Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-13
ARTISTIC SINCERITY
IN "THE OPEN FIRE.
Hubert Footner's New Play
Dignifies and Enriches
American Drama
MARGARET ANGLIN STAR

r-s. Nv, rdonrc. ........... phyllis Hirkctt
~" Bird Lady ..... Sally Williams RI. gc'
honhs w. AN"ninE .'..... Howard i.indsat
Nrthur Durgan. n.................C Charles Gcst
Act !, Laura Kevncy's shop. 18th Avenue.
Act .. The Same.
Act 3. The Same.
Hubert Footner last evening offered
the American drama pair of sever
,eague boots. and II strobe forward with
celebrity and authority not exhibited
on our stage for many n day. The
open Fire" Is rot nawcss. Revision of
several scenes and tightening of mott
vation, especially in the last act. is ad-
Vsable but the work as a whole hetrays
"nch admirable craftsmanship. Il is so
vitality impYegnate1 with keen sense
# character values ard a feeling for
tenacious situation. IL evidences so much
taste and literary skin. it is so faith.
| 'ully reflective of certain native @oc Al
/ phases. that milepost in oar theatres
! progress toward legitimate artistic ideals
has been assuredlv established
Margaret Anglin's perspicacity de-
serves share of the credit. This dis
| tiugui@lcd actress had the wit to recog-
nize a play of solid worth enanati 8
| from dramatisr heretofore chiefly
known through a crude tissue CT emo
| tionalsm labeled shirley Kaye" and
| i1ausplciously prescn ed here by Els!,
| Ferguson season ago.
/ Few Of the defects of that immature
| piece are traccable in The Opea Fire.
| Mr.. Footner's footl,ghT adolescerce is
/ happily "A thing OF the past His now
| firm grip on dramatic portraiture has
| enabled him to paint with realistic sin
| cerity the character Cf "A woman who's,
/ altruism Is supposedly divorced from
passion until tnat note is startlingy
| soul ded through the psych ologic and
sentimental appeal of forceful, YET
| humanity ac.llaTing, youth pitifuly EN-
meshed in a preliminary alliance with &
| typical ligh.-headed stenographer, whos'
| physical alluloment has dominated hi:
! simplicity
The scene a. vSlich Laura Kevney
| Impractical. ideal'stc. symbolic of "tht
| open fire" irradiating W Irmth and sol
ace without return. dscards her rol'
| in an irrepressihle confession of lov'
Is profoundly and Opulently instinct
with humanity The playwrght's thesi'
is set forth in frame of convincni
verify. Vivid contrasts abound, but the!
all dovctail in the sociological picture
The art-loving heroiLe. an interior deco
rator, with a soul Contemptuously above
mere money grubbng; the brainlesa
financial magnate and the curiuusly com
pounded yourg man, whose freakisl
spontaneity and naivcte are the main
springs of the action, are quartet @
dramatis personae redolent with IN
SAVIOR Of contemporary existerce.
Thus badly catalogued. these char
acters may suggest theatricism. Mr.
Footner. however. avoids that pitfal
with n restraint that never deserts hin
until his problem" Is rather too sud
denly solved at the final curtain. In
deed. so adro.t is his technique that tn
element OF suspense Is powerfully sus
taired in long stretches of dialogue
which without the reinforcement o
such art might have become wearisomel
taiky. As it IS, the intellectual appeal u
the piece Is stimulating throughout.
anything can initiate against its de
served success 1t viii he the very honest
Of artistic purpose. which may he four
disconcer-ing IL. an era Of froth. Th
power and dignity CT his theme and tn
grace of its literary expression are ur
denable. Whether the American publ
really wants to think in the theatre re
mairs 10 be seen.
Fer the first time In her highly enjoy
able local season. now regrettably draw
ing to close. Miss Anglin is intruste
with a part eXacting a display of he
finest talents. She rose superhly to III
occa sion last evening. Nothing she h0
. contributed to our stage since her Rut
Jordan in 1.-The Great Divide" not owe
excepting her Helena Richie, has bee
so worthily representative of her dra
matte Inspiration as this touching en-
bodiment Of Laura Kevney.
Scamped with conviction at all point
save in few highly keyed passages, wa
the mueh-entangled masculine blend {
romance and efficiency" as linined b
George Howell. Howard Lindsay poi
trayed a type of American mlllionaiI
which rang true. He was quiet. calcl
lating, urbane and. within legal INIT
j unscrupulous. He smoked no formidab
ack cigars. He neither clustered. 81
at a huge rolltop desk nor inserted h
fingers behind his waistcoat sleeve
> Margaret Ferguson made the "chicker
type of damsel almost uncomfortabl
) real and Sally Williams Riegel injecte
the proper note of fantasy into HI
! Dickensesque presentation of Laura
9 pensioner, the timid little Bird Lad
who interpreted life through the mort
G frailties Of her winged pets.
! The expert stage direction of Geori
Foster Plat. who formerly supervise
}. the modern productions OF New York
Inflated New Theatre. was discernit
: throughout the performance. II. T. c..