Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-22
GOOD PLAY IS LADY
WINDERMERES FAN
MARY VAN BUREN'S REAPPEAR-
ANCE is HER BEST YET
clever and Artistic Presentation Of
oscar WiIde's Society Comedy,
Hotehkiss Makes Funniest
Presentation Vet

For her re-entry upon the stage of
the Burbank theater yesterday, Mary
Van Buren, could not have chosen 81
better vehicle than Oscar Wilde's
clever society comedy. Lady Winder-
mere's Fan" nor has this fine stock
organization made u better presenta-
tion Of play in a long time. So that
Los Angeles has two things upon
which to telicitate itself-a bright
drama. abounding with good situations
and scntillant with wit, Interpreted
by an excellent company, headed by
a fine actress. in almost faultless fash
ion.
This Wilde comedy is almost a one
woman affair. The dramatic action
so largely centers about Mrs. Erlynne
that the rest of the players are almost
feeders for her. There is not lead
ing mans role; though several rather
strong parts exist for masculine depic-
tion, they are quite on level and none
stands out from the rest as Is usual
III plays, And the only other woman
part of consequence is a negative one.
Hence, upon Mrs. Erlynne depends the
whole fabric, and should she fail in
any respect the complete ensemble goes
to smash
Miss Van Buren, has been seen in
several roles here of late and has done
good work in some of them, but they
are all in minor keys compared to
this one of Mrs. Erlynne, and her de-
pictons of them have been but pre-
limnary skirmishes. In this role she
is the character to the life. Nothing
better than this adventures with
heart has ever been done by Mary
Van Buren, in her stage career 1t is
peculiar role. demanding not only
verve and sang froid, but tenderness
and heart interest, thus being as un-
usual as it is fine. Not in any respect
does Miss Van Buren, fail to rise fully
to the occasion, and i'll some of the
stronger moments she is really superb.
Her conception of the woman she is
playing is fanltless: one, if one dared.
would say that she was not actingl at
all, but playing her own self, which is
the acme of art. Her voice, manner
and dress, her every movement and ac-
cent are perfect She throws rpon the
screen an admirable depletion from her
first entrance. and she never gets out
of the part from beginning to end.
Had she done nothing else here, Miss
Van Buren's playing of this one role
wotild have been justification for her
coming. And she can do nothing bet
ter while she is with us.
1t is too bad that. in the opposite
role. that of Lady Wirdermere. Miss
Elsie Esmond fails to approach Miss
Van Buren,. She seems to have quite
a wrong conception of the title lady,
and her acting is not by any means up
to that she has given us. She overdoes
the part, makes it a mock tragic. :um-
bles it from p'thos to bathos, and
makes ii jarrng note in an other
wise admirable play. Miss Esmond
should cut. ont most of the staginess.
the tragic strides and the weepy
voice and act as naturally and as re-
served as would a woman of Ladv
Windermere's supposed rank and
blood. Such people do not carry their
emotions about on their sleeves.
The men are uniformly good. Mace
Greenleaf's Lord Windermere is as
strong as was his Sherlock Holmes,
though of course on different lines.
John W. Burton gives a fine study of
Lord Lorton, Harry Mestayer is quite
at home as Cecil Ora ham. and Willis
Marks, Harry Glazier and Robert
Homans merit praise unstinted. The
other woman roles are )nlv bits. but
Phosa McA lister Fanny yantis, Car
rel Marshall and Maude Gilbert do all
that is possible for them. The cos
tunes and mountings are excellent.