The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-30
1T MET EVERY TEST.
That Is Topska's Verdict on SOLDIERS
of Fortune"

When Richard Harding Davis writes
a story he writes good one, full of &C
ton and interest When Augustus
Thomas dramatizes a story he turns out
q perfect piece of workmanship. Then,
when story by Davis is staged by
Thomas the result is a production that
Is perfect ir every DETAIL such was the
standing Of Soldiers of Fortune" at the
Crawford Saturday night.
Robert Edeson was the star in the
part of Robert Clay" He deserves I'M
limited praise for his good acting. His
supporting company was as nearly per-
feet as can he assembled. The scenery
was unusually good. The costuming was
perfect in every detail. All this was
there to attract the eye and hold the
attention Of the audience to the stage.
Soldiers CT Fortune ranks along with
Arizona" Mr.. Thomas masterpiece, for
action and local color. Mr.. Davis is not
a playwright but he's a mighty good
story teller and he can get more genu-
inc thrills into his stories. without get
ting into the wild Bill the Scout class
than any ether story writer of the day.
Thomas, too, can put more exciting
scenes, more Ciilnaxes and more dash
onto the stage without producing a tank
drama than any other dramatist. All
this is proven ir the Edeson production.
Mrs. Fdeson. who is Ellen Burg on the
programme and Hope Langham" in
the play, deserves just as much praise
as her big husband, for he is big COM
pared nGl. lie looms up D6SlQe ne1 as
if he were an unabridged dictionary and
She pocket edition of some very short
novelette,.
Mr. Edeson looks as if the part
might have been taken from events in
his life and his wife acts her part in the
play so perfectly that she seems to be
going over her real courtship when her
real husband won her. Mr.. Edeson
handled the romantic role most capably
and Mrs. Eldeson was the young, inno-
cent girl all over.
Harry HarWood, as "MacWillians, .
the civil engineer who had been doing
his work in uncivilized countries all his
life until he did not really feel civil, did
some acting that was perfect. In the
role of the man who had been cast all
his life among the rough company of
men, and who, when he had grown old
and callOused, was touched by the first
bit of innocent femininity he ever saw,
put genuine pathos into the humorous
lines he said. There seemed to be a tear
and sigh due MacWillianls. He acted
all over. Even with his eyes, when he
looked at Hope and exclaimed And
all 1 ever saw before was the women of
thedance halls in Sioux City and abb
lene." Harwood should be a co-star
Frazier Coulter, who played .'Mr
Langham," has been in Topeka before
as Colonel Bonham'' in Arizona -
in the role of Madam Alvarez and
she handled the Spanish dialect ad-
mirably. Sidney Ainsworth who played
Reginald King" has been in Topeka
as Lieutenant Denton" in Arizona -
Macy Harlan, who was Captain
Stewart" won the admiration of the
audience. He made the part stand out
and demand attention. Stewart" was
one of the not to be forgotten roles in
the play.
Taylor Holmes as Captain Burke -
the Irish fillibuster, gave just the
right amount of brogue to his words
and with his blue eyes looked Irish from
the ground up. Edwin Brandt was a
capital General Mendoza and looked
savage and severe as q general and a
statesman should. Dorothy Tenant as
Alice Langham' comes in just between
where adverse criticism leaves off and
slight commentator begins.
Try Bachelor cigar and you will
have no other.