Ordeal by Fire 3/21/74

This play centers on the Promethean Society, a secret group dedicated to the improvement of morality throughout the world. Vernon Marcus has agreed to become a member but has second thoughts when actually having to fork over a $1,000,000 \"contribution\". Promos, the leader of the society is very forceful and anyone who doesn\'t obey, or who challenges his authority, lives to regret it. Vernon calls upon Brian Casey, a private detective, to look into the issue.

A good plot coupled with quality writing and excellent acting make this a terrific play. One special thing I note about the writing is that the auther, Murry Burnett, uses a special technique to breathe life into this play. At about the 12th minute of the play, Vernon Marcus and Brian Casey are driving to the Promethean Society meeting. Vernon takes the time to explain what will happen during the meeting. This was an exceptionally cleaver and smooth way to detail the setting - the author used the natural course of actions and free flowing dialogue to give us the setting. Often, the setting is handed to us by E.G. Marshall or the characters seem unnatural in their need to describe things but this author crafted this scene very well. Soon after, when the two men enter the meeting room, we hear the organ music and we have a fine example of the Radio Mystery Theater mystique.

Later in the program, the author builds the suspense as the seemingly supernatural event of a boiling bucket of ice water is introduced (Brian Casey\'s burning feet are put into the frigid water). A short time later, we learn that Brian Casey has figured out how Promos has tricked his society members but the author only teases us with the solution. We\'re left to hang with Vernon Marcus which was an exceptional way to let our minds race. &nbsp;Excellent writing really made this play work. Don\'t play with fire!!<br>