William Somerset Maugham is one of the outstanding English writers of the early 20th century, who gave the world numerous plays, essays, and novels. Theatre is the life of an actress with its ups and downs, love intrigues, and everyday work. A well-structured plot, clarity of phrasing, simplicity, and at the same time, the beauty of language—this is what distinguishes Maugham among many novelists of his time and what makes the reader close the book only once—on the last page. The book is an unadapted text for reading. It is intended for senior students of language schools, universities, foreign language courses, and independent reading. The texts are supplemented with comprehension tasks, notes, and a glossary.