Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-08-06
RED Bird" Staged at
WeStfeId Fri. and Sat
MISS PEARL RICHARDS INDIAN
DRAMA HAS WELL
CHOSEN CAST

life. In Italy, for instance, it is said
that a knowledge of forty-two dialects
is necessary if one wishes to dispense
with an interpreter
These people differ quite as much
in character habits, and ideals Even
over here, the teacher whose former
experience of Italians has been with
the starry sweet voiced, ARTISTIC
gentle Neopolitans is apt to have a
great surprise when she attempts to
handle one whose looks are the same
but who has just arrived from Sicily
To those who know, understandingly
a county, it is quite as fascinating a
psychological study, to observe how
the different racial pioneer parentage
affects to this day, the dominating
keynote of the individual communities
in a county like Marquette ricn in To-
cal color.
For this reason it is easy to under
stand how Miss Pearl Richards well
coined the opportunity to bring her
Red Bird, whose compelling demand
for first-class actors, trained vocalists
musicians equal to the handling of it's
| difficult Indian harmonies, and
dancers capable of interpreting emo
ton through grace has engrossed the
best talent of cities like Stevens Point
Racine and Minneapolis-back to
Westfield.
For, from early pioneer days West
field has been a cradle of dramatic
and musical talent and many Of it's
native sons and daughters have won
high places in professional circles.
If they could return to see the COM
ing performance of Red Bird, we
judge they would feel their nantes
had fallen on worthy shoulders.
The title role of Red Bird will be
played by Professor L. E. Weiland,
principal of the high school. In adj
dition to the advantages of a fine bari
tone voice and dramatic power, he has
had the best training along these lines
of Whitewater Normal and the Uni
versity of Wisconsin, where he stud.
led Dramatic Art under Miss Ger
! trude Johnson.
Add to that the fact that he was
reared
Back among those blue hills yonder"
] better known as the "Baraboo Bluffs"
! just as Red Bird was, stepped in the
very atmosphere of the story of the
greatest of Indian heroes, and it is
plain to see that his Interpretation of
the noble red mans nature will be
adequate to the authors conception of
| the historical ideal.
OF the leading lady's part the Ra,
cine JournalNews says in it's issue of
April Is, 1921
lone Sorenson, as Star of Evening
Red Birds beautiful bride, was the
exemplification of ideal womanhood
in any race, whose love for her coun
trys honor is greater than her own
selfish love for her own dear one.
lone Sorenson was so sweet and low
ing and her beautiful speaking voice
] was so suited to the character she
| represented that the part seemed to
have been written for her." But long
before Miss Richards ever met lone
Sorenson she expressed the same
thought of Amy Baker Clark, and her
ambition to have her interpret the
lines of Red Birds bride is a realiza.
ton of dream of many years. Mrs.
Clark is well-known as a prominent
clubwoman whose success in her or
ganization activities lies to large ex,
tent in her pleasing platform appear
ance
Floride, the Indian maiden, who.
like many another woman, has her
sweetness changed to vindictive ha-
tired through unrequited love, has per-
haps the most difficult woman's role,
and in. Minnie Klingbeil Curtis, Miss
Richards feels the part is most fortu.
nately cast.
The acknowledged dramatic power
Of George Dewar will be demonstrated
in his handling of the versatile charac-
ter Of Wekau, who will first WOO his
Indian sweetheart with the sweet
strains Of The Land of The Sky Blue
Waters, and then, wiser than most
white men, will abandon his futile
lovemaking to win her a kingdom.
Few plays have so many character.
izations as nas this Red Bird plot, but
in the opinion of experts who saw the
original cast back in 1914, the strong.
est acting was done by the player who
represented Karana, the imperious De.
korra queen-mother, who believed so
implicitly in her royalty, and yielded
her sway over the tribe so reluctantly
to her fair daughter-in-law the bride
of Red Bird.
All the conflict of the old and mod
ern slant on life is not confined to
palefaces, and this difficult role will
be well sustained by Carrie Preston
Ford.
Arahoe, the mother OF Star of Even
ing by arousing the cupidity of Karana
with her bids Of baskets, beads, and
ponies, successfully contrives match
L. NJ