The New Morality

The New Morality is playing at the Mint Theatre located at 311 West 43rd Street, third floor. It runs one hour fifty minutes with two intermissions. The play closes on May 25, 2015.

Harold Chaplin was the playwright. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and died on the battlefield (September 26, 1915). Harold never saw the play being produced. The first production was in 1920.

The play takes place on a houseboat on the Thames in 1911.

Betty Jones (Brenda Meany) is hiding in bed. Her friend Alice Meynell (Clemmie Evans) visits her in bedroom. It seems Betty told one of her neighbors, Mrs. Wister off in a very brass way. It had something to do with her husband, Col Ivor Jones (Michael Frederic).

Mrs. Wister husband E. Wallace Wister (Neb Noyes) tells them if Mrs. Jones does not apologize to his wife they will take her to court.

Betty won’t budge. Her brother Geoffrey (Christian Campbell) is a lawyer. He gives her advice on the reasons she should claim why she acted the way she did.

The maid Lesceline (Kelly McCready) and Man Servant (Douglas Rees) come in and out at different times.

This is a periodic piece that is enjoyable to watch and worth seeing. It makes you think what acceptable behavior was for women then, which would not be accepted now.

The costumes and set were well done. It was fun watching them change the set in-between each act.

The cast was great especially Michael Frederic and Ned Noyes. Their facial and body movements were amusing.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for recent photos. Click on recent photos for this and other shows.