The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-07-20
MUSICAL COMEDY
STAR IS To APPEAR
IN OLD HOME TOWN
Virginia o. Brien Has Lead in
Hospital Benefit
NEXT TUESDAY EVENING
"Billeted", Well-Known English
Comedy to be Given at
Opera House
NEXT TUESDAY EVENING

ton young woman who has made an
exceptional success In comic opera. is
to take the lead in "Bllleted,' an
English comedy to be produced by
members OF the local dramatic club
at the opera house next Tuesday
evening The entertainment rs "a
be staged for the benefit OF Putnam
Memorial hospital and If all Benning
ton people who have taken a kindly
interest in Miss O'Briens progress
from the time since she first went to
Boston to fit herself for her profes-
sion are in the audience on the even
ing OF the 25th the success OF the
commendabe effort will be assured
The Old Home Town, unlike the
city, has many OF the characteristics
of the fond parent Communities like
Bennington never lose sight OF their
young people who pack their person
al belongings in handbags or Sarato-
ga trunks, as the case may be, and
respond to the lure OF wider oppor.
tunity. Through letters to the folks
back home, summer vacation visits
and clippings republished in the local
paper the small town" folks keep
track of the captains Of industry, the
bank presidents, the lawyers, the
fiction writers, musicians, artists and
singers who make their way in tie
world.
In
is going on all over the country. the
people of Bennington have kc. in
touch with Miss O'Brien. When she
went to Boston in 1913 to begin train.
ing at the conservatory she had their
best wishes for success. During the
four hard years Of training they
knew something of her progress, for
one reason because she was a pupil
OF Charles H. Bennett, who passed
the early years OF his life in Benning
ton and who from the beginning was
confident that she had unusual pos.
sibilities. On at least one occas Oh
Sunday morning found her in '.le
choir at St Francis de Sales church,
Even before she completed her in
struction at the conservatory Miss
O'Brien was given opportunities in
musical comedy. Her progress had
been closely watched by Donald
Brian who had an opening as soon as
she believed herself fitted to under.
take professional work. She has
had parts, mostly leads, in Her Reg.
iment," THE Girl Behind the Gun,
THE Royal Vagabond," "Buddies, +"
Mary and at least two productions
which she frankly admits went on
the rocks. She has also appeared to
some extent in vaudeville, AS Mary
she was one of the successes of its
season, particularly in Boston where
she made a pronounced impression.
Before coming to Bennington to take
up rehearsals for "Billeted" she had
just completed a season with The
Chocolate Soldier"
Miss O'Brien lives with her parents
at Douglaston h. l., colony com.
posed largely of professional people
and where she passes practically all
of her time when not actually at
WI Ght was III iDtlllllll = lOl iuSN
summer for what she had planned to
be a long vacation but which was
cut short by an engagement. The
time she is devoting to "Billeted" had
originally been selected for a period
of rest but she is giving it up to as
sist in a benefit for leading iustitu-
tion in the home of her young girl
hood
Interest in Miss O'Brien's appear
ance here is undoubtedly due in a
large measure to the fact that she is
so genuinely human Beyond Ger
tain poise and confidence her profes
sional life has apparently made nc
impression upon her personality, at
least it has not created so much as
cobweb barrier to the friends OF
her school days who are going to
help to pack the opera house next
Tuesday evening.