The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
NE w YORK THEATERS
"The Thief" Dramatic NOvelty-lMargaret HliHgtOHs
SucceSS-0theT Plays.


Correspondence of The Washington Herald
New York Sept. 1.-THE season so far
has developed one notable play on the
New York stage-notable as an acting
play. rather than study IN the higher
dramatic forms. yet a play which is with
out a direct and wholesome exposition Of
The psychological forces Of human nature
and which has already begun TO exercise
the inevitable spell which a play, built
up on genuine dramatic principles is
bound to cast sooner or later. upon
public surfeited with the CONNECTIONS and
soudie Of dramatUgic cookery.
That play is The Thief" presented at
the Lyceum for the first time Monday
evening. Itcygas written by Henri Bern
stein, one Of the younger French drama
lists, for the Partisan stage and scored
a decisive triumph in the French capital.
where Mr. Charles Frohman promptly
seized upon the English and American
rights. It is practically a two-part play
of husband and wife. with the unique
distinction OF the most powerful second
act Of any play Of which I have any inn
mediate recollection. played entirely by
Two characters only. IN this the play
boldly defles all conventional Journalism
and slaps stage tradition in the face.
But Mr.. Bernstein knows how 10 combine
The spiritual elements Of the drama with
technical craftsmanship or mere theat-
ricalism so adrotly that we are never
Permitted to see the wires, but on the
contrary, yield 50 completely 10 the spell
OF his art and his artiflce that we are
prone 10 allot him a higher place IN the
literature of the drama than he Is Justly
entitled 70. I am still thrilling under the
enchantment of his magic, although I
have had twelve hours 70 compose my
nerves. A number Of the New York crit
ics apparently failed 20 appreciate THE
Thief" at its full value. and wrote some
disparaging reviews OF II. in spite of
which the house was sold out on the sec
ond night, and I shall prove a bad proph-
CT IL II does not hold its own the season
out 10 full seats.
The leading parts are taken by Kyrle
Bellew and Margaret Ellington. In the
cast are only six persons, exclusive Of
servant, who has nothing to DO. The
play Is IN three acts and covers a period
OF one night and part Of the next day
twelve hours. TO be exact. The scene is
story deals with a series Of mysterious
thefts involving the extraction OF some
2),o0O francs from Nine. Lngardes' bureau
drawer.
Nine Lagardes is the second wife of a
rich and retired manufacturer. who has
an only son by a former marriage. Fer
nand. boy Of nineteen. N. Voysin CBeI-
lew an old pal of Lagardes, and his wife
s-fFr
10 the Lagardeses since her girlhOOd. are
there on a protracted visit occupying a
suite on The boudoir floor upstairs Tn
known 20 any one in the house, NJ La
gardes has introduced q gentleman de-
tective, n Zumbault Sidney HERBERT
into the house as a guest. TO terret out
the thief.
Young Lagardes adores Nine Voysin,
who treats his love as a boyish infatua-
uon fattering 10 her vanity. without 4
thought Of diminishing the admiration
with which she regards her husband. In
the opening act she rebukes the lad for
his indiscretion Of stealing into her bou-
doir at odd hours and there depositing
under her pillow, and IN other recondite
places. epistolary tributes TO her beauty.
The play begins when the detective
basing his suspicious upon young La
gardes' mysterious visits 10 the boudoir
floor, eXplodes "a bOmbsheN in tie peace
fu! household by accusing the youth OF
their thefts and forcing a confession from
him in the presence of his friends. supple
mented by the recovery Of 450 francs IN
marked bills, stolen that evening, which
are found in Fernand's possession.
This development is followed by the re-
T1gVlTg l1p second act iu yt-l,fcI, v-a orc
UodUced TO the private rooms OF n Voy-
sin and his wife tho same night immedi-
ately following the depressing episode.
The playwright has capitalized the fact
that an ideal relationship exists between
Rich Voysin aud Marie Louise. his wife.
They indulge in stole caresses and secret
kisses whenever the opportunity offers.
At this stage they are preparing TO retire.
But Richard is unable 10 shake off the in
duence Of the events Of the evening. for
he loves Lagardes and shares his mental
anguish at the discovery Of Fernand's ad-
mitted baseness. He insists that Fernand
could not have opened the bureau drawer
by the use Of q knife blade, as described
by him, and 10 satisfy himself. Richard
experiments on drawer in which his
wife's delicate lingerie Is kept. She nerv-
ously tries 70 restrain him, but he per
sists in playful peTveTsity. The lock ac-
ludliy yleiCS, and among Marie Louise s
sumptuOus laces he finds a small leather
wallet. 1t contains only his picture He
is about 10 yield 10 her insistence by re
turning 1t 10 her when the padding at
tracts him. and he finds 5000 francs in
bills thrust away in one OF the inner
pockets.
Here we stand on the threshold Of the
surprise of the evening. IN d powerful
scene in which one incident fuses logically
with another % support the theory of his
suspicion, Richard, associating his wife's
extravaganza in dressing with his unten-
able plea that the 5000 francs represent
her savings, accuses her Of the house
thefts, and az last breaks down her de-
fense and forces her 10 admit her guilt
Then comes the big scene Of the play
in which she reveals her motives Her
love for him-her desire 10 please him, 20
make herself as attractive as other wom-
en- in order 10 hold his admiration, she
declares, moved her 70 do the appalling
thing.
II Is literature, this eloquent pleading
Of the wife; It tingles and thrills by its
eloquence, its earnestness. We come 10
believe that she did not steal the money
for herself but only that she might ap-
Pear pleasing in his eyes and divert his
mind from every other Woman-and so
believing. we begin 10 sympathize with