The Washington times., 1912-03-13
Julia Murdock,s Ideal of Character Is
Seen in "Rebecca of Smnybrook Farm"

An episode unprecedented in Wash
ington's theatrical history took place in
the New National Theater last evening,
when at the close of the third act, in re-
sponse to continued and tumultuons ap-
plause, and cries for Author, author!"
Kate Douglas Wiggin, a guest of
President and Mrs. Taft, in the Presi-
Dental box, arose and responded grace
fully to the ovation accorded her. The
President and many others in the audi
ence were drying the tears that had
been brought to the surface in response
10 the consummate acting of dainty lit
tie Miss Edith Taliaferro when she had
handed the wedding ring to MIR. Simpson
and had asked him to place it on Mrs.
simpsons hand "in the right way"
"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" was a
beautiful book, but when news came
that 1t was TO be made into Il play,
those who were familiar with the little
heroine's history wondered how 1t could
be possible to take all of those little
girl incidents and make them into a
drama, for the book was little more
than, biography of Rebecca Rowena
Randalls life from day to day, and no
matter now interesting biographies may
or may not be, they do not. as "a usual
rule, furnish fertile material for a
drarna, for many reasons.
But those who have seen this charm
mE lGSli OF girlhood as interpreted by
Miss Taliaferro this week at the New
national, and those others to whom the
pleasure of seeing the play is a delight.
yet TO be experienced, find that an en-
tertainnent need not necessarily be
play IN order to be amusing and intense
ly interesting.
Character of Rebecca
An Attractive One.
The character of the little New Eng
land girl with the big, big heart is an
attractive one, and an appealing one as
well, and she has proved as loyable in
the play as in the book. The sunni
ness OF her nature, her artlessness, her
naive brightness, the poetry and
beauty of her infant philosophy, all of
these have been retained in the play
and in the hands of Miss Taliaferro,
Rebecca is, to the mind of the writer
twice as nice to meet as the one who
until this season, lived only between the
covers of Mrs. Wiggn's book.
Many or the incidents which made the
book so delightful, such as the selling
of the soap, the quest for Mrs. Simp-
sons wedding ring, the festival In the
barn, Rebecca's escape from the brick
house In the rainstorm, and her meet
lpg with Adam Ladd have been pre-
served: Mrs. Wiggin and her co-au-
thor, Mrs. CHARLOTTE Thompson, have
kept away from the ordinary run of
New England plays. The village pump,
so long an institution in the plays de-
picting this section OF the country, is
conspicuous by its absence. SO is the
commonly accepted type of New Eng
land native who Chews upon a straw,
and talks through his nose, dropping
his RS and broadening his AS. The
sordid side of that cold and emotion
less region has been omitted and the
authors have devoted themselves to
showing pictures of the young girls.
their friends, their mishaps, their
They seem to have more surely struck
the note of humanity than have the
men who write for the stage.
Possibly this may be explained as
womans intuition; it may be the deli
cacy of feminine perception: ii may be
their closer, more intimate acquaintance
with the matters of family and home
Whatever it is the fact remains that
they have presented to the public in
''Rebecca," a play that is wholesome,
uplifting. and of a moral tendency, yet
tremendously entertaining, and full OF
dramatic power, while it is, at the
sweet
New England Spirit
Is Seen Throughout.
Mrs. Wight" nag Caught the spirit OF
New England, with its grim grip on
life, and its stern philosophy of living.
Against the background of the bleak,
drear uneVentful lives of itS DeoDle