Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-19
At the PlLYHOusEs
"The CI.n.m.n- at the Boyd


The Clsnsman," a drama in four acts and
hve scenes, based on novels by Rev
Thomas ]. Dixon. ir. staged by John
Stapeton; under direction Of George ".
Brennan. The cast;
Joshua skinner. n negro exhorter.......
=. ..........,.....C c. r.. Lark
FIRST negro ..................... John Carleton
seconu negro ....'............ Thomas Lewis
AlecE the sheriff Of ' ,,,.''
Nelse. an old-fashioned negro. ............
...................... Theodore Kehrwald
Carpetbagger, a peddler and auctioneer
- ........................ Herbert w. Parker
Second white man ......... Alfred p Noone
Gus Of the Black Guard =. Charles Males
DICK gemman OF color. James J. Gardner
Eve, Nelse's wife ............ Maud Duraud
Austin stoneman. radical leader..........
DR.. Richard Cameron, q conservative.
Flora, his little daughter. Violet Mersercau
Nellie Graham Ben's first sweetheart.
Helen Lowell. Neiiie's friend .............
Alice worth. Nciiiie's friend. Alberta lee
Elsie stoneman, the radical leaders :.
Ben Cameron, the Clansman. .......,......
silas Lynch lieutenant governor of
South Carolina 800. William II. ToolIer
Freedman's bureau agent .................
Negro corporal ............. John Mcdonald
William Pitt Shrimp, governor Of South
General ~ r. Forrest. grand wizard Of
the Khan ...,........,....t.R q. Thomas
an orderly .....''.'..''.'...... 49,. EAR Lee
commissioner .........,.... James b. Martin
In presenting to the public his excuse for
renewing the discussion OF a phase of the
race question that has slumbered for some
time. and which a lot Of people thought
had heen disposed of finally. Rev Tommy
nixpu has { N n Ierfda1It- at4
tive garb. Aside from other considerations
'''The Clansman' Is really worth seeing for
its strength as a play. II Is mclodramstic
TO the core, but It Is good melodrama and
ms an interesting proposition is worth "A
bundle of the bloodless discussions we have
been treated to in the form of society
drama recently. Mr. Dixon has clevery
and distinctly outlined the several charac-
ters of his play. and moves them so as to
tell tale of day in the south when the
white race groaned in spirit and suffered
i'm flesh. History. cold and accurate, sup
ports Mr. Dixon I'm his strongest premises
and the little tinge of romance he adds to
the story is simply the sugar-coating on
the pill. 1t is hardly probable that ''The
Clansman' will be the spark that will light
fire as did Uncle Toms Cabin for men
and women. both north and south, are i'm
closer sympathy To-Day IMAM lneN were MY
years ago. or even thirty years ago. when
the reconstruction Of the south was made
complete. The social phase of racial
equality is hardly open to debate nova
days; it has settled itself. and It is the
hope of the wisest of the leaders of a re-
united nation that the political and indus
trial phases of the same question will be
settled without a further disturbance. Mr.
Dixon prefers to take an apprehensive view
of their present aspects; his play rather
represents i'm this regard a personal opin-
ion than a public clamor. But, even now
Mr.. Dixon may be comforted, for If We
may read the present In the light of the
past it is clear that the white race will
dominate the south. His call is hardly to
arms.
The play tells story of how young
girl from the north loved young south
erner. Her father is an abolitlonist and Il
radical and is engaged in bringing about
equality i'm the south. He has helped the
negroes In South Carolina to dominate pol
titles and society. The young man is the
leader of the Ku-Klux Khan, The leu
tenant governor of South Carolina is Il
mulatto. hailed by the girls father as "A
man and brother. When the lieutenant
governor seeks the girls hand in marriage
he gives her to the Ku-Klux lover, who
arrives at the head of his clan just in time
to save the girl from the negro Incidental
to this several very accurate pictures of
life I'm the south after the close of
the war are given. An election day scene
with a crowd of darkeys running things at
the polls Is one.
Franklin Richie enacts the roll of Ben
Cameron. the manly young southerner, |
with much earnestness and effective SYM
pathy. He has number of chances to
overact. but resists them all and gives
clean, even performance Of a hgh-minded
young man through a number of trying
situations. Mr.. Tooker, too, is quite ef- !
fective i'm the role of Silas Lynch, the |
mulatto politician. John b. Cookies work /
as Austin Stonemau, the radical leader, is
excellent. his portrayal of the zealot being
one of the best bits of acting of the whole /
Charles Avery as the pusillanimous gov
ernor of South Carolina, William Pitt |
Shrimp-whose name recalls the report of /