The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-30
JERRY FARCE MADE
TO FIT BILLIE BURKE
\ctress Shows All Her Talents
in New Play at Lyceum
Theatre.
HAS PINK PAJAMAS TOO
Coincidence Plays Part Of Slang
Using. Naughty Poacher
Of Aunt's Bctrothed.
HAS PINK PAJAMAS TOO
"Jerry"-As the I.yeeum rhsssps.


~. Kirk................ .Lumeder Hare
Briggs. .............. Thomas Reynolds |
In the last act Of Jerry" which Cath
crime c. Cushing wrote for Billie Burke
and Charles Frohman produced for the
,,medienne at the Lyceum Theatre Satur-
day night. Miss Burke was disclosed in
pink silk pajamas. They were not the
baggy envelopes OF masculine use. but
might have been described by their maker
as tailored" They seemed to be intended
10 eat the figure" They went in at the
ankle and there were curves at the waist.
Miss Burke later shed them behind n
screen and disappeared from the ravished
view OF her first night admirers arrayed
Inx disphanous frock OF pale and spring
Ike tnts
There had been previous revelations Of
The actress in striking attire. She was
seen hrst In an automobile approaching
the room in which the action OF the play
passed. When the car stopped before the
door she was at tho wheel. Later she
put on an old fashioned empire gown that
mad belonged to her aunt and reappeared
afterward to close the frst act In a dinner
gown. The first sight Of her in the second
act was In a peignoir over her night dress.
After that she got into riding brooches
and stuck there until the tailored pink
bahamas OF the last act. SO much for the
visual delights supplied by the new drama
10 her admirers. 1t may be added that
Miss Burke was never prettier In her
girlsh way than In the various DISCUSSES
Of Jerry.
And the new play provides Miss Burke
Nth the opportunity to reveal all her
endearing Young charms. She loves the
'or;y-year-old betrothed OF her aunt and
she sets out to acquire him. She slangs
her mother, devotes much time to snatch
.ng his handkerchief out Of the sleeve OF
an elderly Arglomaniac's coat, calls fire.
quently on the Deity and II said to be the
s!rl "a, hour ahead" Of the times. Her
-onsp!racy to get her lover away from
rls fancee Is with this Kansas City imita-
ION Of a Brlton. since he Ia anxious to
marry the aunt. 10 whom he has been for
year> devoted. By the simple expedient
= announcing the breaking Of the former
engagement and the existence OF the new
me the crisis Is precipitated.
story OF the Farce.
II was OF course Jerry who teiephoned
the false news to the newspaper once,
md when she frankly admitted she did
, because she wanted to marry her aunt's
oetrothed she WAS punished by being put
INTO bed in pink pajamas. There she Ian
-l!shed for four days under lock and key.
.ed on milk and eggs by the butler.
Mrs. Cushing here abandoned all pre-
,Ance 81 plausibility and the fun was OF
he most extravagant. Seemingly serious
- her despair Miss Burke started to take
poison Three bichloride of mercury
tablets out OF bottle conveniently at
and were to do the trick. Letters TO her
family ard her lover, flowers In her hand
md the rigid pose Of death-these were
some Of the episodes that preceded the ar
rival Of the physician.
Thestregoers with long memories
thought OF the old negro minstrel after
pieces when the pretended suicide was
listed ny the doctor. This physician on
saturday night soon discovered that the
heroine was shamming and impaired the
Jews 10 her family. So IL was possible
'or them 10 disappoint her BY speaking
hesrtlessly OF her demise.
All the old fun of the situation was
here, but this time sketched not In burnt
cork but daintily l!mned in pale tints OF
rose color and baby blue And when the
lover arrives distracted, learns that her
death Is not really imminent and departs
alta his captor they leave behind them an
lrresistibly charming bedroom with gar
lands OF roses holding back Its pale blue
drsperies and white muslin shlrred over
is azure walls.
Miss Barke Displayed.
Mrs Cushing has In this successful
say rescued Miss Burke from tho raging
80 OF drama into which Mr.. Vaughan
20 heartlessly plunged her. Jerry 10
Billie Burke raised TO the NTH power.
Nothing interferes with the contemplation
q Miss Burkes physical and artistic
harms in their most ailuring estate.
Il may be that Mira Cushing has made
her play too close fit. But no such com
plant will ever come from the actress's
admirers
In spite OF the authors devotion 70 her
TASK OF Hitting Miss Burke there arc occa-
stonal suggestions OF what Mrs. Cushing
as a playwright is able TO do. Although
Miss Burke was not on the stage at the
tn. there are spectators who will admit
nat The scene ut the beginning Of the
shor, second act. In which the discovery
of the newspapers informant concerning
The engagement Is sought was ono OF the
brightest in the play. As one Of q quar-
let accuses another and each 10 In turn
found innocent there were humor. charac-
ter and nsturalness In the dialogue and
the action.
Mrs. Cushing could write entertaining
comedies for adults " she continued In
WIS vein. The poison and the deathbed
scene arc at least interesting evidence OF
N" swiftness with which beginners in the
theatre contrive 10 get hold OF some OF its
most hackneyed devices Mrs. Cushing.
however. cannot surely remember the
t"sro MINISTRIES.
Some Of the AetOra.
There was an attempt at characterize
'r IN tine part OF jerry and u succeeded
70 quitting before the audience an amaz-
s!y bold young woman who was evi-
Gently accustomed TO live among gentle
3, although she might have Acquired
manners as well as her ideas OF life
-'m the chorus Of a musical comedy
/" Kansas City Anglomaniac who played
polo was recognizable stage type and
.' was the lover who for twenty years
'" postponing his marriage on ono
plud or another.
Neither this lover. played with distinc-
ION and charm by Shelley Hull and made
? order that Miss Burke might have q
."ung partner TO look ten years younger
man his betrothed. nor this betrothed.
such a mannikn that even Gladys Hanson
could not pump blood into her. were ever
heard OF except behind the footlights.
Alice Johns, also condemned to prema-
'nre old age. was amusing 40 the mother
~ the infant prodigy Of slang and bold
ness acted ny Billie Burke. and Allan Pol
.o'k so soon AZ he talked himself out of
ms usual alcoholic manner drew soma
fulnOr ONT Of the m ~ NJ thA un>ssA<n Eu~.