish rather
than Scotch. Lord Hay goes to London.
after the trouble with Campbell. and
there is informed by Tompkyns that
Flora is going to marry Rev. John Car
michael young minister. with WHOM
Kate Carnegie Is in love. This with the
command of the usual dying father.
makes him ask Miss Carnegie to marry
him. which she refuses to do. Mean
while Flora, having had to bear much
from her father, and being determined
that her sweetheart has been won by
Miss Carnegie, goes to London, leaving
Lachlan TO enjoy a curse scene far SUI
perior to that beautiful one in Hazel
ktrke." He soon forgives. however, and
sends to London for her There she
IS reached just as she is being arrested
on charge brought by the villafnous
Tompkyns, who is just about as bad as
two real melodramatic authors could
make him. She is brought home. i'll. but
RECEIVERS in the conventional manner in
time TO marry Lord Hay and let Kate
do the same with the minister.
This not over brilliant tale is enacted
by cast of characters that is really a
close approach to the much advertised
IAN star" j. II. Stoddart, that veteran
campbell
does in his old age bit of acting he has
never surpassed in his younger DAYS He
finished an incomplete character sketch
and makes 1t as clear and as distinct as
cameo His emotional work was bril-
liant and his quieter scenes perfect in
their response. Charles A Harbury. too
achieved a triumph. His DR. Mcclure is
uncqualed as drawing from book lore
1t is Ian MacLaren's physician to the life
and the nature of the man is clothed in
a makeup that makes one forget that
pictures do not walk audlOok to see If any
have escaped from his own particular
volume of Scotch tales. w. f. Rochester
IS not so fortunate in completing a study
but he is. nevertheless, a clever actor
who gets great deal from his lines r.
4. Roberts is a pleasing and genteeIIy
non-committal minister, Cuyler Hastings,
an inane Lord Hay; and Emmett Corri-
gan villainously villainous villain; Au-
gustus Cook. erstwhile Napoleon, gives an
excellent impersonation of General Car
negie and Augustine Duncan, Walter
Craven and James NJ Wilson are above
criticism in roles as concise and finished
as Ian MacLarens own sketches
Of the ladies Marie Burroughs is most
noteworthy. She, in common with the re-
mainder of the company, suffered last
night from excessive nervousness and
lost much thereby. She is-or was-in-
clined to be profuse and eXa ggerated in
manner, but this was largely due to new
ness in the part and will wear off. She
made a charming Kate Carnegie. Marian
Chapman was appropriately childish, as
Flora Campbell, but rather unequal To her
heavier work, while Evangeiine Irving
and the remainder of the cast were salts
factory.
The production was the most beautiful
seen here in many years. There were
oh,
and picturesquely wonderful All were
alike beautiful and elaborate. The play