The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-07
MIR. KYLE IN NEW PLAY
YOUNG ACTOR APPEARS IN
 LAUGHTER AND LIES"
It is War Play of Revolu- tionary Period and Was Fav-
 orably Received-"Nath-
 an Hale" at Matinee.

Laughter and Lies," Howard Kyle's new play. was presented to a critical audience last night at the Montgomery Theatre. MT. Kyle's new offering was favoraby, but not enthusiastically, re- 2ceved.
 The moderate applause accorded MT. Kyle and his company in the new pro- duction was the just due of the com pany but neither the play nor the com pany was entitled to more. The play has been presented only a few times and crudeness was evident throughout. The newness will probably wear off soon and the rough edges will be worn smooth as Laughter and Lies" goes along the circuit. but their presence last night could not be ignored.
 There are strong dramatic possibilities in the play. Some of them were fully measured up to but the lines could be read with more care and grace and the climaxes could be attained with less effort than was manifest last night
 Laughter and Lies" like Nathan Hale" is a spy drama of the Revolutiona- " War Unlike Nathan Hale, however, the hero escapes safely with his life and all ends happily.
 The play is by Asa Steele. a Phiiadel- phia newspaper man. He has written some strong and some brilliant lines, but there are other lines in the play that could we'll be blue pencilled and improved. It recounts the adventures and love af- fair of Henry Trueman, gay, careless, but attractive young man of Germantown who is the trusted agent of Washington within the British lines. He is beloved Inv Mrs. Bettie Jordan, his confederate, and by Ruth Mifflin whom he loves in return, and who is a British sympathizer Trueman comes into possession of infor- nation upon which depends Washington s attack upon Germantown. His plan to signal the stolen information from window is discovered A detail of sharp shooters is placed in ambush to shoot down the spy as he signals.
 Ruth learns of this plan and she dis covers that her lover is the spy. as he steps to the window with the candies 10 make the signal. Her Horror at the dis noverv. her wild pleading to her lover n avoid certain death and his firm, fixed resolve to serve the army of his country tr its need, form the strongest dramatic situation in the play.
 In the last act Freeman is discovered in hiding, recovering from his desperate wounds. There Ruth steals to see him and in so doing unwittingly betrays him. She is insulted by the British ohcer' an old admirer, in command or the oetaii sent to arrest Trueman. The llsult ID |" the hearing of Trueman who reveals him. self kills the officer in a desperate strug- gle and escapes with the dead man -ed coat.
 Mir Kyle and Frederick Webher Tn tne enal struggle gave a startling ana real ;stic stage fight. It was distinctly A fea' lure of the performance The stage strug' oIe fierce and unconventional was sen Rational enough to stir the audience to us feet. -,.,., ha gave Mir Kyle manly opportunities ! And in no instance did he fall short oi tbnno His talent was never more in evi' I dence than in his new play. The ehiei roerit in the performance is in the star nart The work of MT. Kyle strengthened bis already firm position as one Of the { eminent young actors of the American stage ,r ,>,,,, u,ae the human. intelligent tnterpreta +io1 of Ruth Miffln by Miss Florence snythp. This young woman is an actress of great promise.
 The Lieutenant Devilliers of Frederick Uebber was cleverly done and the Ton RaiIev of stephen Hoyt was artistic. The renaining members of the cast deserve hut little commendation.
 At matinee yesterday Mr. Kyle pre- < sented Nathan Hale" Clyde Fitch