Julia Lambert and her husband
In the novel “The Theater” (Maugham Somerset is the author), the main character is Julia Lambert, the famous British actress. Having achieved success thanks to her talent in her young years, she held the palm at the age of forty-six. “Brilliant, famous, beautiful, talented,” she hears these epithets every time after the end of the performance. Julia is successful, her life is good. She has many admirers, and Lord Charles Tamery completely hopelessly loves her all his life, not at all counting on reciprocity.
The husband of the great actress is Michael, “the most handsome man in London,” as Julia says about him. She fell in love with him passionately at the age of nineteen, and he became an admirer of her talent. In their youth, they played together in the same troupe, but his weak temperament did not make him an actor, and in life he was distinguished by a calm and very even character. They wanted to get married, but Michael's parents were against the marriage. Only thanks to the acting talents brought to bear by Julia, she managed to please his parents. During the First World War, Michael went to the front, and Julia unexpectedly realized that she no longer loved him. But the husband was still handsome, practical, calm, reliable and knew that he was a useless actor. This knowledge did not torment him, he believed in Julia and, going to the front, convinced her not to leave the stage.
Several years passed after mental anguish, during which time a son, Roger, was born into the family, the name of Julia Lambert became famous, she became famous as an actress of rare talent. The secret of acting was that Julia played in life and lived on stage.
Theater
Julia Lambert is the best actress in England. She is forty-six years old; she is beautiful, rich, famous; busy with what she loves in the most favorable conditions for this, that is, she plays in her own theater; her marriage is considered ideal; she has an adult son...
Thomas Fennel is a young accountant hired by her husband to clean up the theater's books. In gratitude for the fact that Tom taught him how to reduce income taxes without breaking the law, Michael, Julia's husband, introduces him to his famous wife. The poor accountant is incredibly embarrassed, blushes, turns pale, and Julia is pleased with this - after all, she lives for the delight of the public; In order to finally make the young man happy, she gives him her photograph. Looking through old photographs, Julia recalls her life...
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She was born on the island of Jersey in the family of a veterinarian. Her aunt, a former actress, gave her her first acting lessons. At the age of sixteen she entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but it was Middlepool director Jimmy Langton who turned her into a real actress.
While playing in Jimmy's troupe, she met Michael. He was divinely handsome. Julia fell in love with him at first sight, but could not achieve reciprocal love - perhaps because Michael was completely devoid of temperament both on stage and in life; but he admired her performance. Michael was the son of a colonel, graduated from Cambridge, and his family did not particularly approve of his chosen theatrical career. Julia sensitively grasped all this and managed to create and play the role of a girl who might appeal to his parents. She achieved her goal - Michael proposed to her. But even after the engagement, nothing changed in their relationship; it seemed that Michael was not in love with her at all. When Michael was offered a lucrative contract in America, Julia was beside herself - how could he leave without her? However, Michael left. He returned with money and no illusions about his acting abilities. They got married and moved to London.
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The first year of their life together would have been very stormy if not for Michael's even-tempered character. Unable to turn his practical mind to love, Julia was insanely jealous and created scenes...
When the First World War began, Michael went to the front. The military uniform suited him very well. Julia was eager to follow him, but he didn’t allow it - you can’t let the public forget you. She continued to act and was recognized as the best actress of the younger generation. Her fame became so strong that she could afford to leave the stage for a few months and give birth to a child.
Shortly before the end of the war, she suddenly fell out of love with Michael and, along with melancholy, felt triumph, as if taking revenge on him for her past torments - now she is free, now they will be on equal terms!
After the war, having received a small inheritance from Michael’s parents, they opened their own theater - with the financial support of the “rich old woman” Dolly de Vries, who had been in love with Julia since the days of Jimmy Langton. Michael began to engage in administrative activities and directing, and he does this much better than acting on stage. Remembering the past, Julia is sad: life deceived her, her love died. But she still has her art - every evening she goes on stage, from the world of pretense to the world of reality.
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In the evening, at the theater, they bring her flowers from Thomas Fennell. Having mechanically written a thank-you note, because “the public cannot be offended,” she immediately forgets about it. But the next morning Thomas Fennell calls her (he turns out to be the same blushing accountant whose name Julia does not remember) and invites her to tea. Julia agrees to make the poor clerk happy with her visit.
His poor apartment reminded Julia of the time when she was an aspiring actress, the time of her youth... Suddenly the young man begins to kiss her passionately, and Julia, surprising herself, gives in.
Laughing internally because she did something incredibly stupid, Julia nevertheless feels twenty years younger.
And suddenly she realizes with horror that she is in love.
Without revealing her feelings to Tom, she tries by all means to tie him to her. Tom is a snob - and she introduces him to high society. Tom is poor - she showers him with expensive gifts and pays his debts.
Julia forgets about age - but, alas! On vacation, Tom so clearly and naturally prefers her company to the company of her son Roger, his peer... Her revenge is sophisticated: knowing how to prick his pride more painfully, she reminds him with a note of the need to leave a tip for the servants and puts the money in the envelope.
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The next day he returns all her gifts - she managed to offend him. But she did not calculate the force of the blow - the thought of a final break with Tom plunges her into horror. She carries out the explanation scene brilliantly - Tom stays with her.
She moved Tom closer to her and furnished his apartment - he did not resist; they appear in restaurants and nightclubs three times a week; it seems to her that she has completely subjugated Tom to herself, and she is happy. It doesn’t even occur to her that there might be bad rumors about her.
Julia learns about this from Michael, whose eyes were opened by Dolly de Vries, overwhelmed by jealousy. Julia, turning to the original source, tries to find out from Dolly who is gossiping about her and how, and during the conversation she learns that Tom promised a certain Avis Crichton a role in their theater, because Julia, according to him, dances to his tune. Julia barely manages to contain her emotions. So Tom doesn't love her. Even worse, he considers her a rich old woman from whom she can make ropes. And the most disgusting thing is that he chose a third-rate actress over her!
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Indeed, soon Tom invites Julia to see the young actress Avis Crichton, who, in his opinion, is very talented and could play at the Siddons Theater. It hurts Julia to see how much Tom is in love with Avis. She promises Tom to give Avis the role - this will be her revenge; You can compete with her anywhere, just not on stage...
But, realizing that Tom and this novel are unworthy of her and offensive, Julia still cannot get rid of her love for him. To free herself from this obsession, she leaves London to visit her mother, to stay and relax, habitually thinking that she will make the old woman happy and brighten up her hopelessly boring life. To her surprise, the old woman does not feel happy - she is completely uninterested in her daughter’s fame and really likes her hopelessly boring life.
Returning to London, Julia wants to make her longtime admirer, Lord Charles Tamerley, happy, with whom she was credited with having a relationship so long ago that she became quite respectable in the world. But Charles doesn't want her body (or can't use it).
Her self-confidence was shaken. Has she lost her attractiveness? Julia goes so far as to walk in a “dangerous” neighborhood wearing more makeup than usual, but the only man who pays attention to her asks for an autograph.
Son Roger also gives Julia pause. He says that he does not know what his mother is really like, because she plays always and everywhere, she is her countless roles; and sometimes he is afraid to look into the empty room where she has just entered - what if there is no one there... Julia does not quite understand what he means, but she becomes a little scared: it seems that Roger is close to the truth.
On the day of the premiere of the play, in which she received the role of Avis Crichton, Julia accidentally runs into Tom and enjoys the fact that Tom no longer evokes any feelings in her. But Evis will be destroyed.
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And now comes Julia’s finest hour. Having played half-heartedly at rehearsals, at the premiere she unfolds with all the power of her talent and skill, and Avis’s only great mise-en-scène turns into a triumphant performance by the great Julia Lambert. She was called ten times; a crowd of three hundred people is raging at the service exit; Dolly throws a lavish reception in her honor; Tom, having forgotten about Evis, is again at her feet; Michael is sincerely delighted - Julia is pleased with herself. “I will never have such a moment in my life again. I don’t intend to share it with anyone,” she says and, having eluded everyone, goes to a restaurant and orders beer, steak and onions and fried potatoes, which she hasn’t eaten for ten years. What is love compared to steak? How wonderful it is that her heart belongs to her alone! Unrecognized, from under the brim of a hat hiding her face, Julia looks at the restaurant's visitors and thinks that Roger is wrong, for the actors and their roles are symbols of that chaotic, aimless struggle that is called life, and only the symbol is real. Her “pretense” is the only reality...
She is happy. She found herself and found freedom.
A little relationship story
When Michael's parents died and left a small capital as an inheritance, he decided to put it into business and rented a small theater, the star of which was the great Julia Lambert. A longtime admirer of Julia’s talent, the wealthy “old woman” and aristocrat Dolly de Vries, agreed to become a co-founder of the company. Michael became an administrator and director of the theater, and he did it much better than acting. The theater was doing well; thanks to its position in society, Dolly introduced Julia and Michael into the circle of the aristocracy. The son grew up and studied away from his mother. Julia was bored.
The book "Theater" (Somerset Maugham is the author of the novel) was written after the First World War, when many families suffered crisis and disintegration. The author, as a participant in military operations and an expert on human nature, reflected this in the novel.
But one day Michael introduced her to a young clerk, Tom Fennel. William Somerset Maugham sets the story in an English society divided into classes. And if Julia, the daughter of a veterinarian, managed to take her place in the aristocratic environment thanks to her talent, then Tom has very little chance of getting into high society. He was an accountant and helped Michael sort out papers. Unexpectedly for herself, as a little fun (“... the boy will remember this for the rest of his life and will tell his grandchildren”), Julia invited him to dinner. She couldn't remember his name, but she loved the role of the noble Julia Lambert, the great actress she played at the dinner.
The beginning of the novel
During dinner, it turned out that Tom watched all her performances and was openly in love with Julia. This amused the actress very much, but she quickly forgot about this episode. But one day Tom sent her a bouquet after the performance, and then called her and invited her to his place for tea. Guided by curiosity, Julia accepted the invitation and at the appointed hour found herself in Fennell’s small apartment. Having decided to make the young man happy with a visit, Julia suddenly remembered that she herself had rented a very similar apartment at the beginning of her career. A small, poor room, a kind owner and surging memories slightly weakened my internal control. All the more unexpected for her were Tom’s passionate kisses and confessions, and, succumbing to frivolity, Julia gave in to the impulse.
Finding herself in the dressing room before the performance and remembering with a smile what happened, she decided to erase this sweet episode from her memory. But Tom was persistent and, having received another audience, showed such adoration that the actress, who decided to categorically refuse him, again could not resist. The romance began to spin and carried her along. Julia Lambert suddenly suddenly realized that she was in love with a young man. She gave him expensive gifts, spent a lot of time in his company and did not think at all that public appearances in society in the company of a young man could compromise her. Her reputation was impeccable; many years of marriage to an exemplary husband created her image as almost a saint. William Somerset Maugham wrote the novel at a time when reputation in society meant a lot, and once you made the wrong move you could become an outcast.
Middle age crisis
Dolly de Vries, tormented by jealousy, decided to save the situation and convey the rumors to Michael. Whether Michael believed the gossip or not, Julia could not understand, but it sobered her up. Michael jokingly told Tom that he would be grateful to anyone who agreed to go to clubs and restaurants with his wife, relieving him of this responsibility.
Summer came, and the Lambert family, expecting their son to visit, moved out of town. Tom Fennel was invited as a companion for Roger. Julia hoped that the romance would blossom on vacation, and life would sparkle with new facets, but she realized with annoyance that Tom preferred her son’s company to her. Thus began bitter discoveries, Julia began to suspect that she was getting old.
In the novel "Theater" Maugham Somerset accurately describes the intricacies of female psychology. Julia, as they would say now, was experiencing a midlife crisis.
After returning from their summer vacation, Tom and Julia did not see each other for some time. But her son became friends with Tom, and they spent a lot of time together. It was during this period that she learned that young people were having fun in the company of young girls - actresses. Jealousy awoke in her, and her son plunged her into bewilderment with the words that he wanted to find out what real life was. Explaining to Julia his, as it seemed to her, strange desire, he explained that he sees excerpts from various plays played out at home, but does not see what his parents and their relationship really are like. The actress was seriously afraid that her deception was about to be revealed, but Roger left soon after the conversation.
Julia Lambert is the best actress in England. She is forty-six years old; she is beautiful, rich, famous; busy with what she loves in the most favorable conditions for this, that is, she plays in her own theater; her marriage is considered ideal; she has an adult son...
Thomas Fennel is a young accountant hired by her husband to clean up the theater's books. In gratitude for the fact that Tom taught him how to reduce income taxes without breaking the law, Michael, Julia's husband, introduces him to his famous wife. The poor accountant is incredibly embarrassed, blushes, turns pale, and Julia is pleased with this - after all, she lives for the delight of the public; In order to finally make the young man happy, she gives him her photograph. Looking through old photographs, Julia recalls her life...
She was born on the island of Jersey in the family of a veterinarian. Her aunt, a former actress, gave her her first acting lessons. At sixteen she entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but it was Middlepool director Jimmy Langton who turned her into a real actress.
While playing in Jimmy's troupe, she met Michael. He was divinely handsome. Julia fell in love with him at first sight, but could not achieve reciprocal love - perhaps because Michael was completely devoid of temperament both on stage and in life; but he admired her performance. Michael was the son of a colonel, graduated from Cambridge, and his family did not particularly approve of his chosen theatrical career. Julia sensitively grasped all this and managed to create and play the role of a girl who might appeal to his parents. She achieved her goal - Michael proposed to her. But even after the engagement, nothing changed in their relationship; Michael seemed not to be in love with her at all. When Michael was offered a lucrative contract in America, Julia was beside herself - how could he leave without her? However, Michael left. He returned with money and no illusions about his acting abilities. They got married and moved to London.
The first year of their life together would have been very stormy if not for Michael's even-tempered character. Unable to turn his practical mind to love, Julia was insanely jealous and created scenes...
When the First World War began, Michael went to the front. The military uniform suited him very well. Julia was eager to follow him, but he didn’t allow it - you can’t let the public forget you. She continued to act and was recognized as the best actress of the younger generation. Her fame became so strong that she could afford to leave the stage for a few months and give birth to a child.
Shortly before the end of the war, she suddenly fell out of love with Michael and, along with melancholy, felt triumph, as if taking revenge on him for her past torments - now she is free, now they will be on equal terms!
After the war, having received a small inheritance from Michael’s parents, they opened their own theater - with the financial support of the “rich old woman” Dolly de Vries, who had been in love with Julia since the days of Jimmy Angton. Michael began to engage in administrative activities and directing, and he does this much better than acting on stage. Remembering the past, Julia is sad: life deceived her, her love died. But she still has her art - every evening she goes on stage, from the world of pretense to the world of reality.
In the evening, at the theater, they bring her flowers from Thomas Fennell. Having mechanically written a thank-you note, because “the public cannot be offended,” she immediately forgets about it. But the next morning Thomas Fennell calls her (he turns out to be the same blushing accountant whose name Julia does not remember) and invites her to tea. Julia agrees to make the poor clerk happy with her visit.
His poor apartment reminded Julia of the time when she was an aspiring actress, the time of her youth... Suddenly the young man begins to kiss her passionately, and Julia, surprising herself, gives in.
Laughing internally because she did something incredibly stupid, Julia nevertheless feels twenty years younger.
And suddenly she realizes with horror that she is in love.
Without revealing her feelings to Tom, she tries by all means to tie him to her. Tom is a snob - and she introduces him to high society. Tom is poor - she showers him with expensive gifts and pays his debts.
Julia forgets about age - but, alas! On vacation, Tom so clearly and naturally prefers her company to the company of her son Roger, his peer... Her revenge is sophisticated: knowing how to prick his pride more painfully, she reminds him with a note of the need to leave a tip for the servants and puts the money in the envelope.
The next day he returns all her gifts - she managed to offend him. But she did not calculate the force of the blow - the thought of a final break with Tom plunges her into horror. She carries out the explanation scene brilliantly - Tom stays with her.
She moved Tom closer to her and furnished his apartment - he did not resist; they appear in restaurants and nightclubs three times a week; it seems to her that she has completely subjugated Tom to herself, and she is happy. It doesn’t even occur to her that there might be bad rumors about her.
Julia learns about this from Michael, whose eyes were opened by Dolly de Vries, overwhelmed by jealousy. Julia, turning to the original source, tries to find out from Dolly who is gossiping about her and how, and during the conversation she learns that Tom promised a certain Avis Crichton a role in their theater, because Julia, according to him, dances to his tune. Julia barely manages to contain her emotions. So Tom doesn't love her. Even worse, he considers her a rich old woman from whom she can make ropes. And the most disgusting thing is that he chose a third-rate actress over her!
Indeed, soon Tom invites Julia to see the young actress Avis Crichton, who, in his opinion, is very talented and could play at the Siddons Theater. It hurts Julia to see how much Tom is in love with Avis. She promises Tom to give Avis the role - this will be her revenge; You can compete with her anywhere, just not on stage...
But, realizing that Tom and this novel are unworthy of her and offensive, Julia still cannot get rid of her love for him. To free herself from this obsession, she leaves London to visit her mother, to stay and relax, habitually thinking that she will make the old woman happy and brighten up her hopelessly boring life. To her surprise, the old woman does not feel happy - she is completely uninterested in her daughter’s fame and really likes her hopelessly boring life.
Returning to London, Julia wants to make her longtime admirer, Lord Charles Tamerley, happy, with whom she was credited with having a relationship so long ago that she became quite respectable in the world. But Charles doesn't want her body (or can't use it).
Her self-confidence was shaken. Has she lost her attractiveness? Julia goes so far as to walk in a “dangerous” neighborhood wearing more makeup than usual, but the only man who pays attention to her asks for an autograph.
Son Roger also gives Julia pause. He says that he does not know what his mother is really like, because she plays always and everywhere, she is her countless roles; and sometimes he is afraid to look into the empty room where she has just entered - what if there is no one there... Julia does not quite understand what he means, but she becomes a little scared: it seems that Roger is close to the truth.
On the day of the premiere of the play, in which she received the role of Avis Crichton, Julia accidentally runs into Tom and enjoys the fact that Tom no longer evokes any feelings in her. But Evis will be destroyed.
And now comes Julia's finest hour. Having played half-heartedly at rehearsals, at the premiere she unfolds with all the power of her talent and skill, and Avis’s only great mise-en-scène turns into a triumphant performance by the great Julia Lambert. She was called ten times; a crowd of three hundred people is raging at the service exit; Dolly throws a lavish reception in her honor; Tom, having forgotten about Evis, is again at her feet; Michael is sincerely delighted - Julia is pleased with herself. “I will never have such a moment in my life again. I don’t intend to share it with anyone,” she says and, having eluded everyone, goes to a restaurant and orders beer, steak and onions and fried potatoes, which she hasn’t eaten for ten years. What is love compared to steak? How wonderful it is that her heart belongs to her alone! Unrecognized, from under the brim of a hat hiding her face, Julia looks at the restaurant's visitors and thinks that Roger is wrong, for the actors and their roles are symbols of that chaotic, aimless struggle that is called life, and only the symbol is real. Her “pretense” is the only reality...
She is happy. She found herself and found freedom.
Life on stage, theater in life
The book "Theater" (Maugham Somerset) talks about liberation from illusions, false ideas and freedom of choice. Driven by "better feelings" (or fear of losing profits), Dolly de Vries decided to open Julia's eyes to her young lover. She said that he promised young actress Avis Crichton patronage at the theater, mentioning that “old woman” Lambert would do anything for him. Indeed, Tom turned to Julia with a request to give Avis a role in the new play. The actress could not forgive this. And it was not a matter of trampled female vanity, and especially not of love (by this time Tom Fennell was no longer loved). But he betrayed the talent and art in her face. This was impossible to forgive!
Avis Crichton got the role, but her career died on the day of the premiere. Playing at half strength during rehearsals, the great Julia Lambert let the full power of her talent unfold at the premiere performance. This was her triumph, her revenge, her glory and happiness! The whole world was at her feet again, and the hapless actress was broken. Having accidentally met Tom near the dressing room, she saw even greater admiration in his eyes, but she didn’t care anymore. In the novel “Theater,” Somerset Maugham revealed the character of not just a talented actress, but also an intelligent woman. Going through crises, betrayals and difficulties, we become stronger, and the weaker sex is sometimes more dangerous.
The novel shows a cross-section of society and the relationships within it, and also concentrates on the peculiarities of a woman’s view of the world; the author acts as an expert on souls and characters. Perhaps you will be captivated by the full story, then the book at your service is Somerset Maugham, “The Theatre.” You already know the summary, now it’s time to read the full version of the novel.
Summary: Theater
Julia Lambert is England's most successful actress. She has reached the age of forty-six, is famous, rich and simply beautiful herself. She does what she loves in the most pleasant conditions for this - she has her own theater. Her marriage is considered exemplary. Her son is already an adult. Her husband hired a young accountant, Thomas Fennell, to bring order to the theater account books. Tom taught him how to lower income taxes without breaking the law, and Michael, Julia's husband, wanting to thank the young man, introduced him to his famous wife. The accountant was very embarrassed, blushed, then turned pale. Julia was flattered by this, because she loves public attention. Having finally made the young man happy, she gave him her photograph. Looking through old photographs, Julia indulges in memories of her past life. She was born into the family of a veteran on the island of Jersey. Her aunt, a former actress, teaches her her first acting classes. Then, at the age of sixteen, she entered the Royal Academy to study dramatic art. But Jimmy Langton, a director from Middlepool, molded her into a true actress. While playing in his troupe, she met Michael. He was incredibly handsome. For Julia it was love at first sight. But she couldn’t get a reciprocal feeling from him; Michael was completely devoid of temperament, not only on stage, but also in life. But he liked her acting. Michael is the son of a colonel and graduated from Cambridge. His family disapproved of his chosen career as an actor. Julia, by some instinct, immediately guessed everything and managed to cast and play the role of a girl who his family would certainly like. Her calculations were justified - Michael invited her to become his wife. But even after the engagement, their relationship remained the same. Michael seemed to feel nothing for her. And so Michael was offered a magnificent contract abroad. Julia did not believe that he could leave and leave her. But Michael still leaves for America. He returned with a fee and putting aside illusions about himself - he understands that the profession of an actor is not for him. They got married and moved to London. The first year of married life could have been very stormy if not for Michael's calm nature. Having failed to make his practical mind love herself, Julia was jealous of him like crazy and threw hysterics. During the First World War, Michael goes to the front. A military uniform suits him. Julia wants to follow him, but he doesn’t allow it - she’s not allowed to let the audience forget about herself. She remained to play on stage and is recognized as the best actress of the young generation. Her fame becomes so great that she can afford to leave the stage for several months to give birth to a child. Before the end of the war, she suddenly fell out of love with Michael and, along with regret, feels triumphant, as if taking revenge on him for her past torment. Now she is freed, now they can speak as equals. In the post-war period, taking advantage of the small inheritance left from their husband's parents, they opened their own theater. They are helped financially by Dolly de Vries, a rich old lady who has been crazy about Julia since she performed in Jimmy Langton's troupe. Michael became administrative manager and director. He succeeds much better than his acting career. Memories of the past make Julia sad. Life did not justify itself, love disappeared. But her art is still with her - you can always plunge from the world of reality into the world of pretense. In the evening, after the performance, they brought her a bouquet of flowers from Thomas Fennell. Quite automatically, as she always does so as not to offend the viewer, Julia writes a thank-you note and forgets about this incident. But Thomas Fennel called her early in the morning and invited her to tea. Then Julia remembers that he is the young accountant who was blushing and stuttering. The actress agreed to deign to visit the unfortunate clerk. His sparsely furnished room reminds Julia of the time when she herself was still an aspiring artist, reminiscent of her youth. Suddenly the young man rushed to her and began to kiss her passionately. The actress, surprising herself, responds to his caresses. Laughing to herself for such unthinkable stupidity, Julia meanwhile feels several decades younger. And suddenly she is horrified, realizing that she has fallen in love. Without admitting her feelings to Tom, she tries by any means to tie him to her person. Tom is quite a snob and she introduced him to the high society of the capital. Tom is not rich and she gives him expensive gifts and pays his debts. Julia forgot about her age. But reality quickly sobered her up. While relaxing with her, Tom doesn’t really hide it, preferring to spend time with his peer, her son, forgetting about her company. Her revenge is subtle and insidious. Knowing all the sore spots of his pride, she leaves a note for him, in which she reminded him that the servants need to leave a tip and left money for him in an envelope. Tom returned all her gifts to her the next day, since she really managed to offend him. But she did not count on such an effect. The very thought of parting with Tom terrifies her. But she is an actress and plays the scene with an explanation perfectly - Tom stayed with her. She moved Tom closer to her and completely chose the environment for her. He didn't mind. They appear in nightclubs and restaurants at least three times a week. She is confident that she has completely conquered Tom and is completely happy. It didn’t occur to her that unpleasant rumors had already spread about her. Julia was told about this by Michael, who in turn was told everything by the terribly jealous Dolly de Vries. Julia turned directly to Dolly to immediately find out who dared to gossip and spread rumors about her. And as a result, he finds out that Tom promised some Avis Crichton to help him get a role in her theater and boasted that Julia fulfills his every whim. Julia was barely able to contain her emotions and not give away her feelings. So that's it. Tom doesn't love her. But what's even worse is that he takes her for just an old woman with money, whom he can easily manipulate. But what makes this situation completely vile is that he prefers a third-rate actress to her. And indeed, soon Tom invited Julia to watch the young actress Avis Crichton. He rants about how talented she is and how she deserves to play at her Siddons Theatre. It’s unbearable for Julia to watch how much the young man is in love with this actress. She promised Tom that she would take the girl and give her the role. This will be her revenge. You can compete with her anywhere, but never on stage. Realizing that Tom and their love affair are offensive to her and not worthy of her, Julia is still too weak to overcome her love. To forget herself, she leaves the capital and goes to her mother to relax with her. The daughter is confident that with her visit she will make her old mother happy and brighten up her dull, boring days. But, to her amazement, the old woman is not particularly enthusiastic about her daughter’s visit, she is not impressed by her fame and she likes her dull, boring life. Returning to London, Julia decides to make her longtime admirer Sir Charles Tamerley happy. She was registered as his mistress so long ago that in the eyes of the world they already look quite respectable. But Charles either doesn’t want her or is no longer able to want her. Her self-confidence is undermined. But has she really lost her former beauty? Julia went so far as to take a walk through a dangerous neighborhood while wearing more makeup than usual. But the only man who turned his attention to her asked for her autograph. Roger, her son, gave Julia pause. He told her that he has no idea what kind of mother she really is, because even in life she constantly plays. She consists entirely of her many roles. Sometimes he is afraid to follow her into the room. What if it turns out to be empty? Julia does not fully understand the meaning of his reproaches, but still feels fear. It looks like Roger is right. During the premiere of the play, in which she gave the role to Avis Crichton, Julia accidentally runs into Tom Fenell and realizes with great pleasure that the young man no longer means anything to her. But she is still going to destroy Avis. And now the finest hour has come for Julia. At rehearsals, she allowed herself to play only half-heartedly. At the premiere of the play, she unleashed the full power of her skill and talent. The only significant mise-en-scène for Avis turned into a platform for the triumphant performance of the incomparable Julia Lambert. She was called for an encore ten times. A crowd of three hundred people is rampaging at the service entrance. Dolly gave a luxurious reception in honor of her idol. Tom forgets about Avis and bows at her feet. Michael is more delighted than ever with her performance. Julia is happy for herself. She tells herself that this moment will never happen again in her life and she is not going to share it with anyone. She slipped away from everyone and went to the restaurant. There she ordered a steak with onions, fried potatoes and beer. She hadn't eaten food like this for over ten years. What is love worth compared to a steak like this? Her heart belongs only to her and that's the most wonderful thing. Unrecognized by the wide brim of her hat, Julia surveys the restaurant's customers and reflects that her son was wrong. Actresses and their roles in plays are symbols of the aimless, chaotic struggle that everyone calls life. Only the symbol is real. Her so-called pretense is the only possible reality. Now, having gained freedom and found her place, she is happy. The summary of the novel “Theater” was retold by Osipova A.S.
Please note that this is only a brief summary of the literary work “Theater”. This summary omits many important points and quotes.
