Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-30
"Stronq,eart" Tomorrow Night.


The Portland Press makes the fol-
lowing comment on .'StrOngh"art"
which appeared il that city Friday
evening:
AT the jefferson last evening Henry
+. Harris presented Edgar Sclwyn in
William d. DcMille'S fuur-act drama
'Strongheart.' Those Who stayed away
for fear the new company might
break the spell cast by RulIc.'. EdeSon
lost an evening Of excellent dramatic
work.
"Mr. Selwyn'* Strongheart is differ
cnt from Mr. EdrSon':; but it does not
suffer in comparison, 50 far as tho
essentials 80. 70 begin with. the men
are built on differen. lines. Mr.
EdeSon is Il plump. sleek. muscular
it"dskin who looks the part when
stripped for The football fray in the
second act. Mr.. Edesor has some
thing on Mr. Selwyn at that stag"
of the game--the football game, we
mean; but when it comes to dramatic
Intensity in the third act-the scene
in which Strurgheart finds out that
while he may win football games for
the white man he may not love his
" pIIItIl- MI sew IL ItCu IlOt 80 u
school To the Greater of the part. Lean
as hound, with dark eyes, deep
socketed and brilliant. Selwyn gives
Us a Strongheart vibrant with tense
emotion and compelling in its force. IT
IS here that he makes atonement fur
the F,desonian biccrs that We're MISS
ing in the second act.
THE piece needs no review ut This
time. 1t has been called the best col
loSC play that has ever been put on
the American stage and 50 long as
its college life is typilied by such 4
lusty bunch Of under-gradS as tile
present company includes it viii not
lose its prestige. The opening set, in
the rooms Of Frank Nelson and Dick
Livingston at Columbia, is a stunning
piece Of stage-craft. It looks like
the real thing and the college boys
who tumble in one after another keep
up the illusion. You couldn't round
up IL more lillcable bunch than Dick
Livingston. Frank Nelson, TAYLOR.
Ross and bully little Billy Saunders.
Even poor old Rcadc. the grind, fit:
into ne scene All in all. that first
act is a great bit of stage work and
the people with Mr.. Sclwyn keep it
going in ripping style from the rise
OF the curtain.
"The cussing-out between halves in
the second act falls to Mr.. Randall
and he does it well. Good work. also.
is that of MIR. Diclley in tine part Of
Thornc. the special, who tries to throw
the game by keeping Strongheart
out.
Miss Louise Compton-this years
Molly-is the dearest little bit of fem
mime Vivacity YOU could ask for She
bubbles over With college enthusiasm
and she's distractin2ly charming when
she falls out with Billy in the third
act and then makes it up in the
fourth. Miss McLaurin. who plays
the part Of Dorothy Nelson with whom
Strongheart falls in love, is lacking
at times in convincing force-a slight
OVERRIDING, perhaps, Of this ultra
modern idea of restrained emotion
and reserve power Of which we
hear 50 much. Nevertheless, she does
very effectively the final scene with
Stronsheart and leads one to believe
that she might not be so colorIess at
other times had she been differently
coached. She is pretty, i'll a wide
eyed. serious way, and with a touch of
warmth here and there liz tho earlier
scenes of the play would make the
part all that it should be.
1.-The company as a whole is excel
lent and the piece merits a full house
tonight Last evenings audience was
fair, considering the fact that Christ
mas has only been a matter of history
for couple Of day and that pocket
books have not yet resumed their or
binary thickness. The house received
the play warmly and gave Mr.. Selvvn
a number Of Well-deserved curtain
calls