Act 2

I find it very hard to classify "The New York Idea" under any of the established rubrics. It is rather too extravagant to rank as a comedy; it is much too serious in its purport, too searching in its character-delineation and too thoughtful in its wit, to be treated as a mere farce. Its title—not, perhaps, a very happy one—is explained in this saying of one of the characters: "Marry for whim and leave the rest to the divorce court—that's the New York idea of marriage." Like all the plays, from Sardou's "Divorçons" onward, which deal with a too facile system of divorce, this one shows a discontented woman, who has broken up her home for a caprice, suffering agonies of jealousy when her ex-husband proposes to make use of the freedom she has given him, and returning to him at last with the admission that their divorce was at least "premature." In this central conception there is nothing particularly original. It is the wealth of humourous invention displayed in the details both of character and situation that renders the play remarkable. (Summary from Project Gutenberg) Cast Philip Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/204">Mark F. Smith</a> Grace Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4009">Diana Majlinger</a> Mrs. Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064">Margaret Espaillat</a> Miss Heneage: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4964">rashada</a> Matthew Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2156">Roger Melin</a> William Sudley: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4572">om123</a> Mrs. Vida Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259">Elizabeth Klett</a> Sir Wilfrid Cates-Darby: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a> John Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1492">mb</a> Mrs. Cynthia Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536">Arielle Lipshaw</a> Brooks: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a> Tim Fiddler: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172">Equilibrium33</a> Nogam: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4139">moonpiles</a> Thomas: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1823">David Muncaster</a> Benson: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3615">Lucy Perry</a> Narrator: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064">Margaret Espaillat</a> Audio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw

Arts

I find it very hard to classify "The New York Idea" under any of the established rubrics. It is rather too extravagant to rank as a comedy; it is much too serious in its purport, too searching in its character-delineation and too thoughtful in its wit, to be treated as a mere farce. Its title—not, perhaps, a very happy one—is explained in this saying of one of the characters: "Marry for whim and leave the rest to the divorce court—that's the New York idea of marriage." Like all the plays, from Sardou's "Divorçons" onward, which deal with a too facile system of divorce, this one shows a discontented woman, who has broken up her home for a caprice, suffering agonies of jealousy when her ex-husband proposes to make use of the freedom she has given him, and returning to him at last with the admission that their divorce was at least "premature." In this central conception there is nothing particularly original. It is the wealth of humourous invention displayed in the details both of character and situation that renders the play remarkable. (Summary from Project Gutenberg)CastPhilip Phillimore: Mark F. SmithGrace Phillimore: Diana MajlingerMrs. Phillimore: Margaret EspaillatMiss Heneage: rashadaMatthew Phillimore: Roger MelinWilliam Sudley: om123Mrs. Vida Phillimore: Elizabeth KlettSir Wilfrid Cates-Darby: Equilibrium33John Karslake: mbMrs. Cynthia Karslake: Arielle LipshawBrooks: Equilibrium33Tim Fiddler: Equilibrium33Nogam: moonpilesThomas: David MuncasterBenson: Lucy PerryNarrator: Margaret EspaillatAudio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw

I find it very hard to classify "The New York Idea" under any of the established rubrics. It is rather too extravagant to rank as a comedy; it is much too serious in its purport, too searching in its character-delineation and too thoughtful in its wit, to be treated as a mere farce. Its title—not, perhaps, a very happy one—is explained in this saying of one of the characters: "Marry for whim and leave the rest to the divorce court—that's the New York idea of marriage." Like all the plays, from Sardou's "Divorçons" onward, which deal with a too facile system of divorce, this one shows a discontented woman, who has broken up her home for a caprice, suffering agonies of jealousy when her ex-husband proposes to make use of the freedom she has given him, and returning to him at last with the admission that their divorce was at least "premature." In this central conception there is nothing particularly original. It is the wealth of humourous invention displayed in the details both of character and situation that renders the play remarkable. (Summary from Project Gutenberg) Cast Philip Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/204" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark F. Smith</a> Grace Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4009" rel="noopener noreferrer">Diana Majlinger</a> Mrs. Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064" rel="noopener noreferrer">Margaret Espaillat</a> Miss Heneage: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4964" rel="noopener noreferrer">rashada</a> Matthew Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/2156" rel="noopener noreferrer">Roger Melin</a> William Sudley: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4572" rel="noopener noreferrer">om123</a> Mrs. Vida Phillimore: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1259" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elizabeth Klett</a> Sir Wilfrid Cates-Darby: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equilibrium33</a> John Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1492" rel="noopener noreferrer">mb</a> Mrs. Cynthia Karslake: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3536" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arielle Lipshaw</a> Brooks: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equilibrium33</a> Tim Fiddler: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/5172" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equilibrium33</a> Nogam: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4139" rel="noopener noreferrer">moonpiles</a> Thomas: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/1823" rel="noopener noreferrer">David Muncaster</a> Benson: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/3615" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lucy Perry</a> Narrator: <a href="http://librivox.org/reader/4064" rel="noopener noreferrer">Margaret Espaillat</a> Audio edited by: Arielle Lipshaw

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Act 2

Act 2