Article

With the Players

May 1937 Alfred E. Reinman Jr. '37
Article
With the Players
May 1937 Alfred E. Reinman Jr. '37

MARCH ROARED in, for the Players, like a lion and never ceased roaring. The interfraternity play contest coming one week after the March show kept Robinson Hall in an uproar. With fourteen fraternities finally reaching the footlights, everyone had his hands full, and as the curtain was drawn on the last night of performances we turned to vacation on the morrow with an ever-so-welcome look in our eyes.

The contest was brightened up this year by cash prizes for finalists, and by cups for the best production on each night of the preliminaries. The cups for the preliminaries were awarded to Kappa Kappa Kappa, Sigma Chi, Theta Chi, Delta Tau Delta, and Phi Kappa Psi. From the complete list of entrants the three best productions were chosen to be repeated on the night of the finals, and the Phi Psis, Sigma Chis, and Delts received the call to repeat their performances. The first prize of ,$50 cash and the Mary Gile Cup went to the Delts for their presentation of Martin flavins' Question of Principle which was excellently directed by Viv. Edwards '37. The $25 second prize was awarded to TheTwo Bonnycastles, a costume play written by J. M. Morton. Dutch Holland '38 directed this play for Sigma Chi. The third prize of sls was won by Suppressed Desires by C. C. Cook, which was directed by Sandy Mills '3B for Phi Kappa Psi. Dutch Holland, for his characterization of Mr. Bonnycastle in the Sigma Chi play, received the Players' prize of $10 awarded to the best actor in the contest.

All in all, the contest was a success, even though many houses were disappointed on the night of performance. One of the best bits of comedy not intended in the production of any play came in Lost Silk Hat, which was presented by Sigma Phi Epsilon. Bruce Tompkins '39 as the poet in the play was having the time of his life ad-libbing lines and cues forgotten by his cohorts, until he came to a place where he was left ad-libbing for ten minutes. Finally at his wits' end, he stopped in the middle of the stage, turned to the prompter who must have been asleep, and shouted "What the hell is the line?"

SHAW PLAY GIVEN IN APRIL

In the meantime, however, George Bernard Shaws' play Heartbreak House was in rehearsal. Vacation temporarily halted its production, but since vacation it has progressed to the point where it is ready for performance on April 15-17 in the Little Theater. In the feminine roles, we find Mrs. Folger departing from her singing parts in Carnival shows, and playing the part of Hesione Hushabye, mistress of the heartbreak house. Barbara Hassrick and Ann Edmunds, both of whom were new to Hanover audiences this year, stepped out of Bury the Dead into Heartbreak House as Ellie and Lady U tterword. Steve Bradley '38 as an excellent Captain Shotover ambles about the stage in search of "the seventh degree of concentration" which turns out to be none other than good old English rum. (Perhaps Shaw copied Eleazar in this aspect of the character.) Viv Edwards '37 playing his best in the toughest assignment he has had in his four years with the Players, does more than justice to the part of Boss Mangin.

Looking forward three weeks to the time of publication of this article, on Green Key week-end, which falls on April 30 and May 1 this year, the Players will present Robert Sherwood's comedy, The Road toRome. Warner and Henry have already been doubling up on rehearsals, and Webster as well as Robinson is the scene of Players' activity. Those who return to Hanover this June will have a chance to see The Road to Rome as the Players' Commencement show.