The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-29
Sensations Galore Mt the Park.

At the end of a particularly sensational
act at the Park in 1.-The Queen of the High
way" the lurid melodrama which opened
a haif-week's engagement at that theater
yesterday, the characters are called be-
fore the curtain, and they walk across the
stage, in the old-fashioned style, while the
audience shows it's approval dsapproval
Of the various people of the play with al
ternate cheers and Kisses. Nothing could
better illustrate the manner in which the
average popular-price audience receives a
performance. The plays the thing down
at the Park, and the acting is of secondary
consideration. 1t happens that in this mel
odrama the bad people of the play are the
real actors, while the good people not
nearly so competent. But in that march
across the stage it's the less capable play
ers who are made the recipients of deafen-
ing cheers the audience going so far in
showing its contempt for wickedness to
hiss the star or the company right heart
lily.
There are many sensational border
dramas now touring the popular-price cir
cults, but THE Queen of the Highway is
the most original of the lot. Its author
Charles A Taylor, instead of utilizing the
familiar old plots, as most of his con-
temporaries do, injected enough new ma
terial into his production to afford ground
work for half dozen plays of its class
The piece is most peculiar one crudely
constructed and with the inevitable blood
and-thunder climaxes, and yet having a
certain merit of its own that makes il
vastly superior TO the usual wild Western
dramas. The heroine is a high-strung
woman, who assists band of highwaymen
in robbing stage coaches purely for the
excitement 1t is an exaggerated character
but still the author has drawn IL along
rather logical lines, and Charlotte Severson
acts the part so we'll that the highway
queen does not seem such monstrosity
after all. Miss Severson is a handsome
young woman and capable actress
among the best, in fact, to visit the Park
in the course OF season. The real star
of the play, however, is J. Louis Ungerer
who portrays a Sioux Indian. Mr. Unger-
ers red skin is really an exceptionally in
teresting study. The actor has evidently
traiture, for his makeup, manner, voice
and every action go TO compose a we'll
nigh perfect picture of the American In
dian, as he is to be seen nowadays in the
Rocky mountain regions. Frank Kflday is
the white villain of the piece, and his act
ing, too, is above the average. Mr.. Kilday
is also careful stage manager and his
good work behind the scenes has much TO
do with the success of the play. The other
people in the cast are not especially bril-
liant in their acting, but all succeed in
filling their parts acceptaby.
The drama IS well mounted and is brist-
ling with realistic effects There is a real
stage coach, drawn by a team of handsome
horses. There are two other horses that
have parts to play in the story, and there
seven real wolves that appear in one of
the mountain scenes long enough TO make
life miserable for the hero until he is res
cued from precarious situa ton. The Park
was packed to the doors at both perform
ances yesterday. and 1.-The Queen Of the
Highway will doubtless continue TO do a
"standing-r oom-only'' business during the
rest OF it's stay in town 1t will be followed
Thursday by another melodrama-a new
I'LL in the latter half of the week at the
Park.