Benton High School - Wahwahlanawah Yearbook (St Joseph, MO)

Page 33 text:

JUNIORS SPONSOR THREE-RING SHOW Setting a high mark for entertainment was the first indoors performance of the year, on November 9, when the dramatics department under the direction of Miss El- liott presented an evening of one-act plays. Each sketch was excellent-character por- trayal. timing, and incidental “hits” show- ing careful and intelligent preparation. Three Pills In A Bottle, a fantasy by- Rachel Field, was a real appeal to the imag- ination. Dale Ditteniore as the little in- valid, cared for by his hardworking widow- ed mother, Frances Bunten, could see through the material bodies of his neigh- bors and find companionship with their souls. Jack Jones, the pompous gentleman, attended by a ragged soul. Bill Pugh : Jackie Smock, the awkward charwoman blessed with a fairy-like dancing soul, Shirley Tur- ner: and Franklin Gilmore, the scissors- grinder, endowed with a soul with a song. Kenneth Landers, all visited the hoy to he improved by his gift of the pills. Eudora Banker served as student director. The second play, Three’s A Crowd (Mc- Carty-), an amusing exposition of youth’s tragedies, was presented before the curtain, the stage crew setting up the props—a park- scene—as Vernon Mallory gave the pro- logue. Frank Seever had run out of money on the way to a dance with his date, Glenda I’oteet and her kid sister, Jo Ann Sauter, who was forced to tag along. When Cousin Orman Brooner arrived on the scene with a car and a pocketful of dough to take Glenda off with him, things looked bleak to Frank until little sister Jo Ann’s loyalty restored his morale. Shirley Ditteniore was student director. Sugar and Spice (Ryerson-Clements) the third offering, involved a present-day Top: Sugar and Spice Center: Three Pills in a Bottle Below: Three’s a Crowd family in the teen-age doings of their own and neighbor families. Don Mathews and Rose Ann Parrish, the parents, took a rather dim view of the affectations of their guest, Kay Norris, just hack from a six months’ “culture-course” in Paris. But their daugh- ter, Pat McCray, and Bill Culver, the hoy- next door, were completely enraptured— until sad reality caught up with them. The student director was Virginia Ames. Mr. Nurski directed the school orchestra in a musical program before and between acts. The junior class sponsored the affair, taking charge of ticket sales and assisting with ushers and properties. (twenty-nine)

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CORONATION PRINCIPALS Seated: Michael Annigian, Peggy Gabriel. Barbara Baldw n. Don Turner. Standing: Shirley Coy. Elaine Kemper. Frances Bunten, Jewell Dean Brown. Queen Kay Norris. Neil Nielsen. Ruth Ingram Young, Barbara Meade. Carol Black. D nna Williams. (twenty-eight) QUEEN, ATTENDANTS, ESCORTS Seated: Frances Bunten, Jewell Dean Brown, Queen Kay Norris, Barbara Meade, Ruth Ingram Young. Standing: Gene Lytle, Eddie Christman, Bill Culver, Jack Turner. Norman Halpain. THE BIG SHOW'S UNDER WAY September 22, 1950 The Big Parade, heralding the first open air show of the season was on. Under the blazing floodlights, the R. O. T. C. color guard marched; the Pep Squad flaunted new cos- tumes; the band went through its maneuvers; the big crowd buzzed with excitement. The trumpeters. Don Turner and Michael Annigian, sounded a fanfare. Neil Nielsen, student body president, stepped out followed by the honorary class attendants: Shirley Coy and Carol Black, tenth grade; Elaine Kemper and Donna Williams, eleventh grade. Next came the maids of honor, Frances Bunten. Jewell Dean Brown, Ruth Ingram, and Barbara Meade walking arm in arm with their managers, Eddie Christman, Gene Lytle, Jack Turner, and Norman Halpain. Members of the senior class, these young ladies, lovely in formals of pastel shades, carried arm bouquets of chrysanthemums. Barbara Baldwin and Peggy Gabriel, in pages’ regalia, as representatives of the eighth and ninth grades, carried the crown. Climaxing the procession came the queen. Kay Norris, in a white formal under a full red velvet cape, escorted by her manager, Bill Culver. Passing through an aisle formed by the Pep Squad and the football men. she ascended the throne set up under the goal posts. There with Neil Nielsen doing the honors for the school, she was crowned Miss Benton. 51. After accepting the charges of the duties and responsibilities of her office, in a charming little speech she thanked her friends for their assistance in making the honor possible and paid a pretty tribute to the gridsters who were all set to meet the year in their first home battle.

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THE CHORUSES AT CHRISTMAS TOP OF YEAR PERFORMANCES Any person-by-person poll reveiwing the hits of the year would be sure to give prominence to “Those I was in” or “Those I liked best”- speak- ing of assemblies, that is. All kinds to please all tastes; speakers, advertising skits, movies, de- partmental programs, to name but a few. Of them all, such big affairs as the Christmas and Easter programs due partly to all-school participation and partly to the beauty of the sea- son, decorations, and lighting effects always are favorites and attract a large crowd of visitors. Christmas this year was a combination affair, quite simple but impressive, done by speech groups and the music department, both vocal and instrumental. For Easter the glee club sang and the Rev. Ray Allen was the speaker. The band “obliged” in January with a gorge- ous concert; in February, the choir gave a recital. In early May during National Music Week, the glee club staged its annual lovely show. Two “talent” assemblies, also largely musical, proved most entertaining. Everybody loved the student sings: carols during the Christmas season, and later popular songs with that talented Louise Ford Campbell at the piano. United Nations Day, sponsored by the social science classes, was a dignified and instructive hour. American literature classes celebrated Ben Franklin’s birthday with a program of tableaux and quotations from famous American writers. Another social science sponsored program was the patriotic one at Washington’s Birthday. R. O. T. C. all “spit and polish” did a nifty in March. A “Know Your School” Day presented by the speech classes, explained rules, customs, and tra- ditions; valuable to new Bentonites and a good refresher course for the oldies. Induction services for newly elected members of Citizenship B and National Honor Society and recognition services for awards, both scholastic and athletic, came late in the second semester. Students participating — and that includes those who conducted the devotionals, student body officers who led the flag salute and often acted as emcees—have reason to be proud of the results. Faculty directors, who helped so much to make the programs something special, deserve a good big hand. Who hung the decorations and the lights and ran the mechanical apparatus? Who cleaned up after the shows? The stage crew. They really worked; they got grimy, bruised, and scratched. But on state occasions when, in their smart white uniforms, they showed themselves in the act, they collected well-earned applause. STAGE CREW AT WORK R. Walker, D. Dittemore, F. Seever, J. Jones, R. Witham B. Reynolds, R. Bush, M. Dycus, J. McLaughlin. (thirty)