Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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if I THE ASHBURIAN T211 funny: and in the latter when Columbus is indicted for discovering America, and Guy Fawkes for failing to blow up the Houses of Parliament, everyone on the stage seemed to be enjoying himself, and we did too, in consequence Lewin Chapman was very good as the magistrate. The most ambitious part of the evening then arrived with the production of Act lll of Journey's End , l think this was valuable as showing grownups that such an apparently difficult play for boys to oct can be tackled with success and as showing boys how much you can do with little or no scenery to produce all the effects you want by relying on the imagination of your audience. No one l believe felt the need for a more realistic representation of that dug- out: no one l believe felt that the octors had not mastered the nuonces of Sherriff's Last Act. The major part fStanhopel was played with great ability by Michael Barnesi at times I lost myself in this play and forgot my present surroundings and my objective view. Only once did Barnes bring me back from this happy state-when, in his scene alone with Raleigh, his voice became too loud, too harsh. Michael Shenstone in his performance as Raleigh was pretty well as good as Barnes: he played with great sensitiveness and most convincingly. Derek Arnould was good as the Colonel, and lan Cole, Tony Lee, and Peter Hatch, besides being excellently cast, did an admirable job, lan Cole in particular. The plays were not over till ll.l'5 or after and the only criticism l have about Journey's End is that the waits that occurred between scenes were much too long. In the time that it took to produce the identical dugout without the removal or addition of more than one packing case you could have substituted the Throne room of the Raiah's palace for the interior of the Colosseum, Rome. Perhaps Ronnie Heaven istage and property manl had gone out for a coke? Anyway it was a good evening, very well attended by a large and properly enthusiastic audience and our best thanks are due to all who helped to make if SO' G.J.K.l-l. PUPPET SHOW The Puppeteers are to be congratulated on two counts, first of all for the admirable show they put on during the winter, second that they by so doing raised 5157.00 for the Candies for Britain Fund. Their industry and the time spent in preparation also deserves comment. The programme consisted of scenes form Don Quixote , and The Adventures of Clippo the Clown . The puppeteers were Charles MacNabb, G. Thomas, R. Burder,'M. Barnes, J, Harri- son, and Michael Webb who also painted the back-drop and scenery. The stage-manager was P. Whitworth assisted by N. Dixon, and music was in charge of P. Mackintosh. Our only regret is that there weren't more puppet shows during the year.

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IZOI THE ASHBURIAN Pte, Moson .......... - .......... ................ P . I-lotch Germon Soldier ...... .............. - -- ......... .............. W . Eliot Soldiers ................ ........... .... - - - .............. - ......... .... - ..... E . Pilgrim P C. Fleischmonn Scene: A dugout in the British trenches before St. Quentin, Morch, l9l8. Stoge ond property monoger, R, I-leoven, ossistont stoge monoger, P. I-lotch. Produced by N. M. Archdole. N the night of Fridoy, Morch 26, the school ploys were presented in the Technicol School Auditorium. The evening wos groced by the presence of the Governor Generol ond Princess Alice, who ofterwords went bock- stoge to greet those who hod contributed to the success of the evening. Three ploys were presented, the first being The Fontostic Flight by Sidney Box. This is o one oct ploy bosed on the now fomous Resolution of the Oxford Union not to fight in the event of wor. The leoding port ithot of Nooh Boomeri wos ployed by Richord Soblin. I-Iis octing wos very noturol ond good, but I om sorry to soy thot for mony minutes neither he nor the mojority of the members of the cost could not be heord in mony ports of the theotre. It is of course o consideroble disodvontcige to the ocoustics to hove o number of cur- tciins os o bockdrop instecid of o stoge set: they obsorb o Iot of sound woves: ond the well pocked oudience obsorbed the rest before they hod time to floot out beyond the first few rows. I-Iowever the entronce of I-Ieotherfield iPeter Crumpl improved this situo- tion os he wos cleorly oudible, ond motters tended to improve os the ploy went on. There is o chorus of running commentory provided by two newspoper men who ore ploced with their telephones on either side of the proscenium orch. They iI3orney Lowrence ond I-Icirold Pricel hod o pretty eosy job to do but they were not very convincing. I om not quite decided however thot the foult wos theirs. I think their port wos rother flot. Indeed the Fontostic Flight is o poor ploy ond its plot hos few of the ottroctive ciuolities thot fontosy con bring with it. Freddy Mocloren os the Big Mon's secretory wos odmiroble, ond the two women's ports token by Dovid Motthews ond Tony I-Iurtley were opporently well ployed but olosl inoudible to our section of the theotre. Both the girls looked very winsome. V I-Iowever for sheer feminine chorm Pussy Northcott with dimple slightly owry would hove been hord to beot, os she woited for the crusoder's return in the next section of the ploy. The three selec-tions from lO66 And All Thot coused greot omusement. I The Crusoders is olwoys good for o lough ond we hod plenty. I wos sorry thot Lorne Eliot os the Troubodour spoke his two songs ond I thought thot Andrew Murdoch os the Keeper of the Drowbridge, hoving disoppointed me by being in his blue suit, wos olso too much of o honds-in-pocket sloucher. But the others were good ond porticulorly Arthur Woodword os Constonce should not go unmentioned. - In the two other scenes, King John ond the Police Court, we hod mony more Ioughs. In the former the squeezing out of the Common Mon is very

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iz 21 THE ASHBURIAN ANOTHER VIEW OF THE PLAYS Rev. T. C. B. Boon We are indebted to Panorama for this feature. NDER the distinguished patronage of the Governor-General and HRH. Princess Alice, the annual plays were presented in the Auditorium of the Technical School, and while one missed the friendly atmosphere of the Little Theatre with its superior stage and scenery, more than compensation was added in the larger accommodation. Possibly, too, there was even a gain in the greater simplicity and more complete demands upon the imagination, The first play was Fantastic Flight which, as the Headmaster explained in his introduction, attempted to work out the theme of pacifism. Sablin as Noah Boomer had the heaviest part in this and gave a fine performance which promises well for the future. MacLaren was the perfect secretary, deferential and co-operative, while Crump l gave an unusually natural display as the Works' Manager. The two ladies were an outstanding success, capturing everyone's heart with their charm. ln spite of her pacific principles, Hope Tregoring lHurtleyl was quite a dangerous vamp, and there seemed every justification for Stella Boomer lMatthewsJ to get so indignant with her husband in the final scene, the close of which was most stirring. The newspapermen had difficult parts and Lawrence and Price are to be congratulated on their performance. The three scenes of lO66 and All That struck a lighter vein. ln the first the four ladies were the centre of attraction, some of the audience being quite envious of their costumes. The coyness of the Crusader's wife lNorth- cottJ was greatly appreciated, but we still regret that the troubadour lEliotJ did not sing his lines. Samuel, as the Crusader, showed a fine bluster in his part. ln the 'King John' scene, Hooper as the Chief Baron was quite outstanding in poise and determination, while Nelles made a rather amusing King John. The Barons lThreshie, Machlabb, Pegram, SpielmanJ supported the principals. Murdoch was an excellent Common Man and Keeper of the Drawbridge. The 'Police Court' scene was dominated by Chapman as the Magistrate, and he must be commended for the way in which he changed his dialect under the subversive influence of Christopher Columbus lBirchwoodl, Kenny's antics as Guy Fawkes, and the happy selection of Bulpit and Crump ll as policemen added to the general gaiety. Many might think that the production of the third act of Journeys End was too ambitious, but it fully justified itself and one followed it with a breath- less interest. Barnes as Capt. Stanhope had a very heavy part in which he constantly improved. He put a lot into his work and his performance was very effective. Cole displayed great skill in the part of Lt. Osborne and was always convincing, Boutin as Lt. Trotter was not only refreshing, but much improved in acting, Shenstone had a difficult part as Lt. Raleigh, but he played it with remarkable understanding and his hesitation of manner seemed to give it the