The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-02-21
c. MCF FARLAND BET
$4,000 AND WON
WITH GIRL S HELP
Welfare Play at Opera House
Was Great Hit
BELIEVE Me, XANTIPPE "
Miss Anastatia Fitzgerald and Luther
r. Graves Had Leading Paris
and Won High Honors

Inc welfare PlayeIS scored an.
other triumph with their comedy,
Believe Me Xantippe," at the opera
house Thursday evening. The seats
for this play practica ly had been all
sold several days before and the
audience which greeted the players
filed the house to overhoying.
This play, one Of John Barrymore's
triumphs, which is copyrighted and
has had successful run in the large
cities with the rights to its production
here, were obtained at considerable
expense. 1t is chock full of laughs;
and the person who could not enjoy
he local presentation Of it is indeed
hard to p ease.
George MacFarland, a wealthy New
York club man bets thirty thousand
lollars that he can commit a crime
nd keep out of the clutches OF the
aw for a period OF one year without
eaving the country. He forges a
heck. gets 1t cashed, and disappears.
A few days before the end Of the
gear he appears under an assumed
anne at the hunting shack of Sheriff
luck Kamman in Colorado. The
heriffs daughter Dolly, learns his
IDENTIFY by his use OF favorite ex
preston, Believe me Xantippe." She
makes him prisoner and marches him
the county JAIL Her father then
ppoints her deputy sheriff and she
axes command of the jail In the
heriff's absence. She fal $ in love
With fba npfc t.fl, hoc 81,
limself to be a gentleman.
The New York parties, with whom
IacFarland has made his bets, arrive
n the last day of the year, and claim
he wager because he has been ar
ested during the time. Ii took wo-
mans wit to show MacFarland thu
'Tay out OF that difficulty Dolly an
icunces that he had not been arrest
d by an officer OF the law. as she had
'ot been appointed deputy sheriff un
II after he was made prisoner b.
er. MacFarland wins the bet--and
Dolly faa gsmsfm reiIq
I would be extremely dif1iculti tn
improve upon the choice for the cast
u'her r. Graves as George Mac
'arland, executed his difficult pars
yith an excellent sense of interpre
alton. His acting and facial ex-
ression in the various, delioiously
ndicrcus situations in which he of
en- found himself, brought an uproar
rom the audience every few
minutes; while his drawing speech
vas sure TO start the buttons even
lftene:.
The part of the leading lady, Dolly
lamman. was taken by Miss Ana
,asia Fitzgerald who captivated the
ntire audience by the charm, en-
husiasm and dash which she dis
''ayed as the daughter of a western
heriff. Her sudden changes from
he trusting, coaxing maiden to the
'aughty. imperious deputy sheriff
nd the final yielding to the impulse
4 love, were fine pieces OF work
G. p. Endress and LeGrand Col
rove who both scored notable sue
esses last year in the Welfare pro
'uotion repeated with ten spot last
light. Mr.. Endress was the jailor
rho did his damnedest to please al
arties at one and the same time
including couple falling in love
fe succeeded and also in PLEASING
he audience He and Miss Fitzger
Id were the only ones who got O
and at their first appearance on the
tage
Mr.. Colgrove as Sheriff "Buc>
lamman' fitted the character OF 2
Western sheriff not afraid of any
hing In Heaven above or He'll be
eath fond of his daughter and soft
hearted on her siJ, but bristling like
bulldog in all other directions.
Mrs Margaret Graves had tbs
ard part Of tough lady" in &
. ace where neither a soft answer
'or hard one ayailed anything
Ter makeup and style were so per
ect that she stirred the antipathl
V the audience the instant she swag
cred across the stage
Mrs. NJ. j. burlington successfully
'sguised her natural beauty unde
he mask OF maiden aunt who hat
duty to perform and done IT, n,
natter what happened and eve
1icked an alleged forger off a pickle
'ence as though Il were q part OF tn
laws work.
The bad man OF the outfit was ]
, Guy Livingston as "Simp Galloway
bank robber hoss thief and all roun
lesperado from Cripple Creek I
Yuba Dam. His get.up was good an
his work excellent in every respect.
w. j. Randles as q private detel
I live, Spencer Lee as young lawye
Z, md Roger Burt as a servant, too
u their parts most acceptab'y, rount
ing out an excellent cast, They WEI
the starters Of the trouble and in /
the finish and worked well In bot
n places.
{. Much OF the success Of this pr
% sentation is due to the work of Mr.
"a Arthur Elliot who has given much
!, her time and talent as coach and
" rector.
y Hurley's orchestra of eight piece
Is furnished excellent music. and vi
p willing to begin early and pay ofte
While the exact figures are m
, yet known, It is reasonably certa