Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-19
MAY IRWIN, FAT,
JOLLY As OF OLD.
SURE CURE FOR BLUES AT
THE MASON
AN APOSTLE OF OPTIMISM
"Mrs. Black Is Back" Has Little Plot,
but the Lack Is Not Felt When
Good.Natured May ls
on the Stage

That apostle of optimism, May Irwin,
fair. fat and Eyes, probably 40, inaugu-
rated an all too brief silly season at the
Mason last night, with MRS Black is
Back"
Ever since the effulgent as full moon
she and the BOSS Bully song be-
witched all who beheld her, May Irwin
has been the personifcation Of jollity
and humor on the stage. AS lusciously
luxuriant in build as a ripe tomato, she
literally fills the eye' and almost the
stage when she is in view; which is a
large" part Of the time.
But, being the one actress Of all time
anti-Bernhardtish enough to make cap
ital of her superabundance of too, too
solid flesh, and irradiating so liberal
warmth of fun by her very presence,
there is never too much of May Irwin.
physically or otherwise, in the plays
she uses as frame for her own hilar-
ious avordupois. One asks nothieg
better in the way of amusement than
to behold the ponderous, pachydermic
May roll about behind the footlights
and laugh at her own rolly-poly-ish-
ness.
Any woman who can make light,
mirth and capital of what most all her
sex would wall over as misfortune
and be clever enough to extract coin
from us for the sight of herself in a
role of self-amusement ought to be con-
graduated. No one who recalls this
delightful woman when she was the
famous widow, who sent the Bully"
song on it's wonderful rag time career,
needs more than the assurance that 1t
is the same old May-perhaps a little
more of her; certainly, no less.
And as that element includes all this
generation Of theater-goers save those
who have grown up since the ebullient
May last visited these parts the only
regret is that her series of jovial SER
mons will be preached so few times.
For they are sermons, these presenta-
tions of hers-sermons maybe in
screeches and shrieks as well as in
jeremiads and stones. And why not
sermons of happiness and mirth and
good frolicksomeness, as we'll as of
dolor and hell fire?
Good old fat May Irwin.
What about her play? Why worry
over that? What. really, difference
doth it make? This is a case where the
play isn't the thing; May Irwin in
Shakespeare would be funnier than is
the average Comedian in a shouting
farce-why, at funeral she'd make
the preacher out humorist and the
corpse would giggle! But If you must
dissect laugh, here goes:
MRS. Black" is woman who in a
age at her second marriage, quite for
getting that her 17-year-old son was
thereby left only 10 years old. Her
new husband hates liar above all rep
to arrive and receive several tons Of
baby toys. The rest may be imagined.
There really isn't plot enough to
worry anyone, nor to prevent May from
opening the cave of the winds in her
face and emitting series of coon songs
in that particular style which permits
of no imitation. These are all new,
funny and exceedingly unctious.
Helping out Miss Irwin is an excel
lent company, every member of which
fits his or her part to perfection. Jane
Burley as Emily, her sister, is good
foil-not too thin. Lottie Stanley, pretty
and girlish is clever indeed as Priscilla,
and her sister-in-law. Roland Carter Is
the impossible professor; Johnston
Burr is great as Jack, the son; Mary
Donohue is a wonder as the coon, and
but what's the use?
This play is an antidote for every
form of sadness because every line in
it is a laugh. IF ye have tears to
shed"-stay away.