Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-06-29
A Notable Play
at the OT-pheun7
Miss CIifton's "For Value Re-
oeived" Achieves Success at
Its First Presentation.
THE CAST.

Mr. Thorndyke ....... Charles Dingle
Carl Lachner ......Orris Holland
Mary Mason. Miss Ottola Nesmith
Bernice Quinlan. Miss Gabriel Ross
The Star has no hesitancy in pro-
nouncing For Value Received" a
play written by Miss Ethel Clifton, OF
the Forsberg Players, and produced
last night at the first time at the
Drpheum Theatre, an unqualified sue
cess.
Miss Clifton tells by no means
hackneyed story in an original man
ner It runs about as follows: AL
meric Thompson, an eccentric au-
thor. who is almost totally blind, has
Tor his secretary and stenographer
. Young woman, who ten years before
the play opens frankly sold herself
to him, that she might acquire suffi-
eient funds to enable her younger sis
ter to secure a musical education
abroad. Realizing at last something
of the debt he owes this woman, who
is not secretary only, but gives him
inspiration for his work and soncir-
ously looks after his comfort in
every possible manner, he proposes
marriage, but in terms that do not
appeal to her heart. Besides, young
architect has already enlisted her af-
fection. and she remains with Thomp-
son only that she thinks it her duty
to help in his work.
In due course the young architect,
who knows nothing of her past nor
of her relations with Thompson, ap-
pears at the Thompson house almost
simultaneously with Thorndyke,
Thompson attorney. thompson
overhears the young man making love
to his secretary, the lawyer aoquaipts
the youth with the real position of
the girl whom he loves and the secre-
tary announces her intention or ieav-
ing the house forever.
The attorney, who discovers that
the secretary has for years been de-
ceiving her employer as TO the
amount of the checks he has been re-
ceiving from his publishers, forbids
her to leave under penalty of expos
ing her "misdeeds," whereupon she
shows that the literary success OF
Thompson is in reality due to her
work She thus wins the respect of
the attorney, who consents to her de-
parture. although pleading with her
to remain.
In the meanwhile her sister returns
unexpectedly from Paris, because of
disappointment in love, and appears
upon the scene. 1t develops that the
youth who had deserted her Is the
youth who has won the heart of the
secretary The latter thereupon re-
nounces him for the happiness of her
sister and departs from Thompson's
house.
Thompson struggles on as best he
can, employing stenographer after
stenographer, in vain. photograph
gives him no better results. Driven
to despair, he at last realizes that he
loves his former secretary as much as
he needs her, and happy reunion is
effected i'm a scene at once touching
and beautiful.
Miss Clifton has drawn unique
and interesting character in Almeric
Thompson 1t is not easy to recall
similar one in stage history, although
none will care to deny that ii is true
10 life There is more than usual
art in the story, which shows the final
conquest of love over this curious
compound of genius, arrogance, sell
f1shness and conceit One is tempted
TO believe that Almeric Thompson is
more than likely to survive in liter
ature
In Beverly Mason Miss Clifton has
safely avoided the Scylla of the con-
ventional stage business woman and
the Charybdis of the conventional
stage woman wronged." She paints
for us a genuine woman. entirely
ltpman and yet true to the highest
ideals, even in her SHINING. Indeed,
1t is one OF the chief merits of the
paS to handle story of woman's
sintFing in a manner that is at once
strong and inoffensive to the most
sensitive.
TeeAnically considered, there are
faults i'm For Value Received The
f1rst act drags considerably. 1t would
benefit greatly by a little judicious
prliningt The climax in the third act
suffers by a comparison with the
tense interest developed in the second
act. II needs strengthening. The
denouemeyt Is all that could be de-
sired, the bit of comedy in the fourth
net being especially delicious.
AS TO the players. Miss Clifton, of
course. easily deserves first mention
for a performance that stamps her
as an artist of unusual powers. One
cannot conceive of anything less sat
isfactory on her part, however, when
lie considers that she created the
part.
Mr.. Van Sloan was entirely con-
ylncing in his portrayal of Almeric
Thompson displaying a conception OF
the character that emphasized his
art and won the approval of the
more thoughtful in the audience from
the very beginning.
The minor parts were In capable
hands.
,,,,s ca. oefor, i4s coro.ra iilla tiona
10 Miss Clifton and prophesies a
bright future for her not only upon
the stage but as a playwright.
II would be ungracious to withhold
the lust mead of praise from Manager
Forsberg. to whom Newark Is in
hebted for the production of the play.
and no small measure of the smooth
ness which characterized its initial
presentation.