With the Players

THE WEATHER looks as though Carnival had passed us by some weeks ago, and from the number of girls in town one might think it had already started. But The Gondoliers is having its dress rehearsal tonight and Carnival starts tomorrow. It will not be the first performance however, as we presented it in the old Town Hall in Claremont on February 8, under the auspices of the Claremont Community Players who are taking part in the show. It was the first time the Players had taken a show out for a one-night stand in five years.

At 9 in the morning the orchestra, costumes, and scenery were shipped off by truck with the stage crews following by car. At 5:30 the cast left by car and bus and the curtain went up at 8:15 as scheduled. At 2 the next morning the set was back in Webster. The house was full, and after hearty applause for the Claremont contingent in the show they warmed up quickly to the rest of the show. Herb Landsman turned in a great performance as the Duke, and had the audience laughing every time he appeared in his tin suit, voluminous cape, and abundant curls. Unfortunately Joe D'Esopo '29 could not be in the operetta, but we were able to replace him with a man who has never appeared on the Hanover stage although he has probably sung more Gilbert and Sullivan than anyone else in Hanover. Since his singing has all been done in the basement of Robinson, the Hanover public has never had the good fortune to hear him. So we presented Henry Williams, the technical director of the Players, in the part of Don Alhambra (The Grand Inquisitor). Henry knows Gilbert and Sullivan backwards and forwards, and I might add that at his first rehearsal he said some of his lines backwards. Roland Partridge is also a newcomer to the Players, although he has sung several times on the concert stage.

The voices are better, the girls are prettler> the cast is larger. Profiting by the Claremont preview, we will have a gala show for Carnival.