The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-25
A GOOD PLAY WELL PRESENTED.
''Bunty Pulls the Strings" at the Opera
House Last Evening Was Appreciated

House Last Evening Was Appreciated
"Bunty Pulls the Strings" was the
attraction at the opera house last night,
and a fair sized audience, to whose ears
praise OF the piece had come in swelling
chorus since its run of over year in Col
lier's Comedy theatre, New York. seemed
to pass a fair and strong verdict that
Graham Moffat's comedy from over the
seas was all that the management
claimed for it. Although not singularly
demonstrative, the audience early fell
under the charm of the little story and
remained captive to its humor and
delectable seriousness.
| The piece is intended as a mild but al
ways apparent satire on Scotch virtues
and little foibles. Its emotions are for
the most part fragrantly and pictur-
esquely sentimental. In the father OF
the household is depicted the austerc
head of typical Calyinistic home, a
stern diseplinaran, who has himself a
past, and yet yields nothing to the APP
proach of relaxing influences over the
younger generation. "Bunty," who pulls
most of the strings, is the daughter OF
Tammas Biggar the sternpatriareh, who
rules with an iron rod. The girl has
presided over the household since the
death of her mother Susie Simpson, a
termagant old maid, and distant rela
tive, has given Biggar fl20 pounds in
trust, which the latter has secretly used
to pay up the deficiency of an elder son
in Glasgow Miss Simpson compels
Tammas to choose between restoring the
funds or marrying her, and the disgraced
wdpwer passes worried Sabbath IN
consequence.
Impelled by jealousy of Tammas' for
mer sweetheart, the vixenish Miss Simp /
son publicly uphraids Biggar in the kirk
yard branding him as dishonest man.
The sourceful "Bunty" pulls another
string when she promises to make good
the amount by sacrificing the nest egg of
her coming wedding with truthful, but |
none too nimble, Weelum Sprunt, HUI
NOR of distinctive sort is meanwhile |
instiled into the lines by young Rab
Biggar. student of the catechism, who
also nurses feeting passion to throw
off the yoke of the elder Biggar and
leave home. He also evnces something
of a weakness for Miss Tennie Dunlop, |
the niece of his fathers former sweet
heart
TIOu lllt llltlt VI tlsi Nilbl dlA nSNhs
on to the finish the strings" are con
tinually disturbed by the witching,
twitching pull of "Bunty." The rest OF
the story reveals the girl defeating the
designs of Susie, marrying her father to
his first love. smoothing the path of her
discontinued brother and completing sat
isfactory arrangements for her own mar
rage with Weelum.
The scene of the piece is laid in the
little highland village of Lintiehaugh,
typical community of its kind, where
the lights and shadows of Scotch domes.
ticity can best be portrayed. The stage
investture was compassed last night
with surprising fidelity to the atmos
phere of the people painted in the au-
thor's fetching picture. The story ranges
along in the early COS and the ward
robe managers were signally successful in
logging their charges out in the proper
garb.
Miss Marjorie Murray, as "Bunty,"
acted with sweet charm and made the
most of the many opportunities for indi-
vidual distinction. With clumsy Weel-
UNI Sprunt, she was obliged to answer
two curtain calls. James Finlayson, the
errant son of Tammas, infused needed
life and funniess into the tale. Kate
Lang, the yindictive elderly maiden, por-
trayed difficult role with apparent
ease. and the work of Elizabeth Lang
was quite as acceptable. James II. Heron
was assigned the part Of truthful Weel-
um, and the general level of his act
ing was to give the text of the author
its full value in a part that might easily
have been overdrawn. Heron added
strength and character to the cast. Peter
as Tammas Biggar, was SUI
perior to most of the actors who appear
in similar roles. His searching sternness
was never overdone. Miss Alice HORNE
acted with graceful precision and the
supporting members of the cast seldom
failed to do their full duty in balancing
the movement of the story.