Alice Sit-By-The-Fire

The star-studded production of the timeless classic, which Charles Frohman staged on Christmas Day 1905 at the Criterion Theatre in New York, has always been a spectacular showcase for the acting prowess of the greatest female actors, from Ethel Barrymore to Helen Hayes. The main character, Alice, returns from India to England with her husband and struggles to acclimatize to the house and kids she left behind. Amy, her intelligent and creative daughter, misinterprets her mother's flirtatious comments to a close family friend and thinks she is planning a meeting with him. Amy resolves to offer herself as a sacrifice in a great gesture and first meets "the lover." Alice is shocked to discover her daughter's glove at the friend's apartment, and now both mother and daughter are in danger while the poor friend is hopelessly lost. Alice's husband is also. But they manage to resolve the incorrect relationship without hurting Amy's delicate imagination. The main themes of the novel-children believing they are smarter than their elders and adults having to learn how to use their life experience to be effective parents-remain relevant today, despite the fact that the story is very much a period piece.