''The Silent Voice'' is a four-act play by

Jules Eckert Goodman Jules Eckert Goodman (November 2, 1876 – July 10, 1962) was an American playwright and author. He was best known for his plays ''The Man Who Came Back'' (1916), ''The Silent Voice (play), The Silent Voice'' (1914), ''Chains'' (1923), and a se ...

adapted from the short story ''The Man Who Played God'' by

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the U ...

. The play was produced by

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Notably, he produced ''Peter Pan'', both in London and the US, the latter production ...

and made its Broadway debut at the

Liberty Theatre The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnership ...

on December 29, 1914. ''The Silent Voice'' closed on March 19, 1915 after a run of 71 performances and later was taken on tour. Morris’ story also served as the basis for four motion pictures produced between 1915 and 1955.''The Silent Voice'' - Internet Broadway Database] Retrieved September 9, 2013Otis Skinner in ''The Silent Voice''. ''The New York Times,'' December 30, 1914, p. 11''The Silent Voice'', ''The Theatre'', vol. 21, 1915, p. 59
Retrieved September 9, 2013

Original Broadway cast

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as Williamson * Esther Cornell as Young Girl * Winona Dennison as Old Woman * Ruth Farnum as Jennie * Florence Fisher as Marjorie Blair *

George Gaul George Gaul (September 22, 1885 – October 6, 1939) was an American stage actor in the first half of the 20th century. As far as is known Gaul never appeared in motion pictures but was one America's most successful stage actors in the 1920s. He ...

as Bobby De Lorme * Philip Leigh as Billy * Owen Meech as Spring * Walter F. Scott as Old Man * Otis Skinner as Montgomery Starr * Mrs. Otis Skinner (

Maud Durbin Maud Durbin (November 9, 1871 – December 25, 1936) was an American actress. She was the wife of actor Otis Skinner and the mother of actress and author Cornelia Otis Skinner. Durbin was born in Moberly, Missouri, on November 9, 1871. A prot� ...

) as Mildred Hallam * Harry Sothern as Young Man * William Willson as Policeman * Eugenie Woodward as Heloise De Lorme

Plot

''The Silent Voice'' tells the story of Montgomery Starr, an amateur musician of means, who becomes embittered after the loss of his hearing and the discovery that his young wife married him out of a sense of duty and that her true love was his nephew Bobby. Feeling dejected, Starr retreats to the roof of his mansion where, with the aid of binoculars, he spends his time watching people in a nearby park. An accomplished lip reader, Starr soon realizes that others were as unhappy as he and that he had the means to help some of those in want. To this end, Starr employs his valet to deliver the necessary aid. Eventually Starr's disposition improves, and by the end of the play, reconciles with his wife after his binoculars enabled him to observe her reject Bobby's request to elope.

References

External links

''Tha Man Who Played God'' by Gouverneur Morris
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silent Voice, The 1914 plays Broadway plays American plays adapted into films

Original Broadway cast

Plot

See also

References

External links