Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-23
AMUSE N EHTS.
The County Fair

\ciI Burgess III The County Fair will
b. at the Opera house. this evening. Il
was AZ Bangor. last Friday ana Saturday.
and did an enormous business both even
ings and the Saturday matinee. The Com
Inercial has the following to say about
tho famous actor and his famous play:
Ho;1 Riirpass in THE County Fair met
a very large audience in the Opera mouse.
Friday night in opening the engagement
which Manager owen was iorluhal'
enough to secure for Bangor this season
Friday and SATURDAY nights ana d IiI"'
The County Fair has been i part Of
American drama history long enough 70
he familiar to theatre-goers throughout
tho country. No one needs to be in
formed that it is Of the rural order ana
that ii finishes with horse racing scene
world over but which has made fortune
tor its author. Mr.. Burgess himself.
Nevertheless, The County Far IS
unique in that it is given up almost eli
tireIv 10 the presentation Of single
character. everything and everybody con-
cerncd in it contributing BY design ana
intention to tins end. Where the common
rural drama is always dahgerouSIN
meiodramatic ana invariably over-Senti-
mental The County Fair goes 70 the
limit OF comedy with just enough senti-
ment TO save il. And its racing scene Is
much more agreeable and convincing thah
the siwmll scenes and tank outhts Which
have in latter days come to belong TO the
The County Fair will never outlive
Neil Burgess No other would dare Or
would De justified in daring to 50 COM
pletely dominate a play which feIuiiIttS
three hours of an audiences valuable
time in its presentation. The first act
Of "'The County Fair. for instance-lh
hour in length. is given over almost en-
tirely to Mr.. Burgess. who, silent much
Of the time is able. by his marvellous
mastery OF the character of Abigail Prue
to hold his audience as hrmiy as II ne
had all the threShing- machines. SaWnlliS.
dynamite explosions and practical tanks
grouped in the background in place OF his
modest parlor organ and a rag carpet.
Later Il sufficient plot develops anu Il
touch of pathos enters-just topch; IN
| tcrrupted before it is fairly arrived bY
merriment set a-going BY an 1rresistlplt
witticism sprung Just when eyes IN i. ths
are beginning to moiSten. But the pdthos
is genuinely drawn and not oNerdohe'
Like everything else in the play II IS nat
ural IL;
| the success of this famous play. It's very
stage management is obviously natural.
| Il might be described very truly as play
with net much II i t eAcept r @n4y t KIT
! il, Not much Of Villainy, not much OF
| pathos. not much of sentiment, not mucI
Of effort-but everything 50 true anu
wholesome and frank that il is privilege
| to sit through il. just as II gratiileS ine
sense to drive through the Smlllhs couH-
| Try on a quiet sunday morning. .
Mr.. Burgess wonderful portrayal 81 a
| female character. his studied but never
| lahored mannerisms. the thousand and
one little touches of realism which h.
gives to this delightful New EnSla
character. ana his marvellous tacldl re-
lsources-all these give To his performance
} something which TO comment on hert
would be but to repeat what mas peen
better said a million times before.
| The company in support was very eX-
caIlent. and included a quartet OF man
singers of which much in praise might be
said within the bounds Of truth. Ot al
ma parts-and all of them We're well done
If might be said that Miss Rice as Tagg'
Twas not only decidedly charming but tina
she gave a study Of a difficult ana ,%io some ne
seI.Tes Al least this much notice.
The seat sale At Staples. Smith &