Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-18
DURBANKERS IN
ANOTHER WINNER
"HoME FOLKS" GIVES CHANCE
FOR CHARACTER WORK
Nearly All Members Have Opportunity
to Depict Types In Which They
ReveI-comedy MeIodrama
Of Mixed Merits

Given the opportunity to depict char
acter types, and members of the Bur
bank stock company are thoroughly at
home. In fact, they fairly revel in this
sort of thing, and especially If the roles
carry a rural tlnge. Seldom are such
people better portrayed than is the
case when members of this fine organ
ization attack them.
AS Home Folks" this weeks Bur-
bank Offering, is almost wholly a series
of rural character sketches, 1t may be
imagined that the types are exceed
ngly well handled and that great in
terest is aroused In the stage presenta-
tion, regardless Of the merits or de-
merits of the play itself. This is true
not that the drama has not merits, but
In that the portrafture far outwelghs
all else. The players give O. fine series
of character drawings and hardly one
falls below a striklngy high standard.
Home Folks" itself is one of those
rural comedy melodramas which have
little real plot, a conventional action
and the usual happy ending. There is
the hero, q stalwart son of the coun-
try, John Selby which honest farmer
lad is exceedingly well done by Will
nam DSSHlOuu, WHO lHuS displays his
fine muscled arms and husky physique.
There is the villain of the polished,
sneering city stamp, admirably handled
by Arthur Rutledge, who is fast be-
coming identified with such things.
There is the country ne'er-do-well, the
despoiler of all, who is always on hand
at the nick OF time, whether it be to
save life or fiddle a quadrile; of
course, Henry Stockbridge is this chap
n fe, i
ruralite II. Uncle Sam makeup, whom
John Burton plays by being perfectly
natural. There are the village men of
note, handled to the last cry by Willis
Marks, H. j. CHM and H. S. DufHeld.
Then we have Mrs. Martha Selby-Car-
roll Marshall--a clever piece of work.
And Polly, the maid of all work, in
troduces Elsie Esmond in new guise-
or disguise, rather. And in addition,
to vary the story, comes Harry Mes
tayer as the brother of the heroine
gone wrong, and the heroine herself,
Mary Van Buren, of course, a sweetly
simple part which shows this favorite
in tngenue clothes and makes her a
few more good friends. Still again, is
Gerald Harcourt as Aunt Emily, the
Oldest inhabitant, in most remarkable
makeup and hilarious clothes.
But not to be forgotten are two of
the cleverest of boys, Chandos Marks
and Pete Clancy. Better stage boys
never were; they have stepped right
out OF Riley's swimmin' hole poem
and are true to the life in the last
degree.
Last, but not least-indeed, most at
tractive of attention-is Maude Gilbert,
as Sis Durkin, a "bottomite," in ragged
gown and bare feet and legs. We have
seen Maude Gilbert in many a part,
variously dressed in feminine and
masculine garb, and in each she has
| been charming. But as a barefoot girl
she certainly will catch more eyes than
she ever did before
Indeed, now that she, Elsie Esmond
and Mary Van Buren, have all three
exhibited their tootsies for the delec-
tation of the populace, 1t may not be
extraneous to suggest that a three
cornered contest be pulled off between
them, la Trilby, that the question Of
| whose tootsies are daintiest be settled
once for all, and thus end a discussion
which Is sure to rage with unabated
fury till all three doff their hose and
shoes on the same stage at the same
time, and give US a chance to pass
judgment.
But to return to our muttons: Home
Folks" with such delightful character
izattons, Is bound to be a hit, no mat
ter what sort of play 1t is intrinsically.
So do not go with the expectation of
studying the comedy drama as such;
go prepared to hear character and
type, to get hearty laugh and to revel
in the fun OF making fun of the bone
and sinew of the land, as the farmers
are called. Then you will enjoy 1t
immensely; it is never wise to pry be-
meath the surface of pie to examine
the films when the odor is tempting
enough to make ones mouth water as
it stands. And this one certainly does.
Next week DR.. C. w. Bachman's
drama of old California, Under the
Bear Flag" will receive it's first pre-
sentation on any stage at this house.