The Sacred Flame. A Play in Three Acts (1928)

The Sacred Flame. A Play in Three Acts (1928)

Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965

Doubleday, Doran & Company

1928-11

The play was first published in November 1928, by Doubleday, Doran & Company. The UK edition came out later in February 1929. So, strictly speaking, the US edition is the first edition. This is also the first play published after the merger between Doubleday and Doran. According to Stott, the Heinemann edition, different from before and after this edition, has the same binding as the US edition. The design of the binding inherits George Doran's old one.

Stott writes that it was a flop when it was first produced in New York and London. He attributes it to the "literary dialogue" which Maugham never experimented again. Maugham himself, when talking about the play in The Summing Up (1938) and later in his collected plays, focuses on the literary language as an experiment, which could be where Stott's comment comes from. Hastings (The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham) has more to say, that the lead female role, Stella, was written with Gladys Cooper, Maugham's favourite actress, in mind, and contradictory to Stott, she tells us of its success.

So now I have to go to Mander and Mitchenson (Theatrical Companion to Maugham) to resolve this mystery. Different from what Stott says, the play was first produced in Washington, and then a few days later in New York, with only 24 performances (thus a flop). Subsequently, it was performed in London by Gladys Cooper in 1929, with 209 performances (thus a success).

Summary:
Maurice Tabret became an invalid in an accident while trying out a new plane. With his sardonic humour, Maugham has Maurice flying safe and sound during the war and got paralysed in a harmless exercise. Nurse Wayland has been looking after him, because Maurice insists on sparing his wife, Stella, the unpleasantness of tending him. Deeply in love with his young wife, Maurice also realizes the futility of it, when he can no longer gives Stella any pleasure or hope for the future. Meanwhile, Maurice's brother, Colin, is back home from Central America to visit and Maurice is relieved that there is someone to take Stella out. 

Quite unavoidably, Colin and Stella fall in love, to the point that Stella got pregnant. Stella still loves Maurice, as love goes, and naturally she is in anguish. Maurice's mother, Mrs. Tabret, has an inkling of what is going on. She is by no means going to blame anyone.

In the second act, the next day, Maurice is found dead.

While it is accepted by the family and Maurice's doctor, Nurse Wayland refuses to treat the death as by natural causes. She demands an autopsy on the ground of murder, because 5 tablets of chloral are unaccounted for, and there is no way Maurice would have been able to get the drug himself. This becomes a big problem as initially there is a lack of motive, as everyone loves Maurice. Eventually, the affair between Stella and Colin comes out, and Stella becomes the chief suspect.

When the threat of charges becomes inevitable by Nurse Wayland's insistence, explained by her love for Maurice, Mrs. Tabret owns up to her act. She is the one who gave Maurice the tablets. It is a tacit agreement between them that she would help end his life when it becomes unbearable. On the strength of such a promise, Mrs. Tabret kills her son, so that he doesn't have to suffer the loss of Stella's affection.

To protect Stella and prevent a scandal, Mrs. Tabret confesses and Nurse Wayland, hugely moved, accepts not to pursue the matter. Presumably the two women are going to keep each other company and reminisce about Maurice for the rest of their lives.

20 x 13 cm, hardcover

Drama.

Stott A38a

Text

Public domain in countries with copyright law life plus 50

en

First edition

New York

Print book

Play

#030504 (Racing Green) & #B68E79 (Brandy Rose)

No

2013

US$2, 2,000 copies