The sun., 1909-12-29
4 NEW CONAN DOYLE PLAY
"THE FIRES OF FATE SHOWS
ONE INTERESTING SCENE.

Hamilton Revelle tine Chief Actor IN q
Vivid Melodrama Of the Sudan
Striking scenes of Egyptian Life
That Please . First Night Audience.
Simon pure melodrama relgned last
night for half an hour on the stage OF the
Liberty Theatre. Il came In the third act
OF Conan Doyle's play The FIRES Of
Fate which was divulged to New York
for the first time. The scene Of this ex-
citing episode was the Abousir Rock In
the Sudan. There . party Of tourists
were attacked by Q troop OF defvishes
and from this conflict came the awaited
thrill In the play. There we're the rattle
OF musketry. the fanatioal chantings OF
the Mohammedans. the shrieks OF the
white women as they fell into the hands
Of their savage csptors and the struggles
OF the handful OF white men TO save them
Nearly every inspiring detail OF THE
Siege Of Lucknow was utilized TO give
force to this climax OF the drama
And nearly all OF them had their wonted
potency in SUFFICIENT degree to make the
new play successful with its hrst New
York audience. "-
This situation was not abruptly pre-
sented. During the whole OF the second
act, which showed the party on 4 daha'
beeyah, there had been constant sug-
gestion Of the peril that lay in wait fol
those who entered the territory which
the dervishes were ravishing. There
was. in fact. little more than preparation
for this scene in the whole act. which con-
sisted Of rather lengthy conversations
and very naive stagecraft. There were
scenes that might have supplied the
false syntax for any college OF the
dramatists art. ,D.a
stage with the deliberate hand OF tho
novelist rather than the swift, significant
movement that the dranatist must IN
evitably supply. So there came only the
warning of the presence OF the savages
and the intimation that an English officer
In the party had fallen In love with an
American girl. -.
This English Colonel. played with great
spirit, distinction and naturalness oy
Hamilton Revelle. had appeared IN the first
act to learn from a physician that he was
condemned to die within year from a
spinal trouble caused by the cut OF a
sabre in an Indian war. Only . great
nervous shock might save his life. He
was unable even in this state to keep from
loving the girl. who showed just as plainly
her devotion to him Both were naturally
the foremost figures in the raid OF the
dervishes. It's result 20 them was most
fortunate. Lives there a theatregoer
with soul 50 dead as not TO know that
the blow from an Arab chief supplied
Just the shock necessary to restore the
Colonel to health?
The play in spite OF its undeniable
naIvete Of construction possesses literary
distinction, plausible intimations OF char
acter. and is very different in quality
from the herd OF drama that usually
confronts the seeker for such sensations
as the third act of The Fires OF Fate
offers. There must have been spectators
last night to regret the fact that the
drama did not continue In the delt1htful
kew OF the first act. which passed In the
ONCE OF a London physician. But more
may have loved better the noise and
alarms Of the scene In the Sudan.
William Hawtrey az an Engiish Clergy,
man. in whom the author drew q real
character; Percy Warren, whose spirtted
acting had much 20 do with the effective
ness OF the dervish encounter; George
Trader Helen Freeman as an American
girl. and Ida Hammer as her aunt supplied
the necessary support to Mr.. Havelie.
Then there were two Egyptian scenes
Of considerable beauty. although there
was very little feeling OF that country
TO be observed. What is described by
the overworked term OF atmosphere was
rather noticeably lacking throughout