Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-09-13


Capt. John Smith, Thomas Placide was
Lieut.. Percy and Edmund Simpson,
manager Of the Park Theater for so
many years played Master Role
Robert Dale ovens "Pocahontas" was
produced at the same house seven years
later, Feb & 1888 with Emma Wheat
ley as Pocahontas, w If, Wheatey.
John II. Clark the father of Constantia
Clark the Olympic fayorite ~ later
years as Powhatan. Peter Rich played
an Indian character, Maccomac ana
Charlotte Cushman at that time fond
Of appearing In male parts, was the
Master Rolfe.
As these several versions Of the story
Of the Indian maiden are presented TO
US, that Of Mr.. owen Is decidedly the
best from a literary point OF view II
has not been seen upon the stage In
many years John BrouRham'a bur-
lesque of 'PocaIontas" VIII probably
outllve any of them
unquestlonably Edwin Forests
great success with "Metamora," a
prize drama, for which ne paid It's au-
thor John Augustus stone, $5O0-a
large sum of money FOR such an effort
half a century ag0-Was the secret of
the remarkable run upon the Indian
plays from which theatergoerg
throughout the country suffered be-
tween the years Of 1860 and 1870 For
rest even at that early period In his
career was the recognized leader Of
the American stage. the founder Of a
peculiar school of acting with a host
Of imtators and followers. "Metamora'
was one Of his strongest and most pop
ular parts; It's great effect upon It's
admirers Is still wildly remembered.
'Metamora or the Last Of the VAN
panaogs.' was produced for the first
time ON any stage at the Park theater,
New YORK. Dec Is. 1869, Mr.. Forrest,
Peter Rich Thomas Plncido, John Po-
yey. Thomas Rarry, Mrs. ilil5on and
Mrs. sharpe were In the original cast,
As Metomora Mr. Forrest appeared
many hundreds of nights and in almost
every city of the American Union.
Wemmyss, one Of the early historians
Of the American stage, wrote. 1.-THE
anxiety to see Forrest as Metamora
crowded the theater each night Of the
performance. adding To- his reputation
as an actor. as well as TO his private
fortune as a manager II Is q very in
different play devoid of interest, but
the character of Metamora is beautl-
fully conceived and will continue to
attract SO long as Mr. Forrest Is It's
representative. 1t was written for him
and viii in all probability die with
him"
Wommyss prophecy was certainly
fulfilled. No one after Forests death.
with the single exception of John Nc
Cullough and he but seldom, had the
hardlhOod 10 risk his reputation I'm
part so thoroughly Identified with Ed
win Forrest. And Metamora and Ed
win Forrest have passed away togeth-
or.
"Metamora' owed everything TO the
playing Of Forrest, II It had fallen into
the hands of any other actor It would
no doubt have been as short-llved as
the rest of the indian dramas generally
"A night or two a week or two at
most, and then oblivion, The history
Of John Augustus Stone It's author.
was very sad one In a TT OF insanity
he threw himself into the Schuylklll In
the summer of 1884. when barely 90
years Of age. After llfe's fitful fever he
sleeps quietly under neat monument
containing the simple inscription thar
II was Erected TO the memory Of the
author of Metamora' by his friend
Edwin Forrest" with all his faults
and failngs the great tragedian was
ever faithful TO the men he called his
friends. The red man Of the woods was
always a favorte with the gallery At
the old Bowery theater Indian plays
without number were produced between
the sixties and the seventies. The re-
action against the Indian drama began
TO be apparent early in the Seyp tiles.
when one critic wrote that lndi-
an plays. I'm his opinion, had become
perfect nuisance.
One Of the best stage redskins. be-
cause Of his humanity. is the Wah-no-
Tee in Dion Bouclcault's admirable
melOdrama. "The Octoroon" Wah-no-
tee is a whisky-drinking aborlglne, who
follows little Paul, the mail carrier,
through the swamps OF a Louisiana
plantation and avenges his death in the
good old melOdramatic way by means
Of a bowie knife duel. In the original
cast OF "The Octoroon" Boucicault him
self played Wah-no-tee and Joseph JEFF
ferson was the Salem Scudder.
In more modern times the Indian has
been a merely subsidiary figure In
American plays. David Belasco AMI
Franklin Fyles made effective use Of
the redskin in a merely incidental way
In 1.-THE Girl | Left Behind Me-" A.
conventional Indian play OF the old
school figured briefly in the repertory
OF Louis Morrison An educated Indian
who had had the advantage of a West
Point training was the hero of North
ern Lights" melodrama that pos
sessed many elements of originality.
But II remains for some one to put
before the public dignined human
type Of the North American aboriglne.
II Mr.. Skinner in "La2arre' succeeds
In presenting this new type he will ac-
complish a hstrionic feat that will go
down through posterlty The old pro-
verb that the best kind OF an Indian
IL dead one is particularly applica-
BILE 10 stage Indians. "Lazarre" In Mrs.
Catherwood's romance Is human and
vital Otis skinner will probably in
carnate every trait OF this new charac-
tor