The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-15

~ My the mention of so terrible
" ssere a'''is' is necessary ,ss y''t to send
ones memory back into the
limbo Of wears that arc gone to pie
,ure the stirring and strenuous times
that marked the activities of the
United States army troops stationed
in the west in 1876 and fearful events
attendant upon The uprising of the
Sioux Indians in the big Horn Basin
the same year.
Around the battle fields OF this
country have been written military
dramas for the last sixty years,
dramas whose lines and actions have
stirred men 10 their depths. Military
plays succeed in pleasing all classes OF
theater patrons where other dramas
fail And the west has furnished It's
share OF good war plays.
Tonight at the Colonial and Tor the
rest of the week Willard Mack ana
his company OF players are TO give us
the first production locally by any
organization OF "Northern Lights
military story so edged WITH tne
thrills and intense action and interest
of p dramatic success that IL ran for n
solid year at the American theater IN
New York. It is story so queer IN
its conception, so bold IN the telling
and so sensational IN its development
that al the time OF It's production IN
New York it was conceded by the
foremost reviewers Of the metropolis
to be the greatest western story OF
army activities ever given the stage
of this country.
A dispute arose concerning the play
ing rights of .'Northern Lights" after
it had run year, with William Court
leigh as the star Of the company,
and the drama was Withdrawn from
theatrical circles entirely until the
tangle was Strengthened out. and then
for stock productions, with the result
that there was rush TO secure it that
ran the royalty on the piece up into
the clouds and made the play one OF
the most difficult Of the season to Sc
cure.
For three weeks Mr.. Mack and his
company have been working steadily
on the production Of " Northern
Gghts,p and when tonight's opening |
curtain at the Colonial inaugurates the
presentation of the drama, local play
goers will see one of the most remark
able series OF stage pictures oil the
year.
The chief character )n the drama Is
ful-blooded Sioux Indian, who, after
completing a college education al
Yale, is serving, at the opening Of the
story, as surgeon IN the Seventh
United States cavalry stationed at
Fort Gerry, Mont, Tho Indian is
known as John Swittwind. and
Northern Lights holds the distinc-
ton Of being the first American
drama to introduce as its leading char
acter fulI-bIoodcd Indian. This was
before the production of Strong"
heart and similar dramas, and it IS
4 peculiar coincidence that Mr.. Mack
was the second actor in the United
states to portray the character of
Swiftwind. with the original New
York company.
And at the Colonial tonight and the
balance of the week the story of the
Indian surgeon IS fight for the life and
friendship and justice OF his white as
sociates will be told by the Mack
Rambeau players, with Mr.. Mack
heading them as Swiftwlnd. Among
the characters introduced are Colonel
Gray Of the cavalry regiment, and bis
SON. The latter, ordinarily. is a love
able, handsome boy, upon whose
shoulders sits lightly the dangers and
responsibilities of his second lieu
tenancy in the troop His bravery is
never questioned until when the first
time be is under fire be deserts. Then
in quick succession comes his capture,
a court-martial, with his father sitting
heart broken as Judge advocate, and
then the boys sentence TO death.
AS surgeon of the troop, Swiftwind
has taken 4 great interest In the case,