The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-19
AN EXCELLENT PLAY.
Topeka Audience Delighted With the
ssMoth and the Flame

Herbert Kelley and Fife Shannon
are admirably fitted for their respective
parts in The Moth and the Flame"
Miss Shannon has all that is necessary
in appearance to combine with accom-
plished acting in making her typical
human moth" and Mr.. Kelcey's ap-
pearance likewise aids him in depicting
the flame" around which the f1utter-
ing blonde creature circles in Mr. Clyde
Fitchs American play. Assisted by a
company of capable people they gave
an audience at the Crawford theater
Saturday night quite the most dramatic
treat of the present theatrical season 1t
was the first visit of the New York Ly-
ceum theater success to this city.
THE Moth and the Flame is not a
pleasant piece. The contrast of human
feelings in the first act, the interrupted
wedding in the second act, and the pic
ture of shattered lives at it's conclu-
sion makes it intensely dramatic but
disagreeable for contemplation. 1t is
too full of modern life to be entertain
ing from other than dramatic stand
point. The shadow cast by its well
drawn portrayal of the darker emo
lions of everybody life is but little re-
ieved by the satirical comedy which
Mr.. Fitch has injected into it with ex-
cellent skill.
The audience Saturday night was
cheated out of witnessing one of the
most dramatic of the many dramatic
scenes in the play by the failure to use
the original scenery of the first act
here. As properly put on the act
shows the bed room where the finan-
cially ruined social lion commits SUI
eide while the frivolity of wealth is be-
ing carried to an extreme of his own
planning in the rooms below, as well
as the discovery there of the dead body
of her father by the daughter AS it
was Saturday night the suicide and in
cident of discovery were left to the
imagination of the playgoers, and in
this way Miss Shannon was relieved of
portion of her intense work and the
audience lost an opportunity to further
appreciate her ability.
The acceptance of 1.-The Moth and the
Flame by New York audiences to the
extent of making it one of the big sue
cesses of the season that saw its pro-
duction is sufficient guarantee that Mr..
Fitch has not overdrawn in showing
disagreeable phrases of New
York society The children's
party, with which the piece opens
serves to show to what limits the ride
ulousnesS is carried, and the satirical
comedy amply illustrates the emptiness
AMI hypocrisy of the social world of the
metropolis.
At the close of the second act the au-
dience Saturday night became enthus-
iastic and rendered the players cur
tain call. The act ends with probably
the most dramatic climax of the play
the interrupted wedding-where d wo-
mans love suddenly turns to contempt
because of the brutal action of a man
L l
bad that Mr.. Fitch found it necessary
to make Edward Fletcher" brutal, be-
cause it completely lowers a character
which up to that time had been pre-
served from contempt. But the neces-
sity was created by the trustfulness he
gives the character of Marian Vol
ton" Nothing short of a brutal action
would have enabled the moth to have
escaped from the flame"
The entire action of THE Moth and
the Flame" is made natural by the
ability of the people presenting it. Mr..
Kelley and Miss Shannon leave nothing
to be desired in their parts. From the
fact that both are parts of exceptional
strength nothing more complimentary
can be said. The same may be said of
Miss Ethel Winthrop in the part of
Mrs. Lorimer." Miss Winthrop's por-
trayal of the fashionable divorce is ex-
ceptional, and gives her a right to share
the honors of the piece with Mr.. KEEL
cey and Miss Shannon.