The Minneapolis journal., 1906-05-18
"HEIR TO THE H00RAH'''
4 REALLY GREAT PLAY

FThe Heir to the Hoorah' opened
brief engagement at the metropolitan
last night and was welcomed by one OF
the largest late-season audiences in the
players succeeded in pleasing everyone
who attended.
The play and characters are over
drawn to marked degree, but the con-
stant fire Of humor ranging from broad
to subtle makes "The Herr go from
first curtain to final drop. The char
acters are the most remarkable ever
assembled in one creation unless it was
the Virginian, and if they exist, are
not to be found within the confines Of
any one mining camp in the west. The
improbable story of the uncouth miner
who, thru an eight months tour Of the
continent, returns to his own in the
role of a man of culture, strikes about
the key in which Mr.. Armstrong, the
author, has asked the public to accept
his offering.
Glaring as may be the impro9babilitiess,
the author has written a play which
It is one Of those productions to which
the auditor must give himself heart
| and soul or sit aloof, coldly skeptical,
and on the lookout for incongruities.
Patrons Of the theater, as a rule, pre-
fer to forget cares and business for the
night and allow themselves to be led
by the players thru the action Of the
production. Once this, hold is gained,
Mr.. Armstrong; work begins to get the
larger cities Of the country.
| It is story Of the tension between
the effete culture, what might be more
properly termed the "codfsh aris.
tocracyo of the east and the breezy
defiance Of the casts conventions by
those whose home is west of the
"mighty MISSISSIPPI The barbarities
contingent is fully as repulsive in the
eyes Of the fasteners as is the affected
l and assumed manners and garb OF the
easterners in the eyes Of the folk from
the mines and the prairies. There comes
gradual understanding between tht
factions, and all ends happily with any
number of weddings, engagements ane
"the heir of the Hoorah.''
/ Guy Bates Post as Joe Lacy find
chiefly on account Of its lack Of pos
sibility or probability. His work i
cleverly done thruout. Nora O'Brie1
as Mrs. Joe Lacy, the wife Of tn
miner capitalist, leaves no room fo
! criticism in another extremely Difficult
Interpretation. Maud Ream Slower a
the pickering and domineering mother
in-law makes the most OF part i
which there can be little personal salts
faction for this clever actress save i
the consciousness of a duty well pei
formed. This trio, the leading. char
I acters, out Of the way, brings in tn
I support and to them the audience turn
: for the strong strain Of bubbling humo
! which runs thru the production. ]
is spontaneous, sarcastic and ludicrou
ini turn, and comes with such speed Q
5 patter as to keep the house in an ur
! roar most of the time. The support Q
I the central trio is hawless and the il
: genious lines given each and the cha,
! acter drawing: however impossible the
, may be, is delicious.
- The Heir of the Hoorah'' is give
with whoop-and it must be take
the same way. From the standpoint G
n an. evenings entertainment it is or
], Of the very best of the season. It's onl
:, rival of the winter has been The Co
( lege Widow. - To miss it will be a
q a oversight sure to bring regret.