The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-03

The Easiest Way" strips that ro'
nance away and shows the degrada-
ton the weakness and the all-too-cer
tain ending Yet this Is not done ~
melodramatic following out OF the
story. 90 It's final climax. but By that
suggestion which leaves the wonnn
lust beyond the crest oil her fortunes
such as they are
While Eugene, Walter has written OF
Lis New York with force aud truth, -
1nufh credit Is due no inc genius OF
Holasro In i's staging Realism is
cauied to point beyond which noth
ue could Boz imagined Whether ne
scene bee back bedroom in "a dmeN
tleateical boarding house pa Trinity
Eghtb-st coz a suitc in a more ia .n-
i0nahle pari cot New York tho settings
are perfection And the minor details
of the actors arr aye employed to o.,
last gesture 10 make strong and real
ana natural The working ont of t'e
story
10 is just a short space IN the hfc
.Of Laura Murdoch, an actress OF Some
beauty and little ability which We
see. Before THE story opens she mas
iecn married. once uuhappily and has
t.ied tO make a living on The stage
after her husbands ,Gicide Willard
Bro1kou rich broker has picked
her up paid Tor her eytfayagauccs
and plans Co make her star IN
mall way SO The story opens
While pIaying stock in Denver
Laura meets John Madison. a report
er. He has been ms bad as she drink.
a. tft. D.
BUT they faI in love. and agree 70
he ION the level until he can make
money enough 10 marry and keep her
with that resolve, Laura goes back
go New York, only 20 find that she
cannot secure a position without the
influence of her powerful friend.
After six months OF this We find her
in a shabby lodging house. her rent
far i'm arrears, her clothes pawned
She is hungry and cold and in despair
Weakly constituted she knows no
other way Of living than the stage,
The work OF Belasco is evidenced in
full in the way the horror OF this sit
uatiOn is brought out Even the open
ing of a milk bottle and the brushing
of OF a few drops that spatter on
Laura's skirt help I'm the convincing
appeal Of the picture
At this ehb-tide. Fife ST. Clair. a
chorus girl who mas retired 70 spend
the money OF a man twice her age,
comes in, Ellie has had her romance.
been thrown down" by the man she
Moved, and cynically confesses herself
interested only in living as well 40
she can. as long as she can, and saw
ff,st Of L ~, kn
inevitable rainy day Her brutal sum;
ming up OF the case breaks down
Laura's weak resolve and the wealthy
lover returns.
II is only when her western lover
does finally make his strike in Ne
Nada mining camp and come, with
money enough TO spare, that the girl
realizes the depths of her fall. She
tries 10 lie to- both her lover and her
betrothed both cast herr aside.
You are not immoral; just un-
moral" says Madison. Il pity you.
Wherein the play is like life is in
the drawing OF the characters SO thar
none is all good nor all bad. We find
much 10 like in the middle-aged liber-
tine, Brockton. much of real womanli-
ness in the sordid and fashy Fife 81.
Clair For the woman who has the
central role. Laura Murdoch. there Is
always sympathy Even IN her tEel
desperation when. after finding her
self unable TO commit suicide. the
dashes on her hat and cloak and eN-
claims. II m going TO Rectors now-to
make hit" one can feel somewhat for
her.
Frances Starr shows herself versa
tile and able in the way she handles
the strong emotional scenes. The sue
cess of the play depends largely on
her portrayal OF moods. and she sue
ceeds. Beatrice Morgan is beyond
criticism as Ellie St Clair. the slangy,
spendthrift demi-monaine. who cares
only 20 90 back on the stage because
her lover will then feel more pride
IN his property Edward H. Robins
and Joseph Kilgour show consummdfe
skill in handling the roles OF Madison
and Brockton, respectively. and thoi,
methods are equally genuine and
truthful
William Sampson has the part OF an
old circus man, and Violet Rand OF
a negro servant, and each reaches the
limit Of the part
II must not be surmised from tie
summary that the play is all dark I
IL relieved by frequent dashes Of
cynical humor and touches OF every
day life. Throughout, II concentrates
interest and holds H. In a way. il