The Detroit times., 1911-01-10
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.
The west has always been favor
tie stamping ground for American
dramatists, for In the wild life o. the
plains is 10 be found most OF the ro-
nance and color that there Is In Amer
lean life. There have been a good
many plays dealing with western life,
but the Roundup" the Offering In
the Detroit opera house this week,
presents as true a picture OF the cow
boy and Indian as has ever been pre-
scented. Much of the realism OF the
play is due to tie careful and elabor-
ate staging. the last two acts being
faithful reproductions OF the desert
and plain, with sagebrush, Indians,
rock and sand and bucking bronchos
all there.
The story of the play Is simple, but
IL affords some big opportunities for
action on large scale. Dick Lane,
mining engineer, is engaged TO
Echo Allen, but is lost in the desert
and 4 is believed tina; the Indians kill
ed him. Jack Payson, friend OF
Dick, thereupon presses his suit for
the hand of Echo and is married 10
her just as Dick Lane gets back to
claim her Further complications en-
sue when Echo learns three months
later that Dick Lane Is still alive and
that Jack Payson sent him out into
the desert without telling her. She
sends Jack out 10 find her old lover and
after long search the missing man Is
discovered dyinG OF thirst at spring
thai has run dry. The Indians are
on the warpath again and the pair
are surrounded by band OF Apaches.
There is hard fight and the Indians
are Just about to rush them but a
troop of cavalry and Sheriff Slim"
Hoover arrive on the scene just in
time with real Calling gun among
other ornaments and beat the Indians
of. In the fighting Dick Lane Is Kill
ed. The party returns Just In time Tor
the roundup and Echo finds that II Is
Jack that she has loved after all.
There are the usual southwestern
characters introduced, the bunch OF
cowboys, the plotting halfbreed and
his gang of rustlers and most import
ant OF all Slim Hoover, the sherin
of Pinal county. The sherlff runs the
county with a ready gun and tongue
casions when his tongue fails MIN are
when he is trying to make love TO
Polly Hope, poor relation OF Echo,
and these situations are very FUNNY.
She finally turns him down for Bud
Lane. a young scapegrace brother oil
the prospector.
The settings of the last two acts
are masterpieces OF stage craft. The
third act shows the spring in the
desert and as the scene opens with
the dawn, a band of Indians mounted
on ponies file slowly down the trail
over the rocks. The fighting is also
realistic, the troop OF cavalry taking
a station on the nights and pumping
bullets into the Indians from q Gatllng
gun. The fourth act shows the round
up camp on the plains at dawn ana
the red light rises beautifully out OF
the distant hills. The Sweetwater out
fit Is walked up in true cowboy fashion
and mount their bucking bronchos on
the stage. There is some clever wild
western horsemanship in this act.
The work OF the actors Is uniformly
good, especially that OF Harry Cowan
as Dick Lane, when he Is dying OF
thirst I'm the desert. Ogden crane
as Buck Mckee, and Rapley Holmes,
as the funny sheriff come in for their
share of credit too.
The Roundup. realistic picture OF
cowboy and Indian life in the south.
west will be the bill In the Detroit all
the week. with special popular
priced matinee on Wednesday. There
will also be the usual Saturday mat