New-York tribune., 1904-10-30

Everybody out West IS familiar with Mo-
Cutcheou's Bird Centre cartoons. originally
drawn for Chicago newspapers and later pub"
lished IN book form by the Mcclure company.
These cartoons co BY means OF pictures very
much what Mr.. Ades Fables in Slang" DO by
means Of language-poke amiable fun az the
manners and customs OF suburban life. without
losing a certain skill in catching with fidelity
the surface aspects of that life and rendering
these aspects with little underlying affection.
Il may seem q trihe absurd TO some people to
talk thus Of the bird Centre" cartoons Just as
Il was the fashion 10 sniff at Mr.. Ade's Fables
until Mr.. Howells came 10 their defence, and
until Mr. Ade pat them on the stage as The
County Chairman" and The College Widow"
demonstrating 70 all but the most pedanticaIly
literary and academicaIly critical their value
q picture Of American life But 10 those people
who know al first hand the scenes Mr.. Nc
Cutchcon depicts wiki his humorous pencil his
work has 2 real appeal. Take the cartoon OF the
church fair-what feeling Tor the childs point OF
view is displayed in those tv-o figures playing
horse al a high rate Of speed through the legs OF
the adult throng, And what human feeling in
the figure Of the Bird Centre good-for- nothing
who comes wandering IN at the door the
Thanksgiving feast and is cheerfully invited to
have a bite-as usual! out West al least, they
understood this and The cartoons enjoyed great
vogue.
So naturally. they have found their way on
the stage in version made by Glen MacDon-
Ough and staged by Julian Mitchell the real
wizard OF or. This version VIII be shown for
the first time in this city at the Majestic The
etre next Thursday night It is not, in spite OF
q counter impression that seems TO prevail,
musical play but a broad comedy OF types. Mr..
Mitchell has made il his aim TO assemble
pany OF comedians who win physically ana
teInperamentally correspond with the characters
crRwn by McCutcheon. The four acts Of the
play are chiefly fun, but there is q dramatic sub
plot involving Captain Roscoe Fry, Grand
of lia
daughter Kate Fry, who IS the cashier IN the
hank OF Cyrus Hornbeck. II happens that Horn
beck and Captain Fry both cOurting the
same widow, and in his frenzy OF amatory 1eal-
ousy Hombeck takes advantage of Kate Fry's
financial predicaInent TO get the upper hand over
Horn beck The denOueTneDt is reached in the
arrival Of the Mysterious Stranger who comes
10 the old soldiers rescue at the crucial moment
end eXtricates him from his dilemma by an In
genious ruse. The scenes Of the play are laid at
q gala day outing, a surprise party, an auction
sale and picnic
The company engaged IN the representation
viii include George Richards Edward J. Con
nelly, William Burress, Frank Tannehin, jr-.
George MACK, Louis Payne VIII Archie. Mabel
Strickland. sue Kelleher. Susie Pitt Rosa Cooke
Blanche Chapman Louise Sydneth, Helen Mel
son and Ipha Dahl This VIII be the first pro
ducton Of rural comedy upon (which Julian
Mitchell has expended his efforts since he staged
a Midnight BelI' and % a. Temperance Town
for HUyt. Il is cur. $ coincidence that
George Richards. who was the principal come
leading part In BIRD Centre"
The burlesgue ''Yyirrvarr," which made merry
the bin all OF this week. except on Friday even
Nrru 1a~v - han