The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-11
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

! Delneating the characters OF a man
and a woman OF the highest type OF
manhood and womanhood, Mrs.
Fiske's new play The High Road, .
presented in the Detroit opera house,
Monday evening, is one of the most
interesting, Notwithstanding and
artistic plays OF the year. Ii was writ
ten by Edward Sheldon, whose first
effort as playwright, Salvation
Nell . was made known by Mrs. F1ske.
who, as a result made" Young Mr..
Sheldon. The Niger and The
Boss were subsequent dramas from
Mr. Sheldon's brain and workship.
The High Road is the best of them
all from whatever point OF view 1t is
studied. Mr.. Sheldon shows a decided
gain over his earlier work in crafts
manship, in developing his theme, and
| in handling his characters He IL a
young man with ideas and Ideals md,
he has been particularly fortunate. in
securing such a medium Of interpreta-
ton as Mrs. Fiske, and the manager
ial cooperation, fine taste and exper-
fence of Mr.. Fiske
The High Road, is exquisitely
staged. thanks to Mr. Fiske's knowl-
edge in such matters, and. ii is admir-
ably acted, due not alone to Mrs
| Fishes genius for acting but. to her
remarkable insight and gift for the
selling and placing OF her resources
whether ii he the choice of a player
the arrangement OF the furniture or
the development OF a situation.
In the central figure OF the play
Mary Page, Mrs. Fiske is called upon
TO impersonate' farm child OF seven
teen, n young girl Of twenty and wo.
man of forty. She accomplishes per
feet illusion in each period, in face,
figure and dress The force OF her in.
tellectuality, and her rare gifts az an
actress make each OF these periods in
Mary Pages life absolute reality TO
the spectator while In process of I'M
folding
From the ignorant little country
girl, dreaming wonderful dreams OF
the great, pulsating world beyond the
confines of the hills which surround
her cherries home, with brutal and
unkind father, 10 the wife of the gov
ernor OF great state and the NOM
inee for the presidency OF the United
States, is the introduction and the
goodbye OF the onlooker TO Mary
! Page, in the five acts OF The High
Road" In between one follows her
as the adored mistress OF a wealthy
young artist and then a labor leader,
| lighting for shorter hours decenter
conditions and living wage for gar
ment workers.
Mary leaves her farm home with
| the young artist, going abroad with
! him 10 live and to learn not only the
| beauties Of life but its wonderful pos
| sibilities, too One day, after three
years of complete happiness and lux
Jury with the artist, Mary realizes that
her life is absolutely empty and her
! dreams and ideals unfulfilled, and she
makes up her mind TO leave her beau
tiful home, with it's rare works OF art
and its sensuous luxury, and ally her
self with the women who toll for 81
a week i'm shirt waist factory. When
one meets Mary again. IL IS to ind
her a skilfu. resUurceful woman, a
labor worker and leader to whom her
co-workers owe much. She Is in the
capital. lobbying for the passage OF a
bill looking TO maximum hour and
wage scale OF women. and the man
standing behind her is the governor
himself. once a resident OF the same
little crossroads village as herself
The governor loves Mary and asks her
to marry him. She tells him OF her
three years life with the artist, but
Winfield Barnes, the governor and the
eountrys next president IL az great