The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-11-16
THE BIRD
OF PARADISE


bu0 Ndo<s
Luana, q Hawaiian girl.--..--
-.... Florence Rockwell
Ten Thousand Dollar" Dean,
beachcomber. 49, brandon Evans
Liliha, dancer. ...--.- Marie Blrd
Mahla, convert. Gladys kingsbury
kahoa .-.---.-..---.... .. AsAe
kapule James Halemanu
Naihe .-.-. ..Joseph Phlilpo
Kuikini III. c. Koolauklnl
Lanipule. - Robert K kaaWa
Mahumahu, Luana's foster
mother .......... Rose watson
Kaai, poi-maker- ---- Frank Cooley
Hoppe, Hula dancer Annette Andre
Kpnia, a woman of the old days
...- Gertrude keith
Lemuele, graduate. Nate Goodwin
Hewahewa, priest of Pele. $500.
John H. Sumner
Paul Wilson, a young doctor. -.
...... Robert Br1ster
CAPTAIN Hatch, planter. Leo Curley
Mr.. Sysonby. missionary ....
.......... James, x. Applebee
Mrs. Sysonby, his wife Carrie Weller
Diana Larned. university
graduate. Gertrude Walters
Hoheno, fisherman. ..-........
.......... Douglas Cosgrove
Tomoro, a Japanese. Fred Tllden
Mrs. Crothers, a widow. Grace Lewis
THE Bird of Paradise" in the
course OF it's third migration returned
to the Grand theater last night, and
its plumage remains intact, won
derfully colored thing, study in
light and shade of the Hawaiian
islands Of the past, flashing vision
of beauty rejecting the brllllancy OF
the tropical sunshine.
It is late in the day to comment.
but for all of the terror Of Pele in
eruption and its splendid staging
there is the ever-oppressive note OF
tragedy that grows as the play pro-
crosses. It ascends as we follow the
natives praying and climbing the
slopes of the mountain with the ILL
starred princess intent on sacrificing
herself and eliminates as she hurts
herself into the vortex of fire. In
the glare Of the molten lava is re-
vealed the fact the plot has been built
around this grim inferno when it
might have centered in one OF the
best characters contemporane ous
stage literature has developed-'"Ten
Thousand Dollar" Dean. 'mfTt
Here are two fine characters,
Luana and Dean. In union would be
strength, but they never meet on the
ground Of friendship. Logically, Dean
might have guided the native prln-
cess to better fate, just as he
worked out his own salvation. one
waits in vain for him to become
big brother to the little sister of the
Puma settlement, for with his inti
mate knowledge OF the half-savage
Hawaiian he could be no more. But
the author, Richard Walton Tully,
| preferred to work it the other way,
with the result 'afhe Bird OF Para
disc" bears a marked family re-
semLlance to Madame Butterfly.
| Originality lies in taking the same
premises and developing better.
bigger and stronger story. With
such exquisite material as Dean and
Luana, the author might have accom-
plished something bigger than the
spectacle Of a volcano in eruption
and a pitiful heroine.
! Florence Rockwell played the role
of Luana with de1ightful touch in the
Iightest moments and without sacri
fcing a mote of the tragic possibili-
ties as the plot becomes intensified
and assumes tragic proportions. So
studiously has Miss Rockwell applied
herself to the details of makeup and
mannerisms that her portrayal suf-
fers nothing because Of the presence
of real Hawaiians, and she becomes
part Of the ~picture,z which is replete
with pottery, flowers, music and other
native accessories.
Brandon Evans conception Of
Dean. the beachcomber. was convlnc-
ling and admirably played. The pro-
Queer, Oliver Morosco, has sur
rounded these two principal per-
formers with a capable company,
which includes Hawaiian singers, in
strumentalists and dancers. 'The
Bird of Paradise" when SO adequate
lily portrayed as at last nights per-
Iformance, Is a delight to the appre-
Iciative senses and doubtless will
draw crowded houses whenever it
visits Keokuk.