Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-11
WONDERFULLY STRONG PLAY,
ADMIRABLY DEPICTED
Edeson Scores Triumph as the Edu-
Gated Indian and Wins Tremen-
dous Favor-company Is
Excellent

one WOulQ OIL all lIlSlI VI PpNNA
a play that rings with laughter and
flows with tears, that overfows with
college bonhomie and spirit, and OBJ
sesses one with Indian fatality and
stoicism: a drama of deeds and pas
sions and complexities and love over
whelming and sacrifice supreme-oh,
such a play as is all too seldom seen
and far too infrequently written-this,
in a few words, is "Strongheart," which
opened at the Mason last night.
An almost perfect company presents
it, admirably surrounded with all the
accessories that made for truth, and
depicts it's varying notes of humanity
in such fashion that one seems actually
to live with the characters before one
to share in their feelings, to sorrow and
to joy with them, to love with them, to
weep with them
This is the acme of theatric art, to
achieve this-and "Strongheart" is we'll
worthy of doing so.
The play of "Strongheart" is based on
the old, old story of race conflict, al
DSlL III q bCN 6uloS' otiiS bAiCu5h
masked and toned down and hedged
about, race conflict is the bottom of it
all.
An Indian "Strongheart," son of
chief of a western tribe, has been sent
by his people to be educated as white
man is, that when it comes time for
him to be the chief he shall be wise
to rule in the white mans way. He
goes to Columbia COLLEGE and there
learns the palefaces lessons, of honor
and Greek and history and football-and
love. He gains college chum, and
loves this chum's sister-all unknown
to the chum. He wins place in the
eleven, and high position in his class,
and, to his mind he is white man,
in all save the color of his skim
Then comes the first test. The great
football game is on, and the first half
is over. In rushes the captain of the
team to the training house of the CO.
lumbias, and presents the latter's sig
nal code, which a .Weakling has sold.
The rival captain scorns it's use An
inquiry is started, and it is learned
that the handwriting on the code is
that of Strongheart's chum. The In
dian, to prevent an exposure, let's it be
cry is at once suspected of him owing
to that trait in the redskins nature.
Neither the chum nor the Indian has
sold it; another has. The Indian is
let out of the eleven in disgrace. After
the game, which is won, he tells at the
inquiry who sold the CODE as the viii
lain refuses to do so himself. But, pre-
vious ito that, he has asked the girl.
When this is learned, as may be imag-
ined, it causes horror, astonishment and
Indignation.
But why?" queries the Indian. Am
l not now a white man, with a white
mans feelings, his education, his hon
or? Why may l not wed her?" He
sends for the girl at once, and tells her
the story; she tries to reply there and
then. She loves him and stands by
him, defying all others, even her own
kin. But he waits till the appointed
time.
But comes a runner from Strong
hearts tribe, acquainting him of his
fathers death, and his own accession
as chief. He does not wish to go, but
is shown the duty devolving upon him;
his tibe has prepared him for just this;
shall he fail now?
No; he will not. He will go.
And the girl? The second great test
has come. ~
He gives the answer himself. He
refuses to accept her sacrifice. She is
not for the tepee and the chase. He
tells her so, and sends her away; then
he prays to the Great Spirit for
strength for the task before him. And
the curtain descends upon her sobs and
his prayer.
Simple enough, as story, isn't 1t?
Without the football episode, which is
really non-essential, it is a bald tale
quite as bald as the reality would be
typical of the Indian narrowness of
horizon and paucity of experience.
But how strong it is! These people
really live. Strongheart is true In
dian-indeed, taken from life; Antonio
Apache, now here, and at it's presenta-
tion last night was its prototype, and
vouches for the accuracy of the define
alton. The play is a bit of actually;
what faults it has are just such as
would be found in ordinary existence,
where things do now move in the
smoothly ordered fashion of stage pre-
sentations, but in episodes and dis
jointed bits. 1t has a meaning, too; a
meaning as plain as 1t is true; and he
who runs may read. Kipling put some-
thing of the same meaning into his
verse when he wrote
"For east is east, and west is west, and
never the twain shall meet"
Do you see the point? Would you,
man of fair skin, wed your sister to a
red Indian, be that Indian the noblest
that ever wore feathers or smoked the
pipe o. peace in a tepee? Would you?
Robert Edeson as Stropgheart' Great
ed new type on the stage-that of the
civilized, white-man-t trained Indian. SO
perfect is his concept of the character
and so admirable his depletion that it
is flawless as diamond. His makeup,
his talk, the way he uses his eyes-all
are absolute. One can conceive no
higher art in dramatics than he shows.
And his company is worthy of him,
1t has few flaws; they are minor
ones. With one exception it is the
same that supported him on his open
ing day. 1t were almost invidious to
single out persons i'm it for special COM
ment, but one or two must have
their due mead of praise. First
comes Frank Mcintyre as Billy Saun-
ders. rotund, jovial chap, with a Billy
Baxter line of talk and several new ex-
pletives that are as picturesque as they
are startling. Then there is Ira A.
Hards as the coach of the team-ad-
mirable; as the Indian messenger
great Mary Boland as the girl Strong
heart loves-excellent. David Todd as