Appleby College - Argus Yearbook (Oakville, Ontario Canada)

Page 97 text:

The stage, being almost bare, obviously held no hiding place for the huge frame of the Sergeant of Police, brilliantly played by Alasdair Halliday. By posing as a majestic-looking statue, he evaded discovery by the pirates and subsequently the owner of the chapel. Most of the Sergeant ' s men huddled on the floor, except for the rather conspicuous member of the force, Mr. Larsen, who deemed it fit to stand facing a corner of the stage. All in all, it was a very amusing sequence of events performed with reassuring coolness. The highlight of the evening, which most will agree, was the performance of the Major- General by Mr. Josselyn. His presence on the stage seemed to electrify the audience, while his befuddled manner kept us very well entertained. Complimenting this comical side of the produc- tion, were great performances by Bill Dietrich as Frederick and Susan Aldridge as Mabel. Dietrich played the role of a young man destined to the life of a pirate because of his high moral standards. Combining his ability to make his presence felt on the stage and his talent for singing, he did more than justice to the leading role. Susan Aldridge played a most convincing young maiden deeply in love with Frederick. Not to be forgotten in all this praise are the yoimg ladies who played the parts of the Major- General ' s daughters. Although their dainty voices were sometimes lost in the large playhouse, their well-timed movements and virtuous ap- pearances allowed them success in their roles. Ann Jensen as Ruth and Alan Keil as Samuel sang with strong, confident voices and are too to be congratulated in their supporting roles. Also not to be left out are the pirates, captained by a domineering Chris Wood, who gave a strong background soimd for many of the songs. It is often a glamorless job to be in a chorus while others get the praise, but the operetta could not have been so successful without it. Special thanks should go to Mr. DesRoches who worked hard and long hours to put on a first-class production. And of course the people behind the scenes who are too numerous to mention here, but without whose help very l ittle would have been accomplished. Congratulations to all on a memorable performance. Eraser McKenzie

Page 96 text:

The Pirates of Penzance This year ' s operatic production was one which was enjoyed by actors and audience ahke. It combined a mixture of Uvely comedy with excellent orchestral and singing talent. The production played on three consecutive nights and attained a quality of professionalism which we have come to expect and appreciate at Appleby. The final night proved to be an ac- cum ulation of excellence, but this is not to say that the first two nights were below par; rather, in a production of this nature, the actors are invigorated on the final night, because it is the last chance they will have to perform. The plot, as typical of Gilbert and Sullivan, was simple yet in many places provided very humorous situations. One such situation involved the police hiding from the threatening pirates in the ruins of a chapel.

Page 98 text:

Late in the spring term we were treated to The Jest of Ha Ha Luba This spirited play was put on by the middle school (9 ' s and lO ' s) and Alasdair Halliday. Dabbling in alchemy, black magic and the human vice of greed, the scenario took us to the study of Sir Arthur Strangeway, played convincingly by Tom Scott, on the eve of the New Year. Here we find that Sir Arthur has solicited the help of a queer old alchemist played by Adam Gordon, to help him multiply his fortujie. After a number of bangs and poofs which would put Mr. Francis to shame, the Spirit of Laughter (Carl Headley) is summoned and Sir Arthur demands a wish. Instead of demanding incredible wealth there and then, which he had been warned would just anger the spirits , he decides to outsmart them by asking for something seemingly unimportant, and only for one hour. He asks for a stack of next year ' s papers and as soon as the spirit leaves, he com- mences to copy down all the stock market reports of the coming year! But just prevails, as usual, and the spirit gets the last laugh as Sir Arthur sees his name in the obituary column. Not only was this play fun to produce but it gave everyone valuable experience which will be needed in the major productions of the future. Also to be commended on a job well done are Richard Trupke as the flawless butler, Snaggs, David Holland who controlled the lighting and David Piotrowski who ' s fine job of directing was reflected in the success of the play as a whole. But most im- portantly, the highest praise must go to Alasdair who made it all possible. Richard Woolley