The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-08
MRS. FISKE DREW LARGE
CLASS OF ENTHUSIASTS
One of the Greatest Performances Seen Richmond for Long
Time Thurston Mystihes at the Bijou-Fun and
Frivoity at Colonial and Empire

In THE High Road" which was
presented to a cultured audience at
the Academy Of Music last night, Mrs.
Minnie Madden Fiske has vehicle
which beyond question affords ample
opportunity for the exercise of the
woman's consummate art, and when
this is said. all is said.
From the orphan girl, driven from
home by the cruelty OF father to the
dalIiant primrose path, TO the woman
who finds herse1f'-an environment
running the gamut of human emotion
Mrs. Fiske portrayed the sweetly
simple country girl as convincingly
and superbiy sshe arose to the mel
odramatic climaxes of the woman or
the world with mission
Edward Sheldon has not written
great play by any means. 1t Is SIM
ply new treatment of an old theme.
Sheldon drags his heroine into the
mire and lifts her up again. The
usual climax is to leave them In the
slough in which they wallowed. Mary
Page not only RECEIVERS herself, but
marries the man who loved her be-
fore she went astray and begun
campaign for the betterment or ner
sex. While the treatment of the theme
is not bold it is a serious question
as to whether such dramas tend to
elevate morals, however skilfully ham
died. or whatever the possibilities af-
forded an actress If Mrs Fisae,S
calibre.
Briefly, the play mirrors the life of
a woman whose reflection 1t takes UP
at the age of STANDARDIZATION she
was motherless girl drudging away
an existence on the barren farm OF
a cruel father Just when conditions
! have made her life almost unbearable.
/ two other lives cross her own--a
| young lawyer (Barnes) and veal
thy artist tAlien WILSON,. She choos-
es the primrose path and follows 1t
/ with the wealthy artist for three
years. Then the woman awakens:
she bids farewell to the life Of luxury
and sin and goes forth, friendless and
alone, to find peace and seek regen-
Grafton in living a life devoted te
the uplift of her sex. The youns
( lawyer, her first love, in the mean
/ time. also goes forward. becoming
governor of his State, with preslden-
tial ambitions, and, during his cam
paign when he and the woman are
/ both deeply interested In q humane
movement their paths cross agar
and they marry in the face of the
woman's confession of her past. How
she wins o victory over John Stephens
3 MalfoCAs the newspaper eultoEt WHO
9ghting the reforms espoused by tbs
governor, threatens to expose thu
past life OF his wife. and triumphi
both in her own cause and that O
her husband. furnish a dramatic eli
max TO a story that drags, with actor
SO slow as to be really boring a
pariods. but which has the redeem
ing feature of the wonderful talen
of this one woman. and such aetna
a Richmond audience has not wit
messed in many a day. Convincing
gripping, thrilling, the woman drew
alternately tears and 1aughter--tht
story of the play was overshadowee
by the power and force of the Httlt
woman who enthraIied them.
Frederick Terry, who was the Gov
ernor Barnes of the cast, and Arthur
Byron. the newspaper man. gave Mrs
Fiske excellent support, with capa
/ BILE ir+ expectations of exacting roles
Herbert Belmore gave rather medi
ocre portrayal of Allan Wilson, TIN
artist.
The play is adequately staged.