The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-29
AT THE THEATERS.
-Lafayette-"Beside the Bonnie Brier
Bush"

BUsh."
Frank L. Perley and Fred NJ. Ranken
present Ian Maclaren's Beside the Bon
ME BFier Bush. dramatized by James
Macarthur and Tom Hail." This was
the manner in which the announcement
Of the first production of the play on any
stage was made last night at the La
fayette Square Opera House. AS large
and distinguished an audience as has
ever greeted a local production read the
lines and leaned back in their seats to
compare DIR. Watson's universally-read
sketches with the untried drama of
Messrs. Hall and Macarthur. That this
audience was largely made up of church
people and that the performance was
warmly applauded. tells more of it than
any criticism could.
The first glimpse one gets of the pre-
sentation is more than assuring. BE
side the Bonnie Brier Bush has been
mounted with lavish good taste and
the scenery is notable for its beauty and
detail. As a dramatic product the first
act is not so pleasing. There are, as
yet too many loose strings lying around.
incidents that crowd in upon each other
far too rapidly for that stage of play.
As a result three stories are badly in
volved within the space of thirty min
utes, and the process of cons truetion be-
comes painfully evident One begins to
think. NOW, he is going to say that"
or "she is going TO do this and he or
she do or say IL on schedule time. The
jointings are rough. and nervousness. to-
ge-her with the fact that last nights
was first production, made the action
slow. 1t was not until the curtain had
fallen upon a powerful climax that one
began TO see possibilities in the play.
Early in the next act those possibilities
become probabilities. a great deal of
careful interlocking becomes evident and
three or four clever details establish the
play in ones admiration. When the end
comes ii brings one of the strongest sit
uauonS ever conceived and the audience
by appreciative applause win little
ante-act that brought the tears to many
eyes. The next scene is not unlike that
in front of Grace Church in THE Old
Homestead. and ii reveals a number of
new faults without many virtues
Strength runs into cheap effect that
hardly fits a play of the order of Beside
the Bonnie Brier Bush" and for a time
the performance seems absurdly melo-
dramatic. The remainder of the piece
however. with its breath of rye and the
atmosphere of Scotland makes up for
this and forces one TO recall the presen-
tation tenderly.
II is in this that much Of the charm in
the play lies. The character drawing. the
realism. the fidelity to nature and espe-
cially TO Scotch nature. viii have every
thing TO do with the dramas success.
Otherwise the popularity Of the book
and the force occasionally brought 10
light would hardly save il from being
merely a literary product.
j. H Stoddart and Charles A. Harbury
are the mainstays Of a very good cast
The first has rarely done a better bit of
work than in the part of Lachlan Camp
bell and the second achieves everything
with type fresh from the book itself
The one is as emotional and as firm as
the other is quiet and distinct and neither
could possibly be improved upon. w. F.
Rochester hints AZ q clever portrayal of
the village cynic without finishing his |
picture, though his work throughout is
remarkably efficient and r. a. Roberts |
presents a portrait Of rather negative |
merits. Cuyler Hastings is weak Au-
Eustus Cook, excellent and Emmett Cor |
rigan unconventionally villainous. Au- |
gustine Duncan. Walter Craven and |
James NJ. Wilson are good Despite a |
sort Of ''Curfew-Must-N Nothing Tonight
elaboracy of gesture Marie Burroughs !
is strikingly capable in her Interpretation |
Of the lines Of Kate Carnegie and Marian |
Chapman does the role of Flora Campbell |
with earnest daintincSs. The remainder |
Of the company are in the main, up 10 /
the standard
r II. Sothern will provide the enter
tainment next week.