Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-02

s.rhe Easissu Way St the Brandeis.
Miss Frances Starr and company in
THE Easiest Way" q drama In four acts,
by Eugene Waiter; under direction OF
David BelRsco. The cast:
John Madison ..s........ boW4rd h Robins
willard Hrockton ....,.......Joseph kllgour
Jim Weston ..........,.... .JOhn r. bIaWn
Laura Murdoch ...,............F FRANCES starr
Elfio 81. Clair '......'....Loulse fen9olpn
Annie ....s.......'..'''''.'''''' Nlolet hHhu
Mr. Eugene Walters adaptation of Mr..
Arthur Wing Pineros Iris" under the
name Of THE Easiest Way" has not i'm
proved the quality Of the dramas argu-
mont in the least 1t has had the effect
Of vulgarizinE the conditions, OF brutaliE-
ing the characters, and, II possible, alenat-
ing the sympathy that might have gone
out to the woman II IL possible to con-
done the fault OF Iris BellGmyi II Is not
! possible to condone that of Laura Muir
Dock in the Pinsro play Maldonado' pur-
sues Iris with something akin to honest
: love for he offers to make her his wife,
regardless OF the fact that she does not
love him. while in the Walter play, Brock
ton simply pays her to amuse him. The
immortality OF the outfit IL far from sdify-
ing, and the lesson, II It has sny, is 'the
| easiest way" may be the most alluring
as well, but 1t sill leads straight to dis
appointment. Its Sordidness is distressing,
and It's progress is depressing, for II is
not pleasant to watch the course Of a wom-
an, even a weak one, along the road to
destruction.
Miss Starr gives vivid life to Lours MUIR
dock, sparing nothing In the building up
Of a perfect picture Of the young woman
who sold herself to a rich man, while hold
ing the love and faith Of a poor man who
was trying TO win the means to supply her
With the luxury she craved. She has the
charm and strength Of youth In her favor
and her beauty adds much to the realism
Of the role. From first to last she work,
with a definite purpose, to develop the
character I'm every detail, and succeeds
most admirably. II could well be wished
that her talent were devoted to a better
purpose.
Mr. KilEour. too, gives a most impressiv,
performance as Brockton, the man o.
wealth, who does not take his women sori
ously. but buys them as he does his horse
I or his motor cars and parts with them a.
lightly; and. incidentally. uses them Al
roughly while they are in his possession
: He may have in him some spark OF tn
nobler nature Of man, but he shows nom
Of It, Edward Robbins makes equally con
vincing the other type OF man in the par
OF John Madison. He is willing to MARI!
Laura, knowing she has been the mistres
4 Of Brockton, but could not forgive he
having lied to him; while Brookton. who's
? honor turned on a very fine point, cou
not bear 90 have Madison think It was h
+ who had lied and not her, And between
these two poor Laura's life went down in
!, most tragic wreck The man who bough
! her and the man who loved her was neithe
> willing to help her when she most nsede
! help SO she called 20 her maid to unpao
her trunks, get out her most attractiv
dress and prethest hat, while she mad
ready to 90 to "Rector's." there to max
hit"
Mr.. Drawn has a good comedy role 4
. the part OF Jim Weston, who tries TO hel
2 Laura, and Miss Randolph we'll portray
, the character OF the woman who sells her
I self as n she we're so much calico or bale
: hay. Miss Rand is good as the maid.
\ MT Belasco has staged the play with tn
y care that marks all his output lie Is
b master OF scenery at least, and on this h
s has bestowed such a setting as really de
2 serves 20 be called beautiful
The Brandeis was very we'll filled Las
8 night by an audience that gave its tribut
n Of praise to the actors for the exoellenc
t OF their work.