The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-10
"a SOCIAL HIGHwAYMAN."

General Crook Robert Ransom
IRON nn,sena va,n,, ossnh " Healey
Corporal of the Guard, ....,... George wilton
Post No. l........,.............Fr Fred B pierson
Helen Dare ......,, ,....'''''.'.... Lisle Leign
Florence Sherwood. od.............. Grace Atwell
Dorothy Dunbar. Julia Batchelder
Starlight. ...,..,....... Relon Cross
Northern Lights" the attraction at Keith $
Opera House the prosen. week. is an Amsri.
can drama. whose picturesqueness and charm
are not easily described. IL has about 10 n
rich native aroma, depth OF feeling, and a
beauty that cannot fail to be most warmly
appreciated by every theater-goer The piece
thehas strength natural To a picture OF
hcmely, earnest life, and there Is no over
drawing OF characters and but little striving
for effect noticeable. There is q delightful
thread OF comedy that adds to the truth of
the picture and makes the stage performances
more truly portrayal of nature than Is often
the case Climaxes there are full Of beauty,
never married by too startling an appeal to
the emotions. And il would DO difficult at
the same time to recall many stronger
dramas.
There probably has not been at this thcater
this season a better company, and the lines
and sentiments OF the piece are most intelli.
gently and eloauently interpreted. Parts
there are in the Play whore those to whom
they were assigned last hight seemed to say
more by their grace OF action than they did
even by the earnest words they useo. p
-he story is of the time Of the Custer mas
sacre, and is of itself a lesson in history, in
fact one of the saddest that the nation had TO
bear, whether due to its own faults or the
unavoidable circumstances OF the pushing out
OF native popoulaiion is not to tho question.
The scene laid at a military post In Montana
offers an appropriate place for the meeting OF
strange classes, from the skilled doctor trying
to fly from an unpalatable past TO the rich
New York speculator, and from the brave old
commander TO tho Inaian surgeon, whom
education has denied to any people he can
claim true Kinship with.
The latter part, taken ny william Courtleigb,
was earnstly and effectualy portrayed.
Sheridan Block gave TO the character Of
Sidney Sherwood all the attention that 50
strong IA part needed, and he fairly divided
the honors with Courtleigh f. ID. Depisons
ideal of a soldier, given by him in his charac-
ter Of Colonel Gray, the commander OF the
fcrt, was an excellent one. and won very
warm approval from the large audience in at
tendance. The parts OF Dan Horton, n Gov
eminent scout, by Mart T. Kelsey; of Elliott
harrington Higgs by Arthur Buchanan, of
Wallace Gray the dessrter were admirably
rendered. Very bright and sparkling was the
manner in which Miss Julia Batchelder took
the part OF Dorothy Dunbar. the Little
Major" The strong character of Helen Dare.
the abandoned wife OF DR. Sherwood, found
in Miss Lisle Leigh particularly able and
interesting Interpretation. Portions OF her
work were, indeed, very meritorious. Worthy
Of praise, too, was the acting of Florence
Sherwood as sidney sherwood's wife, and
that OF Helen Gross ms Starlight. the Indian
girl.
The samo drama will be rendered every
evening this week, and at the regular Thurs
day and Saturday matinees.