The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-30
At ST. Paul Theaters

! ropolitan last night in-a&new drama,
entitled "Strongheart." 1t was the pre-
mier Of a play by William G. de Mile,
son of the late playwright.
The drama has the same invincible
| force to overcome that the Indian hero
| has, tO-wit, the prejudice of centuries.
The noble red man~cast in the tragic
| guise of Metamora and played by an
Edwin Forrest, may thrill the hearts
and arouse the emotions of spectators,
but as the central and Sonber figure of
! a comedy exploiting modern college life
and its football accompaniment, as De
Miles play does; the Indian college
student is not alluring, fascinating or
even engaging
Moreover. comedy that it is, this play
has an ending quite as depressing as
the concluding scene of 1.-The Prisoner
| of Zenda.' For the lovers part with
hearts anguish torn. Strongheart, the
!ndlan student.-and Molly Livingston,
nave made mutual confession of their
| love, and everything looks roseate. until
| Blaek Eagle, messenger from Strong
/ nearts tribe, enters to- inform him that
! ms rather, the chief, is dead, and that
! ne, as the successor, is expected back to
| look afteE.hiS people.-sStrongh says
ne will return with his white bride, but.
Black Eagle tells him that cannot be.
! He must come back alone. Strongheart
, realizes this. So does his sweetheart
/ who has overheard it all. And. so they
| part.
Now this is all quite logical and rea-
| sonable. But it is likewise very de-
pressing-fatal in fact, to the success
| or a comedy, for the last vision the
| spectators have is of the hero standing
alone on the stage, with his hands rails
| ed heavenward, while his lips bemoan
| the hard conditions the times have put
upon him.
So much for1the theme of the play,
/ which is but race question.
| But without disparagement to Mr..
Blossoms histrionic accomplishments,
which are of admirable quality, more
entertainment lies in the sayings and
doings of the white students, espe-
cially with reference to the football
game. They supply all the comedy, for
| this Indian is a serious fellow for the
most part in serious situations, and
/ little disposed to jest or jibe
To the credit of Mr. De Mile it
should be said that his second act,
| representing the interior of the Co.
| lumbla teams dressing room during
! the intermission between the first and
second half of the big game, is alto
gether the best and most convincing
| of the. play. That it was capitally
/ acted, virtue on the part Of the play
/ Oios lA1Ul every dQlIlOI Is GIiIlIl6u u,
| but. isn't always fortunate enough to
| enjoy, rendered the scene highly re-
| adst1c and animated. The applause
/ that greeted the begrimed players as
| they tumbled and rushed into their
! quarters, and the louder applause and
/ cheers that followed the excited ha-
| rangue, Of the chief coach, who de-
nounces the players, collectively and
| individually, for failing to score, DEM
| onstrated the fidelity of the entire
| scene to the real thing.
In short the play breathes the college
| spirit, particularly when football is in
| the air, and therein it will appeal to the
American public, when it's problem of
| the red man, which furnishes it's only
| sentiment, Will fail to awaken more
| than the idlest curiosity.
I. None but carper would pick flaws
In Mr.. Blossoms impersonation of the
/ educated Indian. His makeup was as
! dark, but no darker, than is warranted,
| his wig as black as night and sleek as
could be. except after the first half of
| the football time. Then it was towsled,
and Mr.. Edeson seemed more like the
others. He spoke his lines, not with a
| dialect, but after the manner of man
4 who had learned the English language
from schoolmaster rather than his
mother-whfch was pardonable enough,
as 1t bef1tted the personality of the red
man. In other words, Mr.. Edeson made
himself look and talk like an Indian
and therefore sympathetic interest in
/ him was faint.
De Mile has written some sponta-
| neous dialogue for the sportive stu
dents. Two expletives containing just
\ four letters each, are of frequent re-
| currence, notably in the second act
| though by no means confined thereto
| Ine comedy role of the play, that of
| Billy Saunders, a senior is intrusted
to II. Corthell, an actor of expansive
| physique, who played it with singular
| felicity. The brightest lines are aIIot-
| ted to Billy Francis Bonn was ex-
cellent in the role of Frank Nelson, a
senior, and Henry Kolker adequate as
| Dick Livingston, junior.
| Sydney Ainsworth impaired distinct
| individuality to the character of
| Thorne, the college special, who
| sought to sell the game to the oppos-
| ing team. Another throughly admira-
| bic character sketch was contributed
by Edmund Breese, who impersonated
| Buckley, the head coach" of the team,
with enthusiastic and irresistible en-
| thusiasm
/ Only two women have any oppor-
| tunities-Louis Compton and Dallas
| Tyler-one in the comedy role of Molly
| Livingston and the other in the char
1
| Strongheart. Both were satisfactory.
| The audience was large and ap-
/ plauded the players literally, a recog-
milton they deserved for an excep-
tionally smooth first performance.
| IF. G. H.
| Richard Harding Davis latest play
| "The Dictator" in which Charles
| F'rohman presented William Collier the
1 latter part of last season, has un-
doubtedly scored heavily. Every one
| seems to agree that Mr.. Collier has
| never been seen to better advantage
/ than he is in THE Dictator" An op-
| portunity will be afforded to st. Paul
| theatergoers to see him on Jan. l. He
! will play an engagement at the Metro
| politan of seven nights, with matinee
| Saturday, and a special New Years
| day matinee on Monday.
| In the musical drama, ''The Street
! Singer" which the comedienne, Flor
ence Bindley, is playing at the Grand
| this week, there are many character
studies. The love interest in the drama