Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-26
AMUSED ENTS
equality street"

Quaint in its careful portrayal OF the
Napoleonic age, with all its charming
simplicity and its unusually fine insight
into certain types Of character, quality
Street" by James NJ Barrie, was given
an appealing presentation at The Strong
theatre last evening by the University
Of Vermont Dramatic society and MasGue
and Sandal society as the closing public
event of the commencement of 1919.
'1f a play be by a good author" says
Bernard Shaw's absurd dramatic critic,
then the play is good; If it be by a
bad author, then the play Is bad What
merit can any piece have apart from
the recognized merit of the man who
made it," In this nonsense there is
n shred Of sense. The name Barrie" |
tells the story of quality Street" for
the happy little comedy has all the
traits of it's author 1t Is, first of all.
agreeable, by reason of its sweetness and
sympathy. 1t Is consummately clever,
both in the originality of it's situation
and in the delicious humor of its lines.
II Is thoroughly human in its revela-
ton of character and in its natural
touch. Moreover, il possesses a charm
ing oddly and quaintness which never
fail to bring smiles. If the tone Of gem
teel comedy yields at times somewhat
too suddenly to large farce. and Il the
fourth act lacks sufficient motive to sus-
tain its length, these. too. are charac-
teristic limitations. All Barrie's plays
are like that Such slight weaknesses
as they display never detract from their
general pleasantness.
Quality Street" is tale OF spinsters
life in an old-fashoned villase-a life
that takes on color and excitement only
of
its pnvemonts and soils its carpets.
man in the house Of the ladies' causes
many thrills and futters. a man in the
heart of one Of them. how he comes and
goes away and returns years later, gives
life and motion to the drama The pre-
dominance of women in the cast and the
old-madist setting of the story would
make the comedy as feminine as Gram
ford" If love and the lover were not In
everybodys thought even at the prim and
proper tea-tables. Arms and the man are
everywhere essential to the action.
play of quiet tone and temper like
this, achieving it's results without aid
of the sensational and the spectacular
demands above all well-balanced cast
otherwise the necessary harmony of tone
Is lost. And this evenness was the chief
excellence of the Interpretation Of
University of Vermont at The Strong
theatre last evening The smallest parts
were as well taken as those of many
lines and an enumeration of the passages
that greatly pleased the commencement.
audience would include a mention of all
the persons of the play.
phoebe Of the rnglets," gentlest yet
bravest of little ladies', whose daring
rivalry with the reckless young flirt who
she potentially might have been and who
she actually never was, was convncingly
rendered by Miss Mildred Powell. She
entered into the very soul Of the part.
revealing all It's varied moods OF smiles
and tears with subtle suggestion of
hidden depths. 1t is hard to give too
high praise to the reading of her lines
which was enhanced by the richness and
fullness of her tones. The same pleas
ing homeopathy was marked by Miss
Florence Dow's presentation of the
sster-part of Miss Susan, which matched
most sympath etically all the shades and
feelings Of the other Delightful too.
was the conception of prudish propriety
and Unsuitable curiosity that the audi
ence derived from the clever render,nss
of spinster roles by Miss Helen Stiles.
Miss Vlra Purnton and Miss Erald Ben
son The small parts of ngenue and
maid by Miss Louise Tower and Miss
Catherine Casey We're amusingly pre-
scented.
The mems roles, fewer in number,
were well played. p c. Fishers inter-
probation of valentine Brown surgeon
and officer beloved of Phoebe, was ex-
cellent in its mingling of the manliness
which seemed to the ladies 80 dashing"
and the gentleness, which accorded well
with the kindly tone of the street. Ease,
dignity and a good voice graced the only
important mans part. The other fight
ing men found At interpreters in
Messrs. Stah Jennings and Pease. ana
the fighting schooboy in Willard Daven-
port
A mnuet was danced with old-tire
{ statelincss by Miss Phoebe's pupils in
the school scene. Antique furniture and
quaint costumes completed the illus,oS
% hundred years ago created by cere-
monious manners and formal speech.
Training and staging were entirely in
the hands of Prof, Max W, Andrews,
to whom is due much credit for produc-
ing so well-rounded performance Of
n charming quality. Quality Street" will
long be n pleasant memory of those who
were nj Tho Strong last niptt