Page 78 - 1934

Dramatics

HE Proscenium Club, living up to its usual high standard of excellence, com­
menced an exceedingly successful year with the presentation of three plays at
Christmas. New members elected to the Club at this time were as follows:
Robert Scott, William Myer, Edwin Burrows, Marshall Maclsaac, Clarence
Boston, Chase Sanderson, and Hoel Bowditch. The newly chosen officers:
Taylor Cotter, President; Vincent Bowditch, Secretary; Robert Elder, Busi­
ness Manager; Donald Boyden, Stage Manager, and the Club selected, at the suggestion of
Miss Kimberlin, the plays: The Lost Elevator, by Oscar Wilde; The Rising of the Moon,
by Lady Gregory; and The Travelers, by Booth Tarkington.
In the first of these, Chase Sanderson as the amusing elevator boy and Charles Gross
and Earl Tanner as the romantic couple had prominent parts. Several of the actors
appeared for the first time upon our stage. The Rising of the Moon, stirringly acted by
Hoel Bowditch and Taylor Cotter, with the help of Edwin Burrows and Marshall Mac­
lsaac, was the story of an Irish patriot, befriended by the very sergeant who was sent to
capture him. In the last of the three, William Myer, the American traveler; Vincent
Bowditch, his wife; and Richard Earle, the vociferous Italian guide, combined to give a
most enjoyable performance. Robert Scott, Wyman Pendleton, Alan Moses, and the
Italian servants all played exceedingly fine roles.
Moses Brown and Lincoln School formally combined for the first time in history to
produce two plays at Easter. Our director, Miss Kimberlin, patiently moulded the char­
acters in Grumpy, a four-act comedy by Hodges and Percyval, until they had attained
almost professional excellence. Richard Earle was applauded time and time again for his
magnificent portrayal of "grumpy” old Bullivant. Hoel Bowditch and Muriel Bigney in
the roles of lovers; Taylor Cotter as the villainous Mr. Jarvis; and William Myer, the
faithful servant, Ruddock, were especially outstanding, while Arthur Hartley and Eileen
Cartier, Charles Talcott and Audrey Easton, Chase Sanderson, Vincent Bowditch, and
E. Wells McLean all contributed to the finished product.
At Lincoln School, Alice Sit-by-the-Fire, a James M. Barrie comedy, was presented
under the direction of Miss Cole, with three boys from the school in leading roles. Edwin
Burrows played the part of the delightful old Indian colonel; Charles Gross, that of the
lovable Steve, who is led to believe that he has stolen the heart of the colonel’s wife; and
Philip Jastram, the part of a fifteen-year-old sophisticate, dauntless in the Navy, but
terrified at the thought of his father’s kisses. We extend our congratulations at the same
time to the girls of the cast who gave such a splendid performance.
It is hoped that these last two plays are only the first of a long series which the two
schools will present together. Although several outstanding female impersonators at
Moses Brown were put out of jobs by the combination, we are sure that they will be
equally appreciated in their normal attire.
The Proscenium Club bids a fond farewell to Donald Boyden, that wizard of stage­
setting and demon worker, without whose ability and skill many plays of the past few
years would have been only mediocre. To the electricians and prompters, properties, cos­
tumes, and publicity committees go the thanks and hearty congratulations of the Club and
the School. In closing, we would express our sincere appreciation for the work of Miss
Kimberlin, who quand meme was victorious.
E. G. B.

'J’age seventy-four