Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-04
JOHN FERGUSON"
A MOVING DRAMA
ST. John Ervine's Play Has a
Modern Job for Its
Protagonist

II 'John Ferguson had not the
stuff Of authentic tragedy in it through
its fitness of motive, its integrity of
acterization it would be a great melo
drama instead of the really great drama
il is. II profoundly impressed and
moved a large audience at the Broad
last night as presented under the aus
pices of the Theatre Guild of New
York, which put it on at venture
nearly a year ago aud achieved a sen
sational success.
In melodrama, even great melodrama,
the playwright squeezes his characters,
who may be realistic in themselves, into
a made up story. IN great drama the
playwright squeezes his story, whether
comedy or tragedy, out OF mis- charac
ters. st. John IRVINE has conditioned
and colored the story of his sorely beset
modern Job by the moods, impulses
and clashes of his people; he has not
devised fable and peopled it with per
sonages forced to do the fitting thing,
that will forward the purposed plot to
premeditatcd denouement. All the
more. then, because apparently defiant
of conventions, does his homeSpun
story laid in County Down. inhabited
by simple folk of elemental passion
and human frailty, take on the univcr-
salty of the. genuine tragedy that be
longs anywhere, whatever may be the
background of scene or the funda
mental feelings naive or complex, of
the dramatic perSOnae: all the more,
consequently is it inevitable in its for
ward movement and its momentum to
the only climax. The dramatist has
achieved his results with the utmost
sparseneSs of means, but each stroke.
no matter how economical, tells both
of situation and Characterization. And
his drama is rich in understanding of
human nature and fluent in undercur-
rents of emotional force.
There is gripping appeal in this
drama of north Ireland peasant life
with its combination Of melodrama,
comedy and tragedy. The story deals
with the trials of the Ferguson fam
overcome with the ills of age and
threatened with the loss of his home
because of the failure of his brother in
America to send a much needed draft,
still holds his faith in Divine justice
and mercy. His wife and children.
Andrew and Hannah, chafe against
misfortune. In desperation Hannah
promises to marry James Caesar.
cowardly. cringing neighbor, who in
return promises to save the home and
help the family, but Caesars first
kiss awakens Hannah to the horror of
the future, and heart brokenly she tells
her family that the sacrifice is too great
Then she leaves to take to Henry With
row, the relentless holder of the mort
gage, the word that he can foreclose
and throw them out if he will. while to
John Ferguson is left the more diff
cult task of breaking the news to Cac-
sar that the dream of his life cannot
be fulfilled.
Her interview with Ditherow leads
TO shameful treatment at his hands
The Tilted Caesar starts out to kill the
man, but his typical cowardicc dis
arms him. But the unconscionable
rogue is killed by Hannah's brother,
though suspicion rests on the braggart
Caesar who has often threatened to
grudges. His daughters shame and his
sons sin arc the final blows of in
Scrutable Providence at John Fcrgu
son. Subsequent events, intense and
gripping, follow quickly and while at
one time even the faith of old John
Ferguson seems to totter. he holds firm
in spite of the ratings of the others
To the end the suspense never falters--
the end when the mystery of Wfthc-
TOW 5 uedIn lS SOlNeu III scene tlat
will live long in memory through its
power, its truthfulness and its philos
ophy.
The cast. somewhat changed from
that which appeared in New York.
apparently has not been weakened by
the substitution of other players for
the parts of John Ferguson and his
son, Andrew. 1t has been said that
the power of this play is in the acting,
but seemingly substitutions do not rc-
duce its values. Certainly a better
balanced cast than that which is ap-
pearing here could not be desired 1t
features no stars. but includes players
who get under the skin of their roles