New-York tribune., 1911-10-10
THE DRAMA
Billie Burke in "The Runaway
al the LVCeum.

at the LyCeum.
Miss Billie Burke almost seems to have
taken up the task OF connecting Americans
with the more intimate and less sensational
side OF the French stage. so often now has
she presented over here the little comedies
Of romance that have been fetched direct
from Parts and Belgium. And in each
case she has taken care. IL seems, 10 pre-
serve both in the adaptation she uses ana
in her characterizatons the feeling ana
the subtle spell. IL there be one. OF the
original
Michael Morton has again adapted. or
perhaps IL would be better 70 saw trans
lated and arranged. "Tha Runaways.' from
play called Id Canine by Pierre
Weber and Henri de Gorsse. Mr.. Morton
has done some OF Miss Burke's other plays
from the Frccch My Wife. in which she
supported John Drew several years ago. TOT
instance and also Love Watches and, II
memory serves. suzanne" Whoever II Is
that does Miss Burke's choosing OF plays
and why not credit her with doing Il for
herself? for she is a far more serious per
son of the stage than she usually Is on It
generally manages 20 gets something Win
a little iiavOr or piquancy or imagination
at all events an evasive and interesting
quality that raises IL above the realms Oh
/ the Ine-for-line photography OF eVery'''
. life which is what so many OF our pays
/ most resemble.
| I'm The Runaway Miss Burke IS 'oie',e'
the warI of her two maiden aunts. VINO
, live in a remote Breton village. Coietle
was not born Just to make little breads
and turn omelettes. and DO pretty em'rold-
/ cry things and all that. She was born win
/ ideas ard drears inside that seemed I'd
have 20 come out When she is eighteen
celebrated Partisan artist spends a ,ata'
month ~ the little Breton chateau, ana
Colette learns from him good daaI-'iar
TOO much" whisper the aunts-about draw
ing. one Sunday she forgets herself and
rhe holy Sabbath so completely as 20 go
ont and make sketch Of some nvmDHs IN
"a sylvan glade The horrfed aunts ~ once
decide on getting their unmanagea1lo onarr"
. married and Of their o0nsciences. But Nh"n
all arrangements are made COletto is miss
ing In fact she has run away to Paris. 90
that she may become a great artist. Lack
II funds soon drives her To- seek help and
the little stranger In n big city goes 90 the
artist who stayed under her roof for
glorious month IN the Breton country
The play does not end Just Ike that az all
The famous Partisan artist e. seems AZ
first. is not the one. But why give the 1T
tie surprise away Colette never lets YOU
feel quite sure till the very end, and YOU
have a pleasant feeling Of suspense that f.
would he too bad 20 spoil.
The character Of Nile Colettn. as devel-
oped by Billie Burke. is unusual She is a
voungster with a streak OF the fire Of
genius A little French provincial, she is
not local. but universal II is not neces-
sarily characteristic OF q French girl from
the provinces 70 be as deep and yet as un-
sophisticated as Coette. She is simply
herself. and no tyne Of any kind. Yet In
the things and people who surround her
there is all the flavor Of the place, tirst Of
the tiny provincial town whence she has
come. and. second. Of the more prosperous
artist colony In Paris Q. Aubrey Smith
as Maurice Delonav. was not In any way a
tvniral French artist. but he was both q
Frenchman and an artist, and very truly
borh. HIS sincerity and understanding OF
the part We're charming In the first act
Edwin Nicander made almost master
niece of his Alcide Pngot. the stammering
blushing. vet Observation-Disclosures
mothers hoy of Pont Audemer. He over
did n a little. was Just little too beside
himself with embarrassment. Morton sell
tens Vignaux. the police magistrate. was
done without any of the tricks OF char
acrer" acting II IS hard 20 overlook anl
one in the cast. for that matter Each on
managed 70 make himself or herself a Di
distinctive
In The Runaway there has travelled
across the sea a little play without the
cries or deadly purpose but with some
thing that very few PLAYS have AZ pres
ent-inagination and the charm OF little
scraps Of originality and the small sur
prises which some fanciful minds have
nur into II. The authors have created q
little character, drawn from no pattern
and following no rule but her own. And
Bufe Burke has put all her fresh. spon-
taneous youth In the part and the charm
of ner voice. for she speaks with a de-
ughtful lilt and gratifes the ear with a
natural care I'm speaking her words
There are suggestions of mannerisms
here and there which have crept upon her
no doubt. from playing on the road for too
long stretches in one part. but she can
get away from these In fact she had
more Of them last year and has thrown
nearly all of them away.