Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-03
THE HIGH ROAD
NEW STYLE Of
POLITICS PLAY
Mrs. Fiske Pleases Atlanta Audi
ences in Drama That Ignores
Many Conventionaities,
BY TARLEToN COLLIER.

II is all very well 10 laugh and he
gay. but II YOU are Mrs. Fiske and
q great person. you are endowed
with an inevitable mission, whose
purpose and intent is seriousness
And that Is as It should be, because
your seriousness, in this case, is eff
fective, and your message well worth
while.
Very serious-and. indeed very
penderous-is THE High Road" Ed
ward Shslton's play in which Mrs
Wske appeared at the Atlanta The
sAer Monday night, involving Gov
ernors and near Presidents and Big
Businesses, and very unconvincins
National Committee.
No levity here. And yet 1t is very
much worth while, II for nothing else
than to reveal the versatility and In
nate talent of Mrs. F'iske. and the
charm and poetry of an idylhc hrst
act. That first act, strange TO say,
ia pretty in spite of the fact that
the Rich Young Artist from the city
NOT al all. however, the conven-
tional Lothario-takes the Wistful
Maiden OF the farm away with him,
without bann or bell of matrimony.
And Mrs. F'iske plays the Maiden
Little Of the Conventional.
And through IL ali there Us moth
ing conventional about The high
Road" not even a single punch in
1--WE acts, nothing save the intellect
ual appeal Of Mrs. Fiske.
But hold Nothing conventional
did we say? There is one spot whose
badness can not be overlooked. me
National Committeeman gather with
the prospective President OF the
United States in the big fourth act
for q conference that Is very trite,
because of-what? Perhaps ii is be-
cause OF the National Committeeman
The story is epic in its proper
lions. telling OF the life OF the clan
destine girl who left the farm. A very
pretty farm it was. with realistic,
cleaning liver in the background, and
with leaves over the ground, and
fine meshed gauze across the front or
the stage TO invest the picture with
romantic twilight haziness. But she
leaves IL because her father is-well.
we may have overlooked another
conventional figure In him-a typi-
cslly cruel, uncomprehending father
Once in the city. she develops and
Male Parts Are Strong.
thinks After three years she re-
fuses marriage with the rich. indul
gent dilletante who took her from her
home and who seems to be rather
decent fellow, after all. She goes out
and becomes an industrial leader, a
lobbyist. and all that. coming In con-
tact with the Governor who Is the
prospective President
They marry, are happy and he is
about to step into the highest office
when the ghost of her three years
life with the artist stalks out to
crush him. But the wife, being a
sort OF superwoman. makes all end
we'll and wins over the blackmailer.
Mrs. F'iske is fortunate IN the men
of her support. Except for a neu-
rasthenic haste in his speech, Arthur
Byron was a right acceptable heavy"
as John Stephen Maddox, the mil
iionaire bIackmailer. Eugene Or
monde 10 effective as Governor
Barnes, and Kenneth Hunter. with
grace and a cello voice and a knack
% playing Chopin, is a real enough
artist lover.
= The High Road win be al the At
lenta for a matinee Tuesday and a
performance Tuesday night.