Birmingham Southern College - Southern Accent Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

Page 32 text:

ke olleQe f Starting with a bare cubbyhole in the back of the Student Activities Building, two soap boxes, and a cat- alog listing of a course in Theory and Practice of Acting, Mr. Aber- nethy — who quickly became Chief Ab — and Tommy Ryan spent the summer in putting in a pin rail, building a traveler, and dreaming of Thespian accomplishments. ' Chief Ab Yiind Lady, a melodrama without screams, was the first major problem attacked by the College Theatre. Having glued the flats and hemmed the curtain, Rebecca Gray and Jennie Webb did a major part of putting up the set. Tommy was in constant demand and, in spite of his time-saving devices, managed to get the set up on time — fully five minutes before the curtain went up on the first show. Robert Burr even had time to finish his painting and get off the stage before the show began. When the curtain jammed and the lights failed, the actors, with brandy glasses in their hands and curtains draped over their left ears, went right on with the play. The stage technicians did a much better job on the next play, tage Door, and were ably supported by the cast. Eulette Francis surprised everyone by learning her light cues; Tommy came backstage to change the spotlights only once; Robert Green kept the curtain working smoothly; and stage manager Cecil Curtis kept things well-coordinated backstage. On the third show, Outward Bound, Robert Green, having worked faithfully on the first two shows, took over the job of stage manager. The entire organization functioned smoothly. The hams climaxed their season ' s work admirably. And everybody had a good time. In the Spring the College Theatre officially replaced the defunct Paint ' n ' Patches. For hard work throughout the production of three shows the following students were invited to become members. L Jean Arnold Marjorie Jean Bevis Robert Burr Cecil Curtis Wilbur Fite Eulette Francis Mary Garrett Rebecca Gray Robert Green Arthur Griffin em bers James Hatcher Margaret Hickman Doris Holtzclaw Nelle Howington June Jaynes Alice Jones Martin Knowlton Ford McDonald Flay McPherson Richard Morland Leland Nichols Marbrey Payne Olivia Belle Payne Tommy Ryan Florence Throckmorton Jayne Walton Charles Ware Jennie Webb

Page 31 text:

WII.I.IAM E. VANCE ijuiine -i er euvie C diloriai J h W. Robert Mitchell Edilor-hi-Chief Cecil Parson Assistant Editor Sarah Shepard Assistant Editor Donald Brabston . Assistant Editor Miles Den ham Sports Editor Bernice Brev; er Mack James Bob Summers Bill Cleage Ford McDonald Marjorie Vance Cecil Curtis Bill Mizelle Charles Ware Lester Gingold Claire Morrison Willis Woodruff John Graham Marguerite Osborne Wyatt Jones Mary Beth Powell Sammy Pruett Otto Robertson ijuiinea •-ita.ff William F. Vance Business Manager Thad McDonald Associate Manager Ann Rinnert - Associate Manager Louise Strickland Associate Manager Wallace Smartt - Associate Manager Frances Blake Fred McCord LeGrande Passmore Clarence Wilburn Howell Heflin Charles Moore Margaret Ann Perkins Bob Murray- George Huddleston L RY Kate Xungester NL RBREY Payne Bill Morrow

Page 33 text:

OL I, eaim Came September and a flock of eager amateur stagehands. But there was plenty for all of them to do — flats to be built and stretched and glued, the curtain to be hung and hemmed, mazes of wire to be put into the frame which Tommy and Mr. Ab had built from the soap boxes and which was to become Bet- sey, portable (so Tommy maintains) switchbox and pride of the Theatre. Technician Rt an Take it like this, Dunn, says Mr. Ab while Marjorie Jean Be is look on. . . . Rebecca Gray and Jennie Webb do flat work. . . . Alva Wade and C. M. Dend) ' rehearse tagc Door. . . . Rest hour at the Footlights Club. . . . And that ' s hew I became a movie star ... Tense moments in Stage Door. . . . Stage hands at work . . .