New-York tribune., 1912-02-02
THE DRAMA
Margaret Ang|in in "lydia
Gilmore"
Henry Arthur Jones's New Play
at Lyceum Theatre.

| formances Of her life. The place was the
performance in New York OF new four
act drama by Henry Arthur Jones The
play, which takes It's name. Lydia Gil
more" from the character so superbly acted
by Margaret Angin, was cordially re-
cei,ed.
DR.. Clement Gilmore Is a physician OF
some eminence and prosperity. He lives,
with his wife. Lydia, and their eleven-year-
old son. at The Cedars. in the old English
assize town Of Chelmsbury. You see at
orce that DR.. GilmorS covets his nelghbor's
wife. the fascinating Mrs. James Stracey.
that James Stracey is jealousy watching
and that Lydia Gilmore, with reason
enough, has Ions since ceased to love and
trust her husband and that all her love
ard devotion are fixed upon Ned. her boy.
| Mr.. Jones gets quickly into the action
of his story and tho unfoldment of character
| I'm the persons OF his drama. The watch
| full StraCey has given out that he Is going
to London. He learns that his wife and DR.
Gilmore have chosen the occasion for
meeting But, instead of leaving for Lon
| don. Stracey sends his wife there. while he
remains TO receive Gilmore according to his
deserts.
| Late at night Lydia Gilmore. at The
| Cedars, is awaiting her husbands return.
| He comes half mad with terror. To the
hewildered and long enduring wife he de-
clsres that he has killed James Stracey in
! self-defenCc. and intends to kill himself.
| Then through maze Of hopelessness. he
sees q fash Of hope. Although his crime
will he discovered. his guilt may br con-
| cealod. Lydia must swear that he has
| not left her side that night. He begs for
! her protection. Their hoy must not be dis.
graced
Mrs Gilmore has strength for all She
| undertakes 10 save her husband But she
| cannot bear the touch Of his hand The
! first act. which has brought the story swift
| ly forward. ends with powerful grip upon
the audience
| Richard Benham now takes his place for
| second time within the scene. Benham is
! lawyer standing high in hts profession
and the regard OF men. He comes to warn
| Mrs. Gilmore that her husband is to be
arrested. that the evidence against hlm is
| conclusive. Benham Is at the point of de-
| parture for Persia rs special commissioner
! for the British government. He will saCri-
| flee that appointment. if need be, and, what
is moro. the ethics OF his profession and
| his word as man. IIe will tic for the
| woman. Lydia Gilmore is the woman of
his alteration. He has loved her since their
first meeting, a year before. but has kept
and will keep her love locked tight within
the bonds Of an honorable friendship.
on the day before the trial the counsel
for the prosecution is taken ill., The au-
thorities appoint Benham in his place. At
first declining, Renham eventually accepts
the duty, believing that he can best serve
Lydia by so directing the line Of examina-
tion that her husband must he acquitted OF
the charge Of murder. overcoming her dis
tressed reluctance. he instructs her i'm the
line OF questioning that he will take and
gives her the answers which she must make
on the witness stand. Say. II YOU like, that
no man IN Richard Tenham's station would
do this. that no man with his reputc for
honor would do IT, that he risked failure
and eventual exposure and dsbarment. and
all tho rest OF the cataclysms that can
overthrow man. But Richard Benham,
man worth If he has not courage for such
ordeals. II ne will not risk everything TO
save from the heaviest sorrow the woman
he loves? Benham was stalking everything
for her. not for himself BY saving Gill
more he can only put Lydia Gilmore
further and further from him.
The trial scene i'm the Assize Court occu-
pics the third act Of the drama. BY place
| hans may be- conceded the most powerful
act in the play. Everything has led to
! this. And a growing familiarity with trial
scenes has not dulled the edge OF public
| appetite for such episodes. The progress
Of the trial in this new play holds your
attention fast by the sequence and dra-
matte strength of its action. Just as Lydia
| Gilmore appears to have passed VIGOROUSLY
| through her crOss-eXamination. something
| leads the Judge To put question. That
something is anonymous letter II Is
unfortunate that another trial scene, which
| has already won favor at another theatre
| should have prepared the audience for the
| effect of an anonymous letter at critical
| turn i'm the proceedings. But at all events
| the turn is by no means the same In the
| two plays.
The Judge pursues his questioning. The
hoy must be brought TO the witness stand.
| For this turn Lydia is unprepared. She has
ucriured herself: she will not permit her
how to swear falsely. Yet If he testifes
all the case for the defence must collapse.
, The woman. in agony. implores that the
hoy may not be brought to this scene of
/ lis fathers shame. his mothers humilia-
tion. There is but one way to prevent it,
| and LYDIA Gilmore takes the only way.
She confcsses. Her husband is found guilty,
and YOU hear that on the way to prison he
| commits suicide. Before his arrest he had
concealed poison in the lining of his cloth
| ing.
| I'm the short fourth act Lydia, worn by
| the rack and tear Of the three months OF
suspense and fear. and by the eliminating
ordeal of the trial. which ended that after
noon. is in her home, at The Cedars. try
ing TO pick up the tangled threads of life.
Benham and his sister are with her And
there is indication clear enough, but gentle
and tactful enough, that Benham Will
! straightcn out the tangle in due course Of
| time
| II NAV be said that the last act reveals
| TO the audience nothing that 1t did not
| know. or that was necessary 10 be Known
| at the end of the trial scene. FOR with the
| closing of the trial scene the play unques-
| tionably ends But somehow the pubic
| seems to think that such strenuous ef-
| fects must be rounded off. Custom, rather
| than necessity. is probably the ruler in
| these matters Sometimes one wonders If
! dra matists ever will have the courage to
! end their plays where the action and the
| dayo oionmant of character end. There Is