New-York tribune., 1911-02-14
THE DRAMA
"Nobody's Daughter by George
Pastor, at The New Theatre.

PdSlOn, dl lI'c WtW lI'0o"'
Gerald du Maurier began his first season
as an actor.maneger by producins' at
wyndham's Theatre, London. on sep'erh-
Der 4 last, a clever and interesting pay
called 'Nobody's Daughter" The piece -
still running in London. on Monday nlsht
its performance in America wss gwen az
The New Theatre. with every indicatioii oi
success. and deserved success. the author'
Miss e. NJ. Symonds, who writes uiueF
the name Of George Pastor, has written
several other plays, but this IS the hlst 10
bring her pen name prominently oeiore
the public on the western side OF tns Az
lantic
The scene Of this comedy Is sn Enshsh
country place. The story opens IN the cot
tage Of Christine Grant, hard Visagep,
hard hammered, bigoted, kind hearted olo
nurse, who for nineteen years has hao the
care Of q girl named Honora Nay. Inc
girl was brought. when Just under d year
cid, to Christine Grant by Mrs. Frarnptoh
and Colonel Torrens, her euardlens' as
they represented themselves. her parents
as the play d.scloses. Mrs. Framptoh was
unmarried when her child was born. she
had not met the excellent Frampton "hose
wife she became a year or so later. her
lover was Colonel Tcrrens. Now. twenty
years after their youthful infatuation' they
look back upon the affair and laugh. IL
was "a mistake" they say, nothing more.
They are not cynical, not over-Worldly'
merely human. well bred, well placed IN
life, not disposed TO religion, neither 10
hypocrisy. They parted when the young
LADY married Frampton, and since then
they have been nothing to each other'
nothing, that Is to say, as lovers Iney
remain friends and neighbors. They have
kept their secret for twenty years; they
could have kept II all their lives II they
had been as clever as the dramatist would
have you believe. But in the twentieth
year "the mistake" got out. The mistake,
Of course, was Honora. They had 10 pro-
vide for her future. Mrs. FramptOn took
her from the hard and tender nurse and
housed her At the Frampton country
house. near Wolverswyck After three
months Mr. Frampton generates sudden
suspicious There is "a scene a con-
fession, reconciliation. Honora weds a
chauffeur and goes off TO Australia; the
colonel gets an appointment to some other
colony, and the Framptons are left a home
alone, forgiving, and, IT would appear. none
the worse for their terrific storm.
You have a sad story pleasingly told and
with n happy ending. What more could
New York want or London? There f.
moro 10 the play than appears on the sur
face Of this description. But this is one OF
the plays that is harmed rather than
helped by much description. Unless the
whole Is told. there Is risk Of giving out
a misleading Idea of the tone and purpose
OF the work And yet the purpose IS not
az deep as some accounts Of II would have
q reader believe. The play skins along
the surface OF llfe-it does not probe II
anywhere. IT is a pleasing entertainment
but not much more than that. That' now
ever IS n good deal. II the play is serious
ly analyzed It will not repay the effort
In the first place, why did not the colonel
and the lady marry? There Is no teiilne'
You are not inclined to sympatnize "ith
them TO any great extent. They are
selfish pair They 90 not care even LOT
each other. and they show no love for their
daughter excepting In stock, copyoook
rbrases The attraction Of the play ~ 10
no found not I'm the story. but In the
d,ar,atist's manner Of telling It. and in the
actors skill in presenting II. II Is wen
staged at The New Theatre, adiniraoiy
staged. 1t is in some parts very Wen
acted. and in other parts not at all wen
acted. vet. on the whole. tho performance
ie Of a fair stock-company kind MISS
Helen Reimer as the nurse Christine
,,oaeed the audience. But she missed
verv effective touch that could nave ueel
given at the end OF the first act an anec'
tionate. almost fearful embrace OF the gir
from whom she is TO be parted MIS-
| Conover. as Mrs. Frampton, looked 'h'
| smart society woman, and gave the essen
,ioI i,nnressIon Of that woman's shaHo"
! ,ass Her work was even and Wltnou
r,,ob depth or color. But then it may o.
| osl,ed II Mrs. Frampton had much oepti
! 81. coIor Mr.. Holland as Colonei Iorreh
-,,oe not a. interesting as he usually Is. Ills
/ ,rlrrors seemed to have water rather thar
/ t,ooa ip his veins Miss Pamela Gaythorn
r,ade her first appearance with The NeV
.Theatro compa1v. but while she pleased
/ ,,o e,eotators she did not give the righ
| ovrressiou TO her part. Her Honora wa
ouite the fine young lady, whereas til
dramatist is at pains 10 snow that the sli
! thinks and feels as one OF the common
| reon,e." in the English sense OF the term
/ Unless this difference from her companion
| and her surroundings is SHOWN Oy th'
nlaver OF the part a good deal OF the eilec
/ ~ the play itself Is marred But uls
! tirc+ion OF this kind is perhaps 100 suot
! for . prstty young actress better accus
i ...,,.d ~ the usual effects Of cloying sweet
/ ,ess than TO the elucidation OF character
/ Ar Gilmore as the chauffeur sultor ssN'
J . ,.,r,, s,rilSIng contrast to his previous
/ lh.racters-fis princes and even his SWor'
e.,,,o,,,or Mr. Anson looked like George
,iavarder in q Framptenish part ant
! ..,,r1od ,ike r :. Willard, but was salts
/ ,,,i,, none the less. Mrs. Dellenhaugh Wa
rnfreshing. Master George Clarke was al
! ,nnross,hle English boy and very probaol
! American one. - ,.,
"George PASTOR" has done very wen VIII
tris Iiohtveieht riece--a piece Which VII
not hear too close an examination, Du
mich furnishes an agreeable three hour'
ard makes an audience think II thinks
a.,,.,or aIwavs moro welcome than th'
reality in a playhouse.
! CAST or NOBODY pACGtIhk.
| Miss rIelen Refine
| Mrs.. Frsmuton. Mrs. Teresa MeE"SSii' Eniisn
! Colonel Iogfsns ..'''''' Niies Parc.a Gsythorn
I win Leanard ......'.-. ''''''.''' = Aneol
/ Ar Frampton ''''''''''' Mss olive Wyndhar
.t.. ;rorrfns Mrs Harriet ous DensnD;aus
/ Tony ....'.'~ ''''''' lfi-s Mary Doyl
S1r JasYcr afsrchmOnt. ...... MllItth "'''''''
FIFTH AVENUE THEATRE