New-York tribune., 1910-11-13
THE DRAMA
PInero's Play, ''The Thunder
bolt" at The New Theatre.


New York II is easy TO see why The
Thunderbolt-' was not great success IN
London: it's exhibition Of human greed and
commences: its truth not merely 20 life,
but specifically to certain phases Of Brit
fsh life: it's searching, satirical shafts. could
not have been agreeable to a public in
vted to behold it's own image on the stage
r. Is easy 10 see why the play should be
success in America: the public here can
sav: These r1eannesses. this narrowneSS
this Grass seIfshness and hypocrisy are not
ours. Let the CALLED British Jade vince,
our witheTs are unwrung- For II is the
privilege and custom of the throug sitting
ar the play 10 feel itself superior 70 and
apart from any unlovely traits and char
acters therein portrayed. And when these
qualities and persons are labelled as OF
alien origin and belonging, why may not
the righteous patriotism which is I'm all OF
us chortle and delight that we are not
the flesh and fooIishness OF other ma
tions2
Having this advantage TO start with, and
then Pinero's genius for telling a story on
the stage, and, furthermore. unfOlded by
acting which. in the main. is worthy OF its
opportunity, this play must find favor with
that considerable portion Of our public
which really cares for dramatic compost
ton OF high order and for acting of IN
common merit; while with that larger por-
ton which, from uninaginable heights. toll
crates upon distant acres OF this planet the
existence of beings who do not recognize
our catchwords, and who give other names
TO the same things, it should find swift ac-
ceptance.
That The Thunderbolt'' is far superior
to any Of the modern plays thus far pre-
sented at The New Theatre goes without
saying It's authorship is guarantee for
that That it IS better acted-very much
better aCted-than any other modern play
yet brought forward at this house is only
what might be expected, because PIuero
leaves nobody concerned in his productions
with any kind of doubt about what is 70 be
done and how all is to be done. Besides, in
the present instance Mr. Calvert played
the part which he had performed in the
original London production, SO that he
knew by experience every detail of the
business Of the entire drama
The thunderboft that falls upon several
Mortimore brothers and their wives. upon
a Mortimore sister and her husband, after
they have, in anticipation, shared the estate
Of their brother. the late Edward Norti-
more, who, 1t is believed. died without Ieav-
ing viii, is the discovery that the lament
ed brewer did not die intestate. He had
left a viii, and in it left all his riches TO
his daughter. The daughter had been born
out Of wedlock- Her mother died long be
fore the plays part Of the story of these
lives. Phyllis Mortimore, who destroyed
the will and confesses, must be indicted for
felony. Her husband tries TO shield her by
accusing himself. but his brave effort is
easily seen through Helen. the dead mans
daughter, volunteers an equal division Of
the property between the four Mortimores
and herself. This may seem quixotic, but
she has reasons which she thinks sufficient,
not the least OF which is that she shields
the offending Phyllis, whose fault the world
will never know.
Pinero in this play leaves his aristocrats
and his smart society and gets among the
riddiing strata o. the middle class Eng
Ishry, or strata perhaps a little below the
middling middle. And it must be said that
If his smart folk were-weII. what you
know them to have been-his lower middle
folk, in this play are beyond the ordinary
formula Of salvation. Mr.. Calvert who
sweeps into his arms most Of the honorS
or the acting, depicts in James Mortimore
a hard, coarse, cunning, domineering char
acter, quite unlike any in which he has
been seen here before, a vulgarian whose
fondest traits are so objectionable that you
can't help watching their unfoIdment with
constant interest
Pinero's remarkable power of stage man
agement and Of getting the best out OF
his players, is shown in this play IN such
a way that iupresses you as being a more
remarkable power than ever before. For
the first time at The New Theatre in a
modern play, the actors work together,
the production is close knit. This is due
to Pinero's influence which. even il at long
range, is influence that The New
Theatre needs But the peryerse gods who
inspire the miscasting of so many plays at
this house have again succeeded in doing
the wrong thing. It is quite impossible 70
understand why Miss Lawtou was assigned
to the part of Phyllis Aortimore; and It Is
not easy to see why Miss Wyndham was
selected to act Helen, the daughter Of the
dead MOrtimore. A young girl, Miss Pa
tricia CoIIinge, who spoke 50 well in a
small part in The Blue Bird is very
pleasing as a child in The ThuuderhoIt-
Her dictiOn is so good that it merits special
commendadou. Mr.. Holland is delightfully."-
smooth ana natural as an elderly solicitor.
All the others are good, and seem better
perhaps, than they really are, because
Pinero's stagecraft gets so much out Of
them. This play viii cause much discus
sion, as Pinero's plays always do. II is a
work that many will wish t. see more
than once It is persistently. inf1exibIy
true: its people are humans, not puppets
its exposition is not wholly merciless, for
il has CLEANS OF pity and kindness, and
the good that is in all Of Us struggles at
last even in that unexpected place-the
heart of James Mortimcre. \. W
CAST OF THE TFUNDERBOLT
Ann-.....-..-.. Mrs. Harriet Otis DelIenbaugh
Stephen Mortimcre- n bert Bruning
Louisa. .-.- ..-.---- Miss Helen Reirner
ThadieuS Mortimore- A Z. Anson
phyllis. Miss That's L.awton
joyce -.----- Miss Patricia toliinge
(,riI ---.- George Clarke
Colonel Pointing .--.--- Ferdinand tiottsChaik
Rose .-...-....-...-. Miss Olive oliver
Helen TuornhiIi. ..-....-- Miss Olive Wyudham
The Rev. George Trist- Frank GilIIaore
NJ. Valance. -------.--- Ben Johnson
Mr. Eikin ---.-.-. ---.------. z. II Holland
Mr.. Denver. Edwin CGshman
Heath. ...- -.-..-- John Sutherland
\ servant girl at Nelson Villas. .-.-.......
l.asH rl.l -4r rrasVrr