The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-16
AMUSEMENT NOTES
The Story Of "The Thief" Which Win
Be in Barre Oct 20.

BE in Barre Oct. 20.
II Is impossible with mere telling Of
the plot" OF Henri Bernsteins play
The Thief" to give any idea of the
tremendous power Of thisldrama, whica
has aroused more discussion than any
work of lis kind during the past several
years. II Is a masterpiece Of dramatic
construction In that, through a series Of
unexpected developments, Il compels the
tensest interest.
Then, aside from the purely technical
character OF the play, there is a problem
In ethics and morality worked ont by
the dramatist with wizard.like skill
The players presenting the work are
also of excellent quality. While, in
some respects better effects might be
secured by actors Of different personality
and method Il is but Justice to say that
the players succeed admirably in revealing
the idea which the playwright has de.
yeloped with such delicaey and strength
| in his text.
"The Thief" which has been the most
important dramatic work presented in
Paris and New York during the past two
years, surpassed all expectations Its
power must be seen 10 be appreciated
properly, but here is hating attempt
to define the elements Of the problem:
A woman Of youth and beauty, but
comparatively humble station, allows
herself TO fall in love with a brilliant
man OF the world whom she considers
much above her. She worships him as
something unattainable, and Is dazed
that he loves her in return, and makes
her his wife Her love is alteration, but
she is haunted with the fear that she
will lose his love. She reasons that she
must equal in beauty and delicaey OF
attire the women with whom he has
been familiar. ii she is TO hold him.
His income and her allowance do not per
nit competition in this respect, but in
her panic OF fear lest her happiness be
wrecked, she recklessly contracts great
debts with milliners and dressmakers,
giving little thought to the day OF reck
oning. But the day remorsclessly APP
proaches, and exposure threatens as hus-
band and wife are visiting rich friends
The friend and hostess carelessly throws
into drawer money sufficient to satisfy
clamorous creditors. The tortured wife
yields to temptation.
Then comes the first complication. A
youth. son Of her husbands friend, Is
infatuated with her. Idle vanity makes
her smile on him, but she rcbukes his
declaration OF love and refuses to read
his letters. A detective has been sum.
moned as a guest to the house to fathom
the mystery of the stolen money. The
youth is seen in the boudoir from whiea /
the money has been taken. lie has been
there to lay his love letters beneath the |
pillow Of the woman he loves. The de-
tectiye is called on for his report, and
he presents a seemingly conclusive ease
OF cireumstantial evidence against the |
boy. He is summoned to be confronted |
with the evidence Of his crime The |
guilty woman, in panic and grasping at /
straws, goes TO seek him and appeals to !
him in the name OF his love for her to /
save her, He consents
After this basis is laid IN the first act /
the author develops remarkable scens |
between the guilty woman and her hus
band. Bro0ding over the sorrow that has /
come TO his friend, certain anomalities /
in the boys story come to him. Play I
fully ransaeking his wife's chifonier. be
finds purse Of money more money than
she has any right to have. In painful
scene he forces confession of guilt Of
theft, and jealousy carries him to aeen.
sation of faithlessness. n too, have
been nineteen he cries bitterly.
The third and final act takes place
the next morning, when the youth has
been summoned to hear decree OF ban.
ishment to South America, which means
probable DEATH The guilty wife and
her husband, as long time friends of
The family. are requested TO be present.
The woman would escape the scene. but
he husband grimly forces her to remain.
the boy cries out in agony against his
in scene OF heart breaking
1athos with his father, but finally rushes
1ut in obedience to his fathers COM
nand. Then the guilty woman CON
'esses
What is the outcome? 1t would not
De fair to tell. At every turn the play
wright goes counter to the probabilities
# the conventional moralities, and al.
ways is he logical, always profoundly
human, always convincing
1.-THE Thief" will be at the Barre opera
rouse on October 90