The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-04

the Old Cross Roads a new play
of the South by Hal Reid. is presented at
the Park Theater by Arthur g. AistOn's
company. Mr.. Reid has been engaged for
some years in celebrating melOdramatically
episodes in life with which he has become
acquainted. and his dramas have been sue
cessfuI in a certain field Mr.. Aston, "A
few years ago., became favOrably known by
his production Of a play called Tennessee
Partner" based TO some degree on Bret
Harte's story of the same name. The
scenery and the acting were better than
usual in the melodrama. He has been as
ambitious in producing Mr.. Reds new play,
and the result is pleasing.
The plays motive is one hat must have
been powerful in the life of the South. \
woman supposed to be an octoroon gave
birth 10 a child of which her master was
the father. The girl was brought up not
knowing who her mother was and believing
she was white. Before guests. on the night
when her father consented to her marriage
with the young owner OF a neighbOring
plantation, he announced that the girl was
tainted with negrob lOod, and called upon
the octoroon TO affirm it, which she did.
The knowledge came as a curse to the girl,
and she could not bear the touch of her
mother, until one night when she, her lover
and her mother met at 1.-The cross roads" tc
discuss their affairs. In that beautiful
spot, where the road wound up the hill
toward the horizon lighted by the moon,
the mother told her story to the boy and
the girl. She related how she had suffered
in suppressing her desire TO make known
her motherhood to her child and how the
master had wrenched her heart when he
had exposed the secret. At this recital the
girls horror of her octoroon mother left
her and she went into her arms. When
the girl had been led away by her lover.
the mother waited for the master, and
when he came and told her that he in
tended TO cast of the girl and struck her
with a whip, she shot MIN.
The truthfulnesS of all this is striking,
and ii moves the heart by its reality. The
effect Of the playwright's work is height
ened by the acting of Miss Estha Williams
as the octOroOn woman and Miss Jane Cor
coran as her daughter. Miss Williams suf-
fers only slightly the delusiOn, held by al
most all actresses of such parts, that an
octoroOn woman whine and has a hang
dog manner. Miss Williams is sympathetic,
and with more reserve In the highly emo
tional lines and a lighter, more natural
way generally as Parepa, the product would
be creditable indeed. Miss CorcOran, when
called on for intense acting, has not the
force to give 1T without straining, but this
may come later and in the meantime she
can go far with her quiet and graceful
manner.
Mr.. Reid did not care to risk or was not
"a nc III u AAAo 49, NL0 - vi NH1
girl and her so OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES octo-
room mother, so he pleased the less
thoughtful persons by making a gambler
discover that Parepa was a white woman,
and therefore her daughter had no faint,
AMI by having a coroner's jury FIND Parepa
guilty only of killing her master in self
defense. The gambler who had long loved
Parepa, then married her, and the girl
her blood clean, was free to accept heI
sutton, who. 10 do him and Mr.. Reid credit
would have married her anyway just be-
cause he was human and loved her. He
did not object to the illegitimacy OF the
girl, though she suffered terribly from the
fear that she was tainted. she never once
~whimpered at the exposure Of her iIlegit
imacy, and this is one mark against Mr.
Reid. These faults of Mr.. Reds play
which comparatively are no faults at all
are effective in its purpose TO meet tbs
popular taste, and the scene at the ole
cross roads is valuable artistically.
The comedy is supplied by a silly bogu:
count. an old colonel, a negro nanny anC
a pickaninny. These characters and tn,
serious ones are played by men and womeI
of ability. The acting of the whole play
would be smooth enough were IL not fol
the entrance of a man labeled the coroner
who appears in the last act so frightfullN
made up that the shock diverts the minC
from the pleasure of the happy climax.