The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-18
TWO NEW LONDON PLAYS
Mr.. FROHNlN STARTS ms
SEASON WIN .MELODR4M4.
i Bolt From the BIae" Paris success
IN English -"NObOdy'S Baugh-
ter" Opens Gerald Du Maurier'S
Career IN ROIe Of Actor Manager.

LONDON. Sept The two plays Of
the week presented old themes with
fairly new treatment. "A Bolt From the
Blue has a plot which hinges on q bundle
% compromising letters. while -Sobody's
Daughter is a variation Of the illegitimate
child motif
In reopening the Duke OF York . Theatre
with A Bolt from the Blue Mr. Frohman
abandoned temporarily at any rate. the
policy Of a repertory theatre. for this is
a piece obv iorsly produced for a run.
IL II a melodramatic hodge podge with
the prestige OF a Paris success obtained
in its original state when il was known
a. lie Costaud des Epinette~.' The
adapter. CoSmo Hamilton. knows his
Paris well. but apparently he had poor
material and the result OF his work 10
not particularly creditable n him. and
certainly not 10 the ira ditions OF the
Duke OF Yorks Theatre, where last season
Mr.. Frohman treated London 20 the best
plays available.
The compromising letters which figure
in a Bolt From the Blue are owned by
an actress, Nile IrmG. and the man who
wrote them ~ anxious % obtain them,
as she has threatened 90 publish them.
| WV W NDheAkuNs nave AkTetl W
help him get the discriminating papers at
any cost
The first act il in an apache cafe whsre
the Consplrators come q select a ruifian
tn steal the letters and put the trouble
some lady out Of the way Their choice
falls upon Gabriel. who is glad To under
take the job till he finds he IL expected
% fascinAte the lady 50 that she will ask
e.,k h. St IL = =. Ia
man. He docs not mind a bit Of work
where q jimmy and sandbag can be
effectively used. hut the subtleties Of this
job are beyond him
Finally a broken down gentleman.
Claude BTerin. who has been starving
for days consents to undertake the Job.
The second act IL at Bohemian ball
where CtaUde. well dressed by the con-
splrators. has come TO meet Irmd. lie
wins much favor in her eyes and she
invites him tn supper IN her fat
A. her maid has been called away nv
bogus telegram Claude finds himself
alone with his victim He has the chIoro-
form. the silk handkerchief and the knife.
All he needs - the courage 20 kill Irrna.
who in bewitching teagown talks
frankly to him VI her life. her hopes and
plans.
AZ last he nerves himself TO the act,
and when she leaves the room for a few
moments he turns out the lights and hides
behind the window curtains prepared
90 spring out upon her when she returns
He hears a suspicious noise and waits
In through the door which he has opened
with a skeleton key comes CSubrisi. who
has decided 20 try the Job In his own way.
Still hidden CidUdS watches him and sees
him attack IrHd a. she CONES from her
bedroom. whersupon he promptly springs
upon 6dbr'si and throws him 10 the floor.
where he half throt'les him. and turns
him ont ~ the fat
Naturally Trina halls claude a. her
/ pr-~-rysr. and ia a half fainting condi-
ton she throws her arms about his nscl-
CtOuds ConfeS-@- the truth tells her how
he had planned TO kill her. shows her
the chIOrofOrm and the knife and falls
on hrs knees at her feet ~ course she
forgive- him and hands over the letters
90 him. saving she never meant 10 Use
them anyhow. and the curtain goes down
ON peniten' Tiaude taking a short leave
of Irfn1 for tomorrow he il TO ioin her
/ IN the Theatrical company on tour
Two nemb-rS oS the original Repertory
/ Theatre company. Edmund Gwenn and
Dennis Esdie. gave rather remarkable
character studies IN the parts of the
old cafe keeper and one ~ the conspira-
tors. while Miss Irene vanbruRh made
charming ivmd. though she played 'he
/ part 49, II The ACT res- were a simple. inno-
cent English schoolgirl
! Miss p NJ Svmond- (George Pas,onD
ranks as the most successful woman
dramarist IN England Just now she has
two plays running in London The
Naked Truth. in which Charles Hawtrey
has been acting for months. and NO
bOdys Daughter with which Gerald
du MAurier began his career as an actor
manager Saturday evening Mr.. du
Maurier IL 80 popular that wyndham's
Theatre was crowded to the very doors
the first night of the venture. and
friendly audience greeted the new play
and the new sctor manager
In -Nobodv'a Daughter Mr. du Maurier.
who il usually a leading juvenile. essayed
tho par of a man ~ IS. John FRAN DIOR.
whose wife years hafore her marriage
with him had an illegitimate dan ghte-
81 whose birth he has never been told.
The girl comes often TO stay with them
and II - in trying half in fun to find out /.
who her real parents are that Frdmptop /
H'umbles upon ths truth. Her fathe /
il a man he knows well who was once |
engaged 10 Mrs Frdmp'on There IL a |
strong scene bet ween the husband and !
wife ~ course. and Fran rfon finally |
forgives his wife 80 tho play ends happily. |
Miss Symonds has treated a hackneyed
theme IN the most modern way. and az she /
IL clever craftsman and the piece was
beautifully acted u was received with
great enthusiasm.
London IL TO have a theatre for children
in which all ths performers ar. 10 be chill ,
dr-n u - aud under and all the plays
are "a 10 suited TO Juvenile ideas Miss
Iala Field - the originator Of th" scheme
and as SIN. has had great experience in
training children for such performances
aud has succeeded in getting such pa
tron"-~e- aS the Princess IIatzfcIdt. tn,
Duchess of Marlborough and the Duches.