New-York tribune., 1922-09-05
The Iheaters-By Percy Hammond
Miss Margaret Lawrence i'm
1.-THE Endless CHAIN Ex-
cells as a Young Woman
of Many Troubles

:.
The nndlssa chain.'. a play by James
Theater under the direction Of a. e.
Drlanssr Win Miss Margaret Lawrence
Nellie Webb. e,,s,,a A.,
Vera Payton. ,........4.. Martha Mays
Amy RVt RaeSns .''..s.. ..;.;.....Y Vera Halare
Kenneth Reeves Kanps.n 'Ksaa,sahse m mLaWrsnee
Valentine Webb. ...s... .Kenneth H,tntar
= ;grs Harry Etubbs
iete.'.'s.ss.....- Harry Minturn
fsHE troubles depicted by Miss Mav-
garet Lawrence last evening In
The Endless Chain' were many and
considerable. AS the ambitious bride
OF an insolvens New York bond sales
man she aspired 60 reform him fnan-
eialiy, and in so doing caused much woe
IN the third act. All of us will differ.
no doubt, as TO which OF those misfor-
tunes Miss Lawrence made most lua-
trous. ! thought her exquisite in all
her pleasing adversities, but in none
quite SO charming as that wherein her
husbands patron took her in his arms
and shamed her with his erroneous
caresses. Her simple and pstiabje ex-
ciamation, Don't kiss mel DON'T kiss
mel" in that dilemma was a perfect bit
OF playing, in my regard, and one
which would have put the evening
among the worth while things, even
II Mr. Forbes's comedy had been less
interesting and the acting of 1t less
,skillfuI.
You see, the young Reeves, though
poof had been going about a little
with the spendthrift set-a hard
selfish outfit with no home life and q
prediction for the supper clubs. The
men were minor parasites in Wall
strees the women addicted to shady
talk AID filtration. Preparing to exit,
they always said, swell, must toddle
along" and they smoked cigarettes
in long, sinister holders. Their
shallow conversation was not without
Its brighter moments. You know the
sort of thing-"Life Is just one cabaret
after another; or Marriage is -"
bold women had been advantageous to
their husbands in plotting them to
affiuence; and 30 young Mrs. Reeves
was constrained to do likewise.
.
Conseaue emily she took a suite at the
costly Hotel Florentine, and engaged
herself in the innocent vamping Of
Andrew Hale, the Michigan Pulp
King" In whose power it was to give
her husband a good job. Mr.. Hale,
middle aged, handsome, and not bad
fellow, feeling that he was being
"used," forgot his Middle West in
tegrities and became, as he explained
it, attracted to her. He believed that
the Reeves were deliberately making
convenience Of him. So he sent
Reeves to remote logging camp, on
romise OF better things, and during
the husbands absence saw a great
deal of the wife.
Thus 1t was that she had to petit.
tdon him not to kiss herr and thus it
was that Reeves returned from the
forests, full Of vile suspicions, to find
his wife living in luxury and holding
in her hand the Pulp Kings large
check. They settled it plausibly at
the end, after much competent acting
hy Miss Lawrence, by Kenneth Mac
Kenna as the husband, and by Miss
Olive May as frivolous but great
earted woman Of the world.
"The Endless Chain" therefore, is
father q bright, serious comedy, ex-
pounding several Of life's prevalent
errors as they are said to be commit
ted in this metropolis. The first act
seemed somewhat labored preface to
| the play. but 1t served at least to
give atmospheric impetus to the suc-
eeeding events. Something mature and
literate is expected from Mr.. Forbes,
and "The Endless Chain" Is both of
these--though 1t is, perhaps, a arst-
class example Of his second-strinv