The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-11-22
"FOR THE
DEFENSE"
Cas-. of Characters.

Cast OF CUdVdSAVto'
Miss Brinton $500. 'oAes
Miss Smith. a nurse
......... Louise Closer Hale
Margaret Cameron !. Frederick Coins
Mr. Reed Louise Sydmeth
Jennie Dunn, DR.. Kasimir's maid =.
Mildred Warren
MADAME Petrard
...... Georgette Passedoit
Kasimir John Sainpolis
Anne Woodstock. Winifred Lennihan
Selma Thorne 49,. Adrienne Morrison
DR.. William Lloyd -. st. Clair Haies
| Christopher Armstrong :. Mr.. Bennett
Jane. Anne Woodstock's maid ....
Angela Ogden
Officer Mcclellan .........
Robert B. MacCleary
Inspector Austin
........... William A Crimmans
Judge Gray .......... George hiodeii
Synopsis Of Scenes.
ACT 1. kasimir's apartment tlate
afternoon),
ACT II. Scene Anne Woodstock's
apartment (same night. Scene 2
Kasimir's apartment (late the same
night.
ACT III. Scene Judge Gray's Of
flee, adjoining the court Don (two
| months later). Scene 2-kasimirS
apartment. Scene 3.-Judge Gray's
office, adjoining the court room.
Ii was a diverting two and one-half
hours that a goodly number of people
spent at the Grand last night, drawn
to the theater by announcement of the
presentation of For the Defense" a
play by Elmer r. Rice, author OF "On
Trial" and featuring Richard Bennett
as the principal performer. Mr.. Ben
nett is new to the Keokuk stage
the reception accorded him was based
in the recognized artistry of his per
Torrance and not on reputation ac-
auired elsewhere. Mr.. Bennett should
have been satisfied with his recep-
ton; and. in fact, In a graceful speech
at the close of the last act. admitted
that he was. AS for the play itself. 1t
is a mass of improbabilities but none
the less compelling rel for that. 1t
has to do with the alleged way Of the
law, and the imagined processes by
which justice is doied out. as well as
the methods by which the evidence
is builded for the final adjudication
of the case. The clash in For the
Defense" is brought about through
a case against a certain girl. which
is builded on circumstantial evidence.
1t reveals in detail how much EVIL
dence may make truth take the ap
pearance of untruth, and innocence of
guilt. To the most casual spectator
the facts presented reveal only the
fact that the girl is guilty of murder.
The prosecutor of the case. played by
Mr.. Bennett, is in love with the girl
and he is almost convinced by the evil
dence presented, that she has done the
crime. The solution Of this problem
is reached through a steady and prog
~ressive series of situations. each one
building ON the other and at the same
time never revealing the final out
come OF the story. which is a reveia-
ton az startling and unexpected as
could be.
There is enough humor in For the
Defense" to relieve the high tension
which has its climax in the revelation
of the murderer of DR.. Kasimir. Kasi-
mir is a charlatan who makes one
shudder at his lack Of conscience and
there is little regret when it is re-
ported that ne is murdered There is
a fine bit of acting when Christopher
Armstrong. the district attorney, Inn
personated by Mr.. Bennett, proposes
TO Anne Woodstock after her return
from kasfmirs apartment. She is I'M
neryed and panic-stricken, but Arm
strong mistakes her tears Of horror
for tears OF happiness. 1t seems GER
tain at first that the young woman
has been sacrificed on the altar of
Kasimirs passions and then later
when it is learned that the doctor has
been murdered, all the evidence points
10 Anne as the n guilty.
There follows a distressing period of
time for all when an innocent woman
mot Anne Woodstock, however) is
found guilty of the murder. The lover
almost succumbs to shattered nerves
and then two women enter an office
room in the temple of justice with a
confession on their lips. The curtain
falls quickly as one of the women be-
gins her gruesome story of the murder
and rises again on a scene wherein
the audience is taken back to Kasi-
Mrs apartment where the real occur
renee is interposed. Anne Woodstock's
cousin, Selma Thorne, is revealed as
the justified killer.
The actors in association with Mr..
Bennett know their business, and
should For the Defense" meet with
during its s~easonable tour
that success will be due in no small
measure to the conscientious attention
to detail shown by the people whose
names appear in the cast OF charac-