"UNDER FIRE"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2767, 10 May 1916, Page 7

"UNDER FIRE"

AN OUTSTANDING WAR PLAY

"Under Fire," a war play, in threo acts, by Hoi Cooper Megrue. Cast:— Brewster (Butler) ............... D. J. Williams Georsie: Wagstai? Eileen Sparks Ethel Willoughby -'. Lizetto Parlies Henry Streetman Boyd Irwin Sir Goorge Wagstaff ...:..... Herbert, Leigh Mrs. Falconer Emma, Temple Quy Falconer Hugh Huntley Olinrlic Drown Louis Kimball Louis : Charles Morse Belgian Peasant, Yernon MTarland Frenchman Alfred Bri'stowe Christophe J. B. Alholwood Joa-nno Hosfyn Vane Pierre H. W. Vama Andre B. J. Williams Peldwebel ...;. Haxry. Sweeney Otto .-. D. T. Lalor Major von Brenlg Carlton Stuart Lieut. Baum ltaymond Lawrence' Captain Redmond .-. Mr. Julius Knjght Captain Montagu ......... Kenneth Brampton If anyone wishes to get a real thrill they merely have to pay a visit to the Grand Opera House, wjrero for a couple of hours they can, without any imaginative aid, get right to the core of the whole war business. "Under Eire," the war drama by Roi Cooper Megrue, presented the Williamson Company, is just afceut as convincing a bit of realistic work us the normal person would care to witness, for whilf.t it harks bacK to the blood and thunder variety of "war plays, and contains enough thrills,' hairoroaelth escapes, and murders for half a dozen ordinary melodramas, .one | cannot say that it is not ■ more j vivid or sensational in its action

;han thousands of hair-raising episodes "< ivhich have characterised this precedent; >* imashing war. And it is all so excel- °* lently dons that it carries tho audience c ' resistlessly from sensation to sensation in ~ i state of absorbing interest. Prohl the « standpoint of good play-writing tho first lI ict, contrary to practice, is the bast act ,v rf the play. Thereafter German and P* English troops, and peasants flood the J[ stage, ■ the! guns begin to roar, shells " shriek, bombs burst; and through a haze J 1 rf smoke come the gladdening facts of u. the German villain's death and the Irish nl hero's glory. Eoi Cooper Megrue is a w competent playwright. His "dialogue is la :risp, and even witty. Ho makes oppor ; jjj unities, for capital character : sketches, w The first act.takes placo in the home, of 0' Sir Geo. Wagstaff, ■ where Ethel. Wil- w loughby is employed as governess, with l'i apparently all the' privileges of being its '< mistress. The dramatist quickly divulges U the fact that she is secretly the wife of , Henry Streetman, a pseudo-Englishman, tl but really a German- spy, who is driving °' her to gain information. Iron) Kir George n [of the Admiralty; of the intentions of ci the British "Fleet after ■ the fateful P manoeuvres,-of July, 1811. Strpetman,. ?! who is already married in Germany, has ii imposed himself upon the girl as a-u « agont of tho li'rencb (joverumont to cloak a his curiosity about the movement of tho o. Pleet, but she learns who he really' is, I to hov great horror, from Captain Larry Redmond,-in-a charming love scene," be- J' tween the two. Finding herself' basely o deceivod, sho resolves-to enter the Secret P Service .on . the outbreak of K war, aiid makes ' a compact with b Larry to • work with him. On S the eve of war, they all leavo for Brus-. c sels, Streetman to iom tho German Army, 6 Larry to join tho same army as a spy, .fi and Ethel to help the latter in any emer- u gency". They all meet accidentally in tho ■ quaint old inn of Christophe's, where in i a big, old-fashioned chimney Larry and c an assistant, havo' installed a telephone ( to keep in touch with tho Prench Army, i The occupation of the town by tho Ger- l mans is made quite a spectacle, ami nil- t turally tho inn is nude the officer's head- ( quarters. Thrill No, 1 comes when Street- i man discovers the telephone, and orders j Christophe to be shot. This is quickly ; followed by Strcetmaii's discovery of Red- , lnourt masquerading as Captain Carl, of j the German Aniiy, and Larry's career ia .[ about to terminate when Ethel gets the , drop on Streetman with. her. shooter, and j bold Larry binds him and puts" .him in • the cellar; He is released in' time to ; meet Larry face to face again, but this time the Irishman is saved from extiiic. ■ tion by. the deftly-used' knife of Christophe's daughcei. Prom his body they get a passport for Ethel through to ' the English lines, and Larry gets hold of Von. Li-luck's intentions. Both inako a break for the.English' lines, but Streetman, who has only boen slightly wound-ed,-is before them. He has reached the British trench, and is about to telephone to British Headquarters instructions helpful to the Gennam ■ when Larry arrives over the sand-bags to save tne situation. At this critical moment an eneinj airship drops a bomb which blows thu trench to but' Larry is able to, reach the telephone,. and'wire his allimportant news to Headquarters in time to save the annihilation of the. British. foTce. He is discovered afterwards by Ethel in a. field hospital located in a picturesque, shot-riddled church, and the play entls with the news of the Germans retreating to the Marue, chased by tho strains of "The Marseillaise" and "Tip-

perary." • The -play is excellently cast, even to the smallest parts. Mr. Julius Knight made a particularly gallant Captain Larry Redmond. He acted the lover-of the first act with all the charm and case of yes-ter-year, and was . vital '• and gripping where rapid speedbi and lively action were needed. The Ethel Willoughby of Miss Lizette Parkes was sweet and lovely to the eye, and lier acting was marked by a pleasing intelligence and commendable restraint in the more dramatic scenes, where over-acting might have -induced smiles. •■ Mr. Boyd Irwin made'Streetman a'bold, dashing figure', and invested the character of the spy ■ with a Strong personality and the true Hunnish disposition to bully and bluster. An entirely, admirable performance was that of the Ameri-. can' pressman, Charlie Brown, by Mr. Louis Kim'ball.who was the fresihi' young man from Broadway to the life. Another outstanding character performance iws that of old Christophe by that talented actor, Mr. J. B. Atholwood. Miss Eileen Sparks made Georgia Wagstaff a delightfully fresh sample of the modern ''uapper" and as her admirer, Mr. Hugh Huntley was .always in the picture. Mr. Herbert' Leigh lent weight and dignity.to Sir George Wagstaff, and Miss Emma Temple was charming as Mrs: Falconer. Messrs. H. W. Varnai Carlton Stuart, Barry Sweeney, and Kenneth Brampton were air good in responsible roles, and Miss Eosslyn Vane was effective, both in, sunshine and tears, as Jeanne, the innkeeper's daughter. in The scenery is particularly good. Ihe first black and white dwnying room set is an artistic triumph; the old Belgian inn, the trenches, and finally the shellshattered church (»U by Geo. Upchurck) made highly effective stage pictures. The orchestra, for the purposes of the play, consists of a brass band, with the mellowing influence of a few wood-winds. It played an inspiriting overture of national airs very well indeed. Mr. J. J. Drew is ■tho musical director. The play will.hold the boards for a week to. come. '