Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-05

| tre the relatives, friends, and school
mates of the class OF 1913 of the Lin
coin High school were privileged tC
meet the great character of Strong
| heart. This was pleasure long an
| tici pated, and it was with keenest in
| terest that the audience followed
the career Of this great SON of an In
| dian chief in his closing days in Co
lumbia University
Lloyd Welch in the role of Strong
heart showed his great ability on the
amateur stage by the way in which
he held the audience from the rise
to the fall of the curtain leaving
them at last in tears. 1t is seldom
that an amateur can make an audi
ence feel what he feels as did Welch
in this impersonation
The character Of Dorothy Nelson
sweetheart of Strongheart was beau
tifuIly developed by Miss Annina
Daily. Her sweet, lovely manner and
low, weElmodulated tones were a
beautiful contrast to the rugged
strength of Strongheart They were
both strongly supported by a very
excellent cast. 1t would be impossi-
BILE to give in detail the work of eact
of the twenty-five characters who ap-
peared, but we give each and every
one credit for filling his or her part
admirably and presenting his char
that made lit very true to life. In
professional playing the work of the
stars is SO much superior to that of
the minor parts that the difference
is very noticeable. This was not true
of the cast of "Strongheart. No one
person could have been omitted and
still make the ensemble complete.
The opening scene was laid in the
room of two Columbia University men
Dick Livingston and Frank Nelson
The former part was taken by Georg
Mohlke and the latter by Donald Nat
wick Everything about this scene
was typical of college life. The eff
forts of the young men in preparing
to entertain the young ladies and
their chaperone brought out consider
able comedy The college men who
figured in the preparation for the lit
tie social affair were: Herbert Wolf
as Taylor, Sophomore; Emmett
Burns as Ross, a Freshman; Leonard
Kinister as Reade, a grind; Claire
Mathis as, Thorne, a special; George
Mullen as Fred Skinner, a sport;
and Fred Ragan as Billy Saunders,
d Senior by courtsey. The work OF
each of these men was admirable, par
ticularly that of Ross, the "Freshie"
who is cuffed around and rebuffed
renely after each ''Freshie, shut up!"
Leonard Kinister made minor part
into a strong part by his work in the
part of the grind.
Strongheart made his first appear
ance in this scene of college men. The
greeting he receives from his col
lege mates shows his great popular
ity in spite of his race. When the
young ladies appear in this scene,
they are chaperoned by Mrs. Nelson,
mother of Frank. Miss LYDIA Nelson
took this part excellently. She was
gowned in black and fully portrayed
the role of the popular, pleasing
daughter, Dorothy, Molly Livingston
sister of Dick Livingston, and Mol
ly's friends, Maude Weston and Betty
Bates. These young ladies were i'm
personated respectively by AElnina
Daily, Mary Jones, Marian Atwood,
and Dorothy Brundage. They were
beautifully gowned and gave the
needed touch of feminine beauty and
charm. The individual parts were
we'll suited and Well taken When the
curtain fell on the first act the vari-
Gus romances were we'll started and
the plot of the story was developed
by the planning of Thorne to sell the
signals of his team and thus prove
a traitor to his school.
The second act showed Columbia's
team between halves of the game.
Taylor is brought in first quite badly
injured Then follows the team in
all their foot ball garb, but very low
spirited because they are playing
losing game. They are soon brought
into fighting trim by the appearance
of Buckley, the head coach. Roy
Weeks in this part showed his abiH
ty to juggle words He looked the
part to perfection and his speech to
the team was one of the strong plays
of the evening.
1t suddenly develops by the appear
ance of viii Merriam as coach Of
the opposing team that Columbia's
signals are in the hands of the enc
my. There is CONSERVATION in the
camp and Thorne by clever schem-
ing succeeds in having the blame at
tached to Strongheart. The latter
is taken out of the game, thereby
losing the chance of helping to win
the game for his beloved Columbia
and fer Miss Nelson's S sake. Strong
heart meets his disgrace manfully
and watches the game from the gym
window giving a very vivid and char
acteristic description of the game
to Taylor, who still lies upon the
mat, disabled but too enthusiastic to
be still. The work of Wolf in the
scene was particularly good. When
the game is over and won the plot
is still unravelled and Strongheart
determines to clear up the mystery