Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-12
A M u S E N e N 7 S.
Belasco.

Miss Frances Starr, in ''Ihe EASIEST
| Way" last evening at the Belasco The
alter scored a ''first-night' triumph AT
the end of the third act she was ACCORDED
an ovation which compelled her again and
again to acknowledge applause. linen
Eugene Walter the author of the play,
was called for, and thanked the audience
ana the company FOR ms success fu
| then-as the browning triumph ol Tue
evening = David Belasco himself was
dragged onto the stage by Miss Starr and
Mr.. Walter. He spoke but q dozen "oIus.
gracefully giving the credit to MISS otai'
and Mr.. Walter.
The play IS problem ufal
| deals with the sex question in man
ner that does not beat around the puSii,
| but calls a spade a spade without empha-
sizing the blackness of the spade me
sheer audac ity of it carries. Its nalo
presenta ton of the centuries-old fiah-
gle of the underworld compels interest.
The purpose Of the play Is dubious ~
may point to the old moral that the only
way to be happy is to be good. but IL
seems to impress more directly the les
son that one can be bad, but he must
be square in his wickednesS. SO 10
speak.
| And now for the story, that has no JUS
| titication other than its verify, It's pun
gency and the brightness of its lines;
| Laura Murdoch is beautiful young girl
who has tried marriage and found II
failure. During brief, mediocre exist
encc on the stage she meets wizard
| Brockton. a wealthy broker who dabbles
| a bit in giving strkins-IooknG young
women 4 chance to shine in musical
! comedy by being the angel of the
show. He does even better than that Tor
Laura, for he provides for her a com
| Portable New York winter residence and
sees that she enjoys the Invigor"tlng air
of a summer in Colorado. with the added
and important advantage of seeming re-
spectacle by having speaking part
in d summer stock company in Denver.
Then Laura meets John Madison. a
sophisticated young neWspaperman, who
has been through the mill time and
again, but who hopes some day to be
good. She falls in love with the reporter
and consents to marry him. Each sees
in the other his once chance of saliva
tion, his one opportunity for the regen-
| era ton of the soul But, of course. the
newspaperman is without the necessary
money for an immediate marriage: They
agree however to wait and work and be
true to each other.
Brockton is given his congo, which he
accepts phiIosophicaly, agreeing to the
lovers demands and wishing them good
luck. But he warns Madison. in a scene
that is really strong. of the doubt OF
Laura being content to wait and work in
poverty He prophesies that she will
miss the Injuries he gave her and Will
eventually come back to him He prom
Uses to make Laura inform Madison i'm
lmediately of her return to the easy way
of living-if she does do so.
Laura returns to New York to seek
position ION Broadway until Madison
can get on his feet in Colorado For six
months she keeps up the fight against
poverty and squalor and dirt and hunger
actual hunger almost on the verge of
overwhelmingly. Everything seems
against her She fails to get an engage
ment Lacking the influence of Brockton.
who practically controls the theatrical
situation, her efforts have been futile. She
hears from Madison daily. But his letters
contain hope. not checks. She has writ
ten him, though. that she has good po-
sition and is in no immediate want Her
board bill is in arrears and the landlady
wants her money. Finally she abandons
all hope of success without Brockton's in
tercession and. partly influenced by the
overtures of one of the brokers friends.
Elfie ST Clair, whose protector is most
lavish because he can't help himself. she
returns to Broclton. But first Brockton
dictates letter to her to Madison telling
him the truth. When left alone. Laura
burns the letter, but tells Brockton that
she has mailed it
Laura is installed in handsome suite
in fashionable hotel In New York with
all the luxuries and appurtenances of
THE Great White Way" Then Madison
strikes Il rich in Colorado and wires no.
tce of his immediate arrival in New
Yof'+. Brockton discovers the facts i'm
the case and insists that she tell Madison
the truth. Madison comes. Laura pre-
pares for hasty marriage and Brockton
and Madison meet. The truth comes out.
Both men discover that she has not
played square with either of them. Both
cast her off. She tries suicide. but hasn't
the nerve, because she has always taken
1.-The easiest way The curtain drops
with Laura. in despair. donning her hand
soonest gown to go to Rectors and make
d hit"
The cast is an unusually well balanced
one. Joseph kigour, as Willard Brock
ton, plays his part so reservedly that he
even wins the half-hearted unwilling ap-
prevail of his actions Laura Nelson Hall,
as Elfe ST. Clair William Sampson as
Jim Weston and Emma Dunn as Annie
provide the comedy that is at times deli
cious Edward III. Robins as John Madi-
son is a convincing lover.