New-York tribune., 1908-05-24

pressing selnshness emerge three sympathetic
figures One is the young girl from Paris Helen
Thornhill free from mercenary taint, sensitive
to the repeent traits OF this circle Of unnatural
relations grfeved because she thinks that her
father has forgotten her, and not because she
iaments the loss OF the money. and magnanimous
in her treatment of the heartless Mortmores
and In forgiving the repentant woman who has
sought TO take away her Inheritance Another
Ia Phyllis the despised music masters wife, VINO
has yielded to temptation from love OF husband
and children and a desperate desire to improve
their prospects in life and who has nobler
nature and better heart than the sneer1ng
critics around her The third is Thaddeus HIM
self who in spite Of his failure in life and his
humility in the presence Of his overbearing.
purse-proud relations, is hero in his devotion
to his wife, In his gentleness when she con-
fesses her crime and in his agonizing efforts to
protect her by taking her guilt as his own.
These three figures catch the light and make the
sombre, sordid background setting for the
nobler traits Of human character. The dreamy
husband, the sorely tempted. heartbroken wife
and the Euieless girl of tainted birth stand for
what is best in human nature while the mall
cious. covetous hypocrtes around them represent
what is worst
When the satire and the story are dropped
the craftsmanship remains. and no other dra-
matte author OF the time can improve upon Mr.
Pinero's method. There is a large family group
In each act and 1t is managed without theatri-
cal device or showman's trick. Character re-
veals itself by word, act and mannerism. and
the dialogue is natural. incsive and unforced A
passion for hard cash is the central theme, and
it finds expression to the end when the baser
Mortimores are ciphering out on paper or count
ing at their fingers ends what they will get out
of the estate and the solicitors cautiously retire
from the case. leaving the family to compound
a felony at their own risk It is hard. real
istic study of human avarice. provincial manners
and family intrigue and jealousy. and 1t Is re-
leved by the linsiest cobweb of a love affair
between the Paris girl and an English curate
and by the unaffected devotion of the musician
and his wife and the innocent prattle Of their
children. The story could hardly be told with
more lucidity. nor the satire be conveyed with
more corrosive force. The mastery of technique
is perfect The play may be disagreeable in Its
general effect and chill the audience but it never
relaxes its grip upon the intelligence. The char
acters are not puppets ingeniously wired. They
have the breath Of life, and 1t comes from soil
where money is god fashioned out of common
clay.
II this wonderful play with an approach TO
didactic teaching through the satire, does not
have so successful run as either His House
in Order or THE Thief at the St James S, IL
will not be through any fault in the acting MT.
Alexander has never given finer exhibition OF
his versatility and power than in the third act
when the musician assumes the guilt or his VIE
and makes a frenzied attempt to battle his cross
examiners until. with mind unhinged by anguish
he becomes almost childish in defiance. Miss
Mabel Hackney's moving impersonatlon or the
guilty wife is extremely powerful especially in
the second act when her crime is confessed
Mr. Louis Calvert. the head Of the surviving
Mortimores offers as robust an example OF char-
acter acting as any one can desire. and MT NOR
man Forbes as the wool gathering editor, is an
excellent foil for him. The wives. with tnelr
vagaries and petty spites are as effective as the
old and young solicitors. and Miss Stella camp
bells inexperience and girlishness are olstlnctV
helpful In the portrayal OF the miiionaires
daughter while her beauty. grace and voice give
promise of a personality as interesting as her
mother's-Edrs Patrick Campbells. Altogether
THE Thunderbolt" is a great play. splendldiy
enacted-a drama as brilliant in cleverness as 1t
is mordant in satire. If 1t be unpopular because
1t Is sombre and moral, so much the worse 1or
playgoers with their vtiated taste! l. n r.