The Washington herald., 1909-01-17
Miss Frances Starr.

There can be no doubt that with the
successful launching Of Mr.. Eugene Wal
ter's latest play, The Easiest Way"
which was seen at the Belasco last week
by many large audiences, Mr.. David Be
lasco has given 10 the American stage a
new star In doing this he has displayed
once more that insight into motives and
character that has carried him to the po-
sition of one Of the foremost leaders
among American managers
The Easiest Way cannot have been
an easy play to produce. II may well be
that If il had nor been for Mr.. Walters
big successes with Paid in Fur and
The Wolf thst this play. dealing
in so human and realistic a way with q
theme OF marked unpIeasantness, might
never have been considered as a prarcti-
cal proposition; and had II been put on
by any other manager. with a STR who
fitted the part less perfectly. the success
of the enterprise might vel have been in
doubt
For Il is hard 20 think Of a character
more difficult 10 play. It IS not that the
lines are difficult 10 speak or that the
situations call for any very great ex-
pendture OF emotional force-though that
is in the play, too-but the play requires
such delicate and skiIlful handling that
in the hands Of q less capable, more so
phisticated actress 1t might well have
degsnerated into a coarseneSs and gross
realism that should have utterly defeated
the real object Of playwright and pro-
Queer
It is not 800 much to say that without
the dainty grace, the beautiful feminin-
fly, the delightful girlishness. the con
viction OF the ignorance and innocence Of
her s0ul-which attributes Miss Frances
starr possesses 10 a marked degree-'The
Easiest Way" could not have been the
success il is
In the hands Of woman whose indi-
viduality bore the stamp OF q wider
worldly experience there are Zolaesque
situations IN The Easiest Way that
would have been coarse and ugly, where
now they call for sympathy and under
standing In the character OF the girl
who chooses the easiest rather than the
right road there is, per Sc. little that
calls FOR sympathy. The right road Is
before her # she viii but take it. and
there are none OF the old theatric devices
Of a starving mother or suffering chill
dren TO justify this girl in answering the
can that IS in her blood Il is made IN
mistakably clear that the call Is within
herself, that above all. she IS one OF
those weak natures that viii inevitably
find excuses n her soul for doing the
thing she wants 10 do rather than the
thing she should co. She is a little sen
suOus creature who has never known
deep emotion, save TO be sorry for her
self; who knows nothing Of the virtue Of
seif-denial; whose soul. Il she has one.
has never been awakened.
These are some Of the lights and shades
on a character that In these phases is
not easy 10 get over the footlights. and
as you lock back on the fine perform
ances Of this play you cannot help but
marvel at the wonderful way in which
Miss Frances Starr interprets the psrt.
She displays abilities Of which she gave
but small hint in THE Rose OF the
Rancho" but which must have been
noted and set down by Mr.. Belasco. 50
that when the time came 10 use them he
had them ready 70 use
And the result Of IL all is that he has
given to Us new star-a young girl that
has in a remarkably short space Of time
climbed 10 the greatest possible height
and for whom the future holds almosa
boundiess possibilities. And the beauty
Of it al is that she won on her merits
and her talent; and Mr.. Belasco may
well be proud Of the great work he has
done.