STAR DRAMATIC COMPANY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3094, 18 January 1909, Page 5

STAR DRAMATIC COMPANY.

"THE THIEF." There was a fairly large audience at the Town Hall on Saturday evening last, when Mr J. C. Williamson's Star Dramatic Company staged M. Berstein's play, "The Thief." The piece is an excellent one; it is fascinating, and yives plenty of scope for powerful acting, and in this latter respect the various members of the Company fairly eclipsed themselves. The story of the drama is a3 follows: —Richard Voysin and his young bride, Marise, are guests in the house of their wealthy friends, M. and Mme. Lngardes. The latter nave a nineteen-year-old son nanried This young coiiceivta iT passion for Mme. Voysin, who only half discourages him. He persists, however, and creeps surreptitiously to her boudoir and secrets love missives where she is likely to discover them. Mme. Lagardes is careless about money matters, and has been accustomed to leave large sums in a drawer in her desk. It is discovered that 20,000 francs of this money have been stolen. M. Lagardes employs a detective (who comes into the house as a guest) to discover the thief. He makes an investigation, and finally announces that he has found the thief. He is requested to name the culprit in the presence of the guests. He refuses, but, under pressure consents. The thief, he tells M. Lagardes, is Henri. The father iangrily resents the accusation and sends for Henri. He is nowhere to be found, but Mme. Voysin offers to go and search for him. Presently she returns, announcing failure. Shortly after Herri appears. Charged by the detective, he at first denies, then admits his guilt. Marise is the real thief, and during those few moments that she was ostensibly seeking for him in the grounds she prevailed upon Henri to take the blame on himself, together with a bundle of marked banknotes. . The second act is a very powerful one. The Voysins have retired for the night. The blow that has fallen on his friend grieves Voysin. He cannot understand how Henri stole the money. In his perplexity he experiments with a knife on his wife's bureau drawer, and there to his amazement discovers 7,000 francs in his wife's pocketbook. His suspicions ?re arouaed. She protests the money is her savings, and sums due to unpaid tradesmen. His suspicions are gradually aroused, and eventuually she .confesses. In the last act Henri is cieared by Manse's confession, and the play ends by the Voysins determination to go to Brazil, where young Henri was to have oeen sent to work out his salvation. Miss Humphrey, as Marise Voysin, had a difficult part to pourtray, but her acting all through was of a high standard. Particularly was she seen to advantage in the second act —her acting indeed was powerful—where the slightest mistake would have proved disastrous. Mr Henry Kolker enacted the role of Richard Voysin splendidly. He was at his best in the boudoir scene. Mr G. S. Titheradge as M. Lagardes acted the part of the grief stricken parent in a manner that left nothing to be desired. Mr Dion Titheradge as Henri nad a part that required careful handling, but he came through "the performance in a highly creditable manner. Miss Susie Vanghan made a charming Mme. Lagardes, while Mr ,S. Sterling as the detective carried out the role in a capable manner. The scenery all through was excellent. The Company will conclude the Masterton season with a production of "Zira," a play which has rivalled "The Thief" in the opportunities it gives for emotional acting on the part of Miss Humphrey. Mr Henry Kolker will appear as the Rev. Gordon Clavering, a part in which he has won great plaudits from the Press and public of Australasia. Mr George Titheradge as Sir Frederick Knowles is credited with yet another of those finished performances.