The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-13
NEW DRAMA BY A. ". PINERO
.rHi IHf NDERBOLT" ACTED
If IHI MN THEATRE.
A pa, 81 Far,il, i.ifr I'm Provincial Eng.
land ~nr,i,,I story Revealed ny he
.rrn,rd MiiI a Resembles In style
tn, Later Plays oG thr same Author,

,.,...-. .i>' night 10 Chapter 1.-THE
RI. r.' g.sts only a preface when The
r---.l .-., pIt.' hy Arthur W. Pinero. was
a,-it.- he first time in New York. An
,u,,..i-, IN the history OF a provincial
sandy - the authors subtitle to tho
DAM. which is in four acts. One ia laid
m ~ library Of house in a provincial
,,rynf England. while the others take place
n A !-Awlng and dining room in sma n
t,Eu N 'h' Nidlands
VI Puero's latest drama in its general
tA.-t-t"r recalls His House in Or der
II deals with the same unima ginative
middle class types Of English society
Tn. 49,. III traits II his cnuntrymsn never
a-,,,.,r =, interest tho dramatist 10 the
exclusion uf all other sources of inspira-
u1- In Witnessing the actions of these
rl.s,n tvprs NJ humanity one cannot help
wondering what has become OF that i'm
sg,nliinn which drew the PriRcess p an
rnr.r and Fay Zulnni. and that invention
which rscrsated IN 'Trelaw ney Of the
Wells d world Of Victorian fancy and
beauty What poor exchange for these
do hts are the dour studies OF English
hfa with which the foremost dramatist OF
his country seems satisfied 10 occupy his
genius now'
There il NJ course n family in The
Thlnd-rholr The dramatist now studies
English domestic character en- bloc. There
uas a family too in His House in Order.
which m comparison with the Mortimores
Of Sin glahampton seems in memory
T. have been a very human and inspiring
group In the first act Of the play this
family has gathered 90 learn what will
r.cUrle II the estate Of a brother who ID
relieved 70 have died intestate. so
there = a chance that the millions earned
hv this dead man in his brewery may he
DIVIDED among his three brothers and
the sister, who by her marriage with an
army oaicer has ascended many rungs I
k..,her on the social ladder than the !
r..>t " her family.
Thar. arr various grades OF social i'm !
rorrance represented. moreover. by III.
members Of the family. One member |
aho = a musician has fallen lower than
auv II The others by marrying the daugh- |
tor II a local grocer. She IT is who de- !
--roys the will which the brewer had ,
mad" They are all glad that he can !
b.. described after his death a. a gentle
'uau since the brewery was turned |
INTO stock company several years before ,
a., death The dead body of their bene-
Tt.ff. ff, WHOM InSN Il0u ignored IN NE :
r...4u--' he founded a brewery. lies up /
stairs r-hIl" TIL others. united in their /
-..tr.r tor his fortune. haggle IN the
Hbrarv
b. they do not succeed III carrying
u.' the plans they made for spending the J
... u..v -arn.d IN the brewery and TO h.
as rrur.d To- them in equal shares. II
I--,.r,ueS evident with the return of tn.
,.-tt mans illeSItlInats daughter from
-.t.ol IN Paris that their acquisition oil
"a. IN lN.a IL n.
Wagd brought out that she was actually
named IN the testament "a Iegat.e Al
.lUlsh one of the sisters in law denies
.utf she destroyed tn. will and her hus-
and attempts To assume the res pOn-I-
N.Iy for the act. II ~ plain that sh. ~
-4.lty OF the crime. In order 10 save. Ih.
..ITatiOn Of her fathers famIly-and
u' Iientally, We SUSPECT, 10 provide a
rAppy ending-the dead mans daughter
agrees To share the fortune with her dis
agreeable uncles and aunts. So the Nor
umores get what they want.
Mr. Pinero long ago proved his mastery
a, drawing lust such narrow, ignOhls
rha ~aCters as those that make up tn.
.rauatis persona in The Thunderbolt.
He has moreover showed more than ,
oun- MS skill in building mp the sort Of
.jase story in which they can be hes;
-, -aled In a necessarily hurried review
- he performance last night only cert ain ,
IMPRESSIONS can be recorded now. IL ,
mas neyes been more evident how gripping
and intense the author can make even such
d story which IL told IN the play with
compromising directnesS.
Dramatic interest reaches its height
wnsn the unfortunate Thrdfeus. whose
wife destroyed the will. breaks down
under the examination Of the lawyer and
- compelled 20 admit that she and nov he
ls guilty. Their. IL also An element Of
extreme dramatic force in the preceding
act in which ne learns what his wife. has
done This Is the thundarbol' TO him,
81. "A.
,tls
~ course Mr. Pinero IL dealing in this
latest play with a situation that has almost
PASSED INTO on. Of the conventions Of IN.
drama III. effect Of wealth on human
character has been popular subject
with The playwrights IL has been sup
tossed 20 b" the magic wand that sud-
denly brings their true character 10 the
front. The draruatist has added another
Judy q this them. in The Thunderbolt-
t. n" already long list Of plays built
~ from this conversions"
rom a purely personal viewpoint IL
may b.. fair 10 -ay that these latest crea-
u.'- ~ III" great English dranstIst
i"--e-- li''l" or no interest In their
drir. rafher vulgar milisu with 80 much Of
~ orn%~ NJ life about them and liitl.
~ - spirit and spi.ndor they make
.''I- app-al TO the imagination. One
'tNn0r resist the temptation to turn TO
~" "4rlar DAYS ~ Mr. Pinsros activity
and wonder II the poetry. fancy and humor
H. rur INTO those earlier pieces has been
o-' forever with such a poor substitute
A. n" characters that figur. IN these
h'F"- plays and the absorbing dramatic
elder. enr = hat these mode IN plays contain
~. acting needed q, bs only literal
'-H'-'"r of life 90 the stage To meet all
~" r"grnrements Of the play. From
Nat viewpoint Il was admirable. 4. v.
NL-"r acted al. musician brother whose
W." ed into such trouble with the
r.-----ary touch 81 inspiration and made {
= '.~ on" sympathetic role IN the action. ,
..a- 'alv"rts broad sketch Of the rner
''1ry hourgeolss WAS one Of "A series
p Itnlrable portraits 10 which all the
actors contributed. That's Iawton had {
= I'1"ult problem a. the guilty wife ,
f-.a 10" burden 81 her scene Of confession ,
j.. rat her heavily on her shoulders. /
-.lr was scarcely fault TO find with
'.. trtEug ~ the play The MI merous
""r.'- - the Performance. may receive /,
f'"l pral@" on some other night than ,