The sun., 1916-08-16
BLANCHE RING WINS
IN NEW MACK PLAY
sBroadway and B~uttermilk" .
Romance Of q Vacation
= in Maine.
STAR ABLY SUPPORTED
She Has q Bucolic Comedy
With Songs and Her Own
Humor Aids.
broadway and Observation-Disclosures
Elllolt Th0oAse.

Willard Mack. who promises to doni-
nate the New York stage later in the
season when his three other plays are
ready for performance. came forward
somewhat unpretent!ously at Maxine FL
i,ott,s Theatre last night. Blanche Ring
was seen there in this authors Broad
way and Buttermilk.' which was due a
week ago.. but succumbed to the heat.
When Miss Ring acted nrst in what the
programme last night called q comedy
there was no music in II. Purists misht
still say that h play IL without music,
but there was ~undeniably singing by
Miss Ring. who In 80 closely associated
In the public mind with her c~ouplets
that the experiment OF separating her
from them was probably found to be
. mistake. But 1t was In its combina.
ton Of country and city life that the
piece made its strongest appeal to the
audience.
Miss Rims IL . New York Milli.ep.
1t was to the star that the play looked
FOR its Broadway elements, while the
euttermilk was presumably typined By
the populace OF the little country town
in which Miss Ring. a milliner from
New York. was spending her vacation.
There was enough In the life of the
Maine village to test her knowledge of
the world. and there were later the DIFF
fculties OF her own As we'll as of other
hearts 10 settle. For Mr.. Mack 80 ar.
ranged that his heroine met In this re-
mote spot her old lover. Then. Of course
there must be songs and scenes before
they are put on the former emotional
basis. There were to assist Miss Rins
almost singers numerous enough to form
q mail chorus.
The scheme Of Mr.. Mack's play wa,
not in the least deranged By the synco.
pa,ed interpretations. It bore no such
dance could destroy the illusion. In.
deed broadway and Buttermiik'' seem.
rather fearful to contemplate taken seri.
olsly and without the merciful interven.
ton o. ragtime here and there. Mr.
Mack still writes actors plays. They
always sacrifice ethics and probability
FOR the theatri, effect. Dramas Of this
kind. especially when their intent I,
comic. are not going to suffer from any
further Indifference TO probability.
New Play Good Entertainnent.
So In H. present form broadway ant
Bu,termilk." with the aid OF Blanche
Rings irresistible humor and her nat
u~ralness n its delivery to the public
MAKES most agreeable entertainment
Something OF tho actresses former un'
Tagging gayety was missing at moment
last night. There was. however. enough
Of !, 10 delight her admirers. n as
NY milliner from New York che ha'
tie best possible opportunities to revea
the complete sophistication OF her style
She is always a welcome visitor % tn
New York stag 1t was agreeable
moreover. to see her under condition.
appropriate TO her position.
Mr.. Mack's play In altogether conven
tional in fiction. abounds In speeche!
which are generally bright. while some
times others come far from hitting thu
mark. In the character OF the v'liaE'
boy acting as a property man. In tn
local ''op'ry house he has invented al
amusing type. although he plays on tht
theme somewhat too persistently. TIT
bucolic figures from h adding barbe
TO the village fashion plate are entertain
Ing enough.
Helen Lowell, who car be OCCASIONAL!
pathetic in a sincere fashion as well a.
quantity comic, revealed all her goo'
qualities as the boarding house keepe
in the village. w. i. Carleton. who ma.
rot been seen for several years. Is nt''
handsome and youthful All the char
acters were we'll played. which was no
an unimportant element In the nrst nigh
success OF Miss Ring and her play