The Washington herald., 1909-07-06
THE BELASCO.
..NIiss Brown-Burglnr.'

The Belasco Theater Company passes
this week to comedy. but hardly farclcal
comedy, as the programme alleges, for
Miss Brown-Burglar." the play by
author unknown. which the company is
producing. partakes more OF the satiricaI
than Of any classifying designation that
we can at this moment think Of
George Hemmlngs, a young Englisman
OF impulsive nature and Quixotic ideas
regarding things mundane. becomes in
terested in criminology and evolves some
theories Of his own concerning culpabnity.
environment. and the other Things usually
fixed on by would-be philanthropists. Re
turning one night from a meeting OF
kindred spirits before which he had read
a paper. he comes upon a young woman
supporting a presumably sick old gentle
man upon a door step. and after some
misleading banter. breaks into the cellar
window OF the house for the purpose Of
admitting them. but makes a great noise
in doing this and the inmates OF the
house are aroused. A struggle ensues
and he is arrested as a burglar, the girl
and her father having been admitted to
their own house across the way by q
returning servant with a missing KEY
or course he Is released the next morn
ing upon the discovery OF the facts and
his relationship 20 d former cabinet min
ister
The fact that a gang OF high-class
thieves led by a woman. are operating
In London al this time. makes the affair
seem suspicious, but he makes up his
mind al first that the girl was no thief
which feeling veers around. upon the
growth Of the suspicion. 10 a conviction
that her situation was not one OF natural
tendency. but one forced upon her by
circumstances. Upon this is the whole
comedy built W. the parties afterwsrd
meeting In the country town. she. cogni-
Zant OF all the acts. and at the insriga-
ton Of the boys uncle. and he totally
ignorant OF anything. The thieves are
reported 10 be IN the neighborhoOd. a
diamond tiara Is stolen. presumably BY
the gang, but really by the titled owners
son: IL passes from hand 10 hand. Great
ing humorous. yet legitimate complica-
tiOns The young mans mother makes
a complete fool OF herself; he sticks 10
the girl through everything. imagining
that a prison door stares them Doth IN
the face. and finally the scene shifts
astute old uncle. where all IS cleared
and the girl discovers that she loves
him, H. in fact. she did not know Il
from the first.
The whole thing IS very clever. and can
hardly be called a farce for there IS
nothing inconsistent in the action or
uproarious in the episodes. The complica-
tions are acute. but perfectly congruous;
nothing happens on the stage but what
might happen under ordinary circum-
stances IN life; unless il be the circum-
stance a. the beginning where a man is
being brought home drunk by his daugh-
ter Men. as a rule are more circuu1-
sDect IN the company OF a wife or daugh-
ter than otherwise. The lines OF the play
are distinctly bright, with one or two
poetical illusions that smack strongly OF
Augustus Thomas method. notably. one
70 Tetrach and Laura IN the first act
The trend OF the treatment seems 20 be
satirical fling at philsnthEppists OF the
criminal reforming type. with the hero
as an example and az people whose
pretudices and superficial observation
leads them into ludicrOus mistakes The
honors 90 20 the worldly and experienced
old uncle, Charles Crevine K c NJ P
The comedy is in every respect worthy OF
a seasons trial, and in the hands Of a
capable company al the present VIII no
doubt be transiently. II not permanently
successful with little pruning.
The whole force OF the fine company IS
used in the production, with Miss Lau-
retta Taylor IN the role OF Lillian Tur-
ner. the capricious heroine, and very
pretty success does she make OF II, espe-
cially IN the third and fourth acts, where
50 much depends upon intelligence rather
than upon the acuteness OF the situations
She seems 70 be able 70 impress the on
locker with the inner parts OF a role with
out any trouble whatever. and surely she
is good outwardly 70 look at Mr. Van
Buren, plays a character this week en-
tirely different from any that he has as
sumed during the engagement, and IS
perfectly successful, as usual, and, as
usual. fine character sketches are pre-
sented by George Howell and Frederick
Burton. the former appearing as Henry
Greville. the ex-cabinet minister. and the
latter as Joshua Turner. the somewhat
eccentric father OF the girl. All OF the
minor characters fall into perfectly com
petent hands. and the performance az no
time bears the aspect OF a mere try-out.
but rather throughout gives the impress
sion Of carefully rehearsed and planned
production.