The Washington herald., 1912-11-12
AT lIHIIIE IIHlEH1[ 1[lglzS
THE COLUMBIA.
"Rebecca of .sunnybrools Farm.n

"Rebecca OF sunnybrook Farm"
dren, from tots Of five little years to
those of larger growth. and there was no
end of joyous welcome when Edith Re-
becca Rowena Randall Taliaferro-she of
''Sunnybrook Farm" arrived in Uncle
Jerry Cobb's stage at the Columbia The
ater last night. The greeting was spon-
taneous and emphatic and at once estab-
lished pleasant family relations which
were not interrupted throughout the ev-
ening. However much such a prose poem
as Mrs Virgins story may lose in the
necessarily condensed form in which II
is presented as a stage production, ii is
yet to be desired that a large number
of plays of this kind be placed before
theatergoers, especially for the deIecta-
ton OF the young folks. The gladness,
the innocence, the purity OF childhood
pervading this play have a rejuvenating
effect upon us who have felt the stress
OF life, and find ready sympathy and re-
sponse in younger hearts and minds. Be-
sides, in this play We are removed from
the confines of city streets and the
tumult of city noises, and we breathe in
stead the atmosphere of the countryside
with its fields and meadows and flowers.
- One is not called upon to solve all
kinds of social problems, but can sur
render himself with unstinted pleasure
to the delights of the simple life of simple
folks. No heavy villain disturbs our
mental repose, and the most obstreperous
character we have to contemplate is a
soured old maid who also finally is SUBJ
dued by the invincible, all-conquering
charm Of youth.
The performance last night was delight
full to a degree. From the rise of the cur
tain to the last going Of the same there
was not a moment which was not thor
oughly enjoyed by the audience which
filled all available space in the play
house. Every member of the company
apparently entered fully into the spirit of
the play, and thus a picture was set
before the spectator cameo-like in the
delicacy of each detail and in the harmo-
nious perfection of the whole.
One could run the whole gamut of ap-
proving adjectives and yet not exhaust
the limit of praise and commendaton
Miss Taliaferro has made the part OF
Rebecca so completely her own that II
is difficult to imagine any one else as
fitting into it. Gifted with youth and
winsomeness, she gives to the role the
charm with which child |
hood in its normal state is invested. |
Nothing is lacking OF the exuberance
of the little country girl, and yet we
are treated every little while to a |
which Rebecca is endowed. Miss Talia- |
ferro's Rebecca will not be easily for
gotten by any one that has had the !
pleasure to make her acquaintance.
Miranda Sawyer, RebecCa's grabbed |
old aunt, has a perfect representative in |
Marie L. Day, to whom the gentler sis |
ter. Jane, was made a splendid foil by |
Eliza Glassford and Ada Deaves was |
about as all-ambracing a gossippy Mrs. |
Perkins as one would find in many a |
days journey. Violet Mersereau as Clara |
Jane Perkins. Violet Mersereau as Clara |
Belle Simpson, Nennelle Foster as Min
ME Smellie, and Clara Mersereau as
Alice Robinson made up an irresistible |
quartet of happy, mischievOus young
sters. Viola Fortescue gives a sympathy |
exciting portrayal of Mrs. Simpson.
Archie Boyd is Unsurpassablc as
Jeremiah Cobb, the old stage driver. |
who constitutes himself a sort of guar
dian angel over RebeCCa, and in the |
smaller part of Abijah Flagg there is |
hardly less of striking characterize
tion by Edwin Smedley. Sam Colt gave
a highly satisfactory presentation OF
the part of Abner Simpson. and Hay
ward CHM could not have improved
on his Mr. Aladdin if he had been that
wonderful individual in person
The stage settings were most elab-
Drate and tasteful A pleasing incident
Of the evening was the presentation,
after the first act of $25 in gold to
Miss Marie Barrett, of Hayes School, as
The Herald's price for her essay on
life, the presentation being
h. Mr