Brandon Collegiate Institute - New Era Yearbook (Brandon, Manitoba Canada)

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THE NEW ERA 15 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES This year’s major production proved to he one of the most suc¬ cessful that B.C.I. has ever pre¬ sented. Every member of the staff and the student body was whole¬ heartedly behind the play. Its re¬ cord-breaking success testifies to that. It broke all previous records for advance ticket sales, and for general excellence. Miss Clenden- ning, the director, was largely re¬ sponsible for the high standard at¬ tained, attending to every detail, from showing pictures of Green Gables to the cast, to finishing off makeups. She worked long and hard, spending much time and effort, plus thought, on making the play a success. The final re¬ sults proved that her time had been well spent. The choice of “Anne of Green Gables” was a fortunate one, for the play is particularly adapted to the abilities of high school stu¬ dents. Its many amusing situations and delightful characters provide ample scope for the young actors to exercise their talent. Anne, of course, is the central character around which the play revolves. This imaginative young lady suc¬ ceeds in getting herself and her friends into many scrapes. Some¬ how or other, she always seems to come out of these scrapes un¬ harmed, but unfortunately, the others do not always emerge un¬ scathed. The poor orphans at the Hopeton Home suffered long. It is difficult to say whether or not they suffered more than did Miss Minnie Stearn. Mrs. Alex Spencer at last relieves them of this dis¬ turbing influence in their lives, transferring s aid disturbing in¬ fluence into the lives of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Anne’s es¬ capades and tricks tickle Mat¬ thew’s fancy, and bring about his rejuvenation. Not so with Marilla. In vain does she endeavor to hold a restraining hand over Anne. This spitfire lets loose her temper on Mrs. Lynde (although she af¬ terwards apologises most profuse¬ ly), and on Gilbert. The latter feels its full force for some days

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THE NEW ERA 1 1 SECOND PRIZE THE LOST HAT Jim Johnston At this moment there is a hat whose sole wish is to be back with me. Whatever part of the world it may be in, it will be pining away under the use of the new master, whom it must follow. The powerlessness of this in¬ animate object distresses me and prohibits it from crying out about the mistake that has been made. Inanimate as it is, however, I feel that my hat—if it had tongue with which to speak would say this: “Take me hack—take me back to the master with whom I was happy so long. He has been my owner since 1936, when he pur¬ chased he in that shop on the Avenue de la Portage in Winni¬ peg. I kept so trim and soft for him; and I had just the brim he likes, snapped a good deal. We went everywhere together, first to Vancouver and later to Edmonton. While in the former city he wore me on his hikes up into the Capilano canyon. Once I remember he laid me down where he had folded the rest of his clothes but when he tried the water, he found the Capilano Creek too cold to indulge in more than a brisk plunge and a few racing strokes. My master was no hardened salt. Thus when we crossed to Victoria on Vancouver island, the water being rough I lay in the cabin unmolested and out of use until we made port. In Victoria I adorned my mas¬ ter’s head while he walked through the quiet streets and parts of the city. This place was too retired to suit my young owner, and conse¬ quently we hoisted anchor for more exciting places. Eater, in the same year, 1 accom¬ panied him on a week-end to the western city of Regina. There I had ithe unduplicated pride and delight of hearing him repudiate the off er of a Homberg. Ry which I do not mean a German prince, but a hat fashioned after the busi¬ ness man’s derby. I, being of Ty¬ rolean or Swiss cut, he liked me a deal more than the later-styled head-gear. Nor did he, as most travellers do, bring away a peanut straw: which I consider further proof of his good taste. I was with him when he indulg¬ ed in his first chocolate eclair, and heard him declare this to be his most ecstatic moment. I was with him when the peo¬ ple at the station of Grenfel mis¬ took him—the young man with sun-glasses—for a wanted juvenile thief, little knowing that a week later, alighting from an airplane in Toronto, he was to be mistaken for a famous film star (who had not been seen there) and mobbed accordingly. And I had looked forward to the time when, through the years, 1 would be needed more and more because of his hair becoming thin with age. Now I have said enough. Oh! new owner, carry me back to the Y.M.C.A. where I was lost. Return me to the desk where my master has been calling for me for weeks. You do not really like me and perhaps your old hat is pining away as I am.” That is what I like to think my lost hat is saying. Always keep your boots polished. You can shine at one end, if you can’t at the other.

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1 THE NEW ERA (via a lump on his head). Even Diana, Anne’s bosom friend, does not escape unharmed; Anne, car¬ ried away by her affection en¬ deavors to take a lock of Diana’s hair for a souvenir, and cuts her in the process. Yes, as Miss Rem- sen predicted, “There was never a dull moment where Anne Shirley ' was”. If she isn’t poisoning Mrs. Allen (accidentally), or half-drown- ing herself while enacting “Lance¬ lot and Elaine”, she is removing the freckles from a pig. She is irrepressible. Although the Cuth- berts hadn’t wanted a girl, this lovable young mischief won their hearts completely with her im¬ aginative tales. .lust as she wins Manila’s and Matthew’s hearts so does she win those of her audience. L. M. Mont¬ gomery’s light-hearted, merry, whimsical, adorable little heroine lived for two nights in the person of Anita Smith. She was a real person to all who saw her, and will long he remembered. Anne’s first admirer, who con¬ tinues to be her staunchest friend, is Matthew. He is as helpless be¬ fore her charm as he has always been before his sister’s sharp tongue. He shields her, helps her, and loves her. Her influence changes him so that he will even defy Manila for her sake. Clifford Kitson gave an excellent perform¬ ance in this role. We have it on reliable authority that the only difference between “our Matthew” and the original was in height. Good work. Cliff. Manila, a stern, uncompromis¬ ing individual whose manner earns for her (the reputation of being “so mean that her sweet pickles turned sour without her doing a thing about it” was played by Peggy Doran. After Anne’s ap¬ pearance Manila changes to a real human being. “If you’d asked my advice, which you didn’t, I’d of said” that Emily Irwin was the reincarnation of Mrs. Rachael Lynde. She turned in a very creditable job as this busy dispenser of unsolicited ad¬ vice. (Incidentally, this was Em¬ ily’s first appearance on a stage). Evelyn Lindsay, as the sharp- tongued assistant at the orphan¬ age, and Reulah Cristall as the gossipy Josie Pye were outstand¬ ing. Tom Ryles made his small part noticeable, as the laconic country boy, Moody Spurgeon. A play is as strong as its weakest actor. Those taking the minor roles determined not to he out¬ done by those taking the major parts, and they certainly showed their determination by their ex¬ cellent acting. Marguerite Cowan, as a breathless Mrs. Spencer, Hazel Penman, as an appealing Diana Barry ' , Thelma Brownell, as her charming mother, Eleanore Wrye, as lovely Mrs. Allen, and Margaret Kerr, as the very capable Miss Remsen, all did their part to make “Anne of Green Gables” the suc¬ cess it was. Nor did the boys let their sex down. Gilbert Blythe and Ira Mills (Grenville Rates and Boh Bar¬ clay) upheld the honor of the hoys against great opposition, provid¬ ing the romantic element. Both romances looked quite hopeless, but Anne finally succumbed to Gilbert’s persistence, and together they reunited Marilla and Ira. Behind the scenes were those indispensable people, who, in the¬ atrical enterprises, are horn to blush unseen. No play can go on without the property, the costume, the stage, and the “odds and ends” committees. Congratulations to them, and all others, too numerous to mention, who co-operated to make this year’s dramatic produc¬ tion such a complete success.