Brattleboro Union High School - Colonel Yearbook (Brattleboro, VT)

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WHAT's this? The British can't take it! YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, America's sen- sation of last season and this, opened in London andvery quietly closed again! The British applaud American hu- mor when they can do so, but this was too much for them. They imitate American slang, they copy the wisecracks. But this play is much wilder, more fantastic than the English comedies. Against the more subdued London background, it probably proved too shrill for the jolly, ole Englishmen. Therefore, You Can't Take It with You was a complete failure in dear old England! at 1: is as fr Speaking of the British theatres, a major point in the art of drama is being proven. HMOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA is the play in question. Its success will de- termine the importance of the tragedy. That fact, that it is a tragedy, and even a tragedy without relief in exalta- tion, gives to the success of Mr. O'Neill's play a special interest. There is a notion that tragedy is unpopular in this age. Therefore, it will prove that this dramatic form can succeed. Secondly, it will prove that plays without laughter are not doomed. And, last, it will prove that the play goer is not such a conservative, as many managers assume, concerning the time, length and type of play produced. This last is most important. So, let's watch the outcome of this British venture! as is va as as Hear ye! Of interest to all those with dramatic aspiraa tions! Because of the thousands and thousands who weave their way to the Big City in hopes of making good theatrically, an EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE has been established. The ambitious aspirant is given an inter- view, is advised, and is helped in any way possible. He may choose any scene he wants. Each actor is appraised by tive to ten auditors who sit in a darkened theatre many seats apart. The auditors take notes and their notes are put upon one card and are filed away. Groups have been formed. They are given rehearsal space and as much help as can be spared. Three months is usually the period of practice. Then, a performance is arranged by the committee, if the would-be actors have shown themselves capable. The participants are of many and varied types. Some want experience, some are professionals and want a little relief or diversion, others are out of work tempo- rarily and want to practice up a bit. Those who write for interviews range from college graduates with a diploma of excellence in dramatics to stage hands in a summer theatre. The Experimental Theatre was formed, quite re- cently, in hopes of finding new talents, of helping those already discovered, and of being a contact between the immediate stage and an inexperienced actor. I think that all those who are behind this movement deserve a mighty lot of praise- Speedy Success to you! is Sk is its 41 The most outstanding movie of the moment is Walt Disney'S SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFSI' Primarily, it is a fairy tale for adults! fAnd how they love itlj Although, in our real world wars are being fought fas the picture unreelsj, although crimes are being committed, although hatreds are being whetted, all worldly trials are forgotten when the spell that Walt Disney has woven begins to take hold. The picture has been three years in the making and it cost 31,500,000 Two million five hundred thousand pictures have been drawn, and the piece runs one hour and twenty minutes. In Snow White, Mr. Disney has attempted to blend the realistic and the fantastic. Nothing more need be said about this amazing movie which has taken the heart of America-except that England's censors have ruled that it cannot be shown in that jolly old isle because it might frighten young john Bull! Alack a day! ak as ff ak sk Latest reports, however, say that after a few changes have been made in several of the sequences, the picture may be shown to Little Britain-provided that he is ac- companied by an adult, or that he is over sixteen years of age! if at :ie as at a: And how would you like to get 351,666.66 for every word you wrote, my pretties? Perhaps you heard Lionel Barrymore and Robert Taylor on the radio, tell a story of a forthcoming picture and ask for a title. And you probably thought you might send a masterpiece in. Well, it's too late now, for a frizzy-haired, high school boy, Roy Harris, has won the prize. The three words which brought him 35,000 and a marvelous trip are OF HU- MAN HEARTS. Roy has been very busy-on the go everywhere. In Hollywood, he met such celebrities as Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy, He's been a guest of honor of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the Brown Derby, College Inn and other celebrated spots. Of 1 32,000 entrants, the chief runner-up in the contest sent this title, These Human Hearts. QWe can just bet that the author of this is kicking himselflj But it seems to be an of year- Of Mice and Men, Of Men and Music. KContinued on page 201 swf-' -swf' ' - xi fa- 11 u ,lf f In x EN : ' 1 Yx l' 9 ws, . --swf, Q X New 1 M It IH W 'III tx , 1, ,ii ,A xx! I JI.. rp 'f' P fi 4 Cut by Nanrianne Shaw '40

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Y 0 VIRGINIA PERKINS 'ss HERE ARE YOUR BLOSSOMS ON BROADWAY! ET'S exchange our ski suit for a white tie and tails, or, if we are a member of the fairer sex, for a dazzling gown. Let's change our clumsy, square- toed boots and slip into shiny, patent leather shoes, or small, silver sandals. In place of ear muffs, let's don a Juliette cap or a tall, top hat. fSpray a bit of that perfectly divine Christmas perfume on your hair, and, you, mas- culine fans, try that new hair tonic that Aunt Cynthia gave youlj All ready? All right! Let's take a look at the billboards and decide where to go! ae if a at at From the pen of an Irishman comes a symbolic drama which represents a true interpretation of Ireland, Its au- thor, Paul Vincent Carroll, speaks thus, concerning his play, For years I had been studying the Augustan period of English literature, and always have been fascinated by its chief characteriDean Swift. My mind always has been filled with the currents and cross-currents of the mental struggles going on in the hidden Ireland that you fellows know absolutely nothing about. The outcome of his research is SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE. Dean Swift is resurrected and made a learned interpreter of Catholicism. The dean is thrown into the modern mental turmoil of Ireland. His contact with the above comes in the form of a schoolmaster. These two represent the con- flicting forces that crush between them the spirit of the nation. QFrom an autobiography by Paul Vincent Carroll, the reader gathers that he hasn't much affection to bestow upon American critics. In no uncertain terms he de- nounces publicity reporters. It is quite evident that he thinks we Americans are quite ignorant of the signifi- cance of symbolismsj All in all, Shadow and Sub- stance is considered the finest play to come out of Ireland in some years. -1- as :sf fr as QNCE a charming play house where many an enter- taining and delightful evening was spent, the little Princess Theatre has for several years been pretty badly snubbed. Last year, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union foften abbreviated I. L. G. W. W.-so, if ever you see those letters, and I'm sure you will at some time, don't show your ignorance by asking what they stand for! Prosper by another's misfortune! And I couldn't possibly guess whoselj took it over and dubbed it LABOR STAGE. For its first production it revived STEEL, which is primarily concerned with strikes. The course of the working class drama has been followed with a great deal of skepticism. PINS AND NEEDLES is Labor Stage's answer to the superstition that working class drama must be humor- less. fAnd some of it would be greatly appreciated as an improvement on some of the hash Broadway serves its customers!Q It has a touch of all types of life. Romanticism is shown by a Sunday afternoon in the parkg politics are represented in two burlesques of fascism and dictator- ship, low comedy is presented with a sound labor motive. The actors are all amateurs, belonging to the afore- mentioned union. But they are under the direction of persons who really know the theatre. fThe programs proudly declare They look so fresh and bubble over with energy and good spirits because I. L. G. W. W. members work only thirty-tive hours a weekly But, personally, the fact that while they're in a play they're on leave of ab- sence is the main factor in determining their good spirits! is fr at at 4- THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY is another new- comer. It is a gay piece of cultural whoopee. The play has three outstanding elements: a kind of lyrical tenderness, a sweet opportunity for song and dance, and a lot of rough, rude and boisterous funf' Hiram Sherman and Beatrice Lillie play the leads. One critic complains that it isn't fair of an audience to laugh with and at an actor simultaneously. This is a strange play in that the actors themselves wink at the audience to get laughs on the side! The same critic points out that the bawdiness is over- stressed, the belly laugh of Tudor England is there in plentyg the music that is the food of love fand where have I heard that before ?j is wanting, the lyric and jig, so characteristic of Shakespeares age, are forgotten. But, despite his comments, I think that The Shoemaker's Holiday would prove to be a delightful entertainment! BLOSSOMS ON BROADWAY Cut by Nanrifznne Slmw '40 I 131

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RA-LA-LA-LA-LA! Did you know that Gilbert and - Sullivan weren't stodgy old writers of non-under- standable opera! No, sir! Mr. Ernest Eames proved that to the LITERARY CLUB members at their last meet- ing. Mikado, a light, tripping opera, was presented by electrical recordings, and some of our worthy pedagogues and pupils read the lines. Yum-Yum fthe name describes the characterj was betrothed to Ko-Ko, Head Execu- tioner. Madly QYes, girls, madlyj, in love with her was Nanki-Poo. Enter-the villain-fin this case, the villain- essj Katisha in love with Nanki-Poo! Eternal triangle! No! This was a rectangle! When the Mikado put in his two cents, things started popping! Nanki-Poo was to be beheaded! Yum-Yum was to be buried alive! Well, how do stories with such mixed-up affairs usu- ally end! No! No one died! Nanki-Poo was really the son of ..... But, no! I won't tell! Now-see what you missed! Maybe you can induce Mr. Eames, our I. I. O. Unstructor in Operaj to tell you how it ended! He cer- tainly kept us in suspense all evening-and did we love it! a as af :ie at 1: A silent bang! The villian dropped to the floor! The DRAMATIC CLUB witnessed this at their last meeting. Our freshies fand with no coachingj presented Two Crooks and a Lady. An elderly invalid, Mrs. Simms- Vane fNorma DeLottinvil1e, to usj had hid her precious necklace in her library. Where are they ? asked the villian, Billy Mellen. Mrs. Simms-Vane eventually told Lucille fKatherine LaRosaj, the villian's sweetheart. But like every other woman fPardonez-moi, femmesj she was untruthful and lied to her lover. They both ended in prison. Well-the would-be actors of our Dramatic Club were spellbound after the performance. Plays were read and discussed for the members to put on-Originality's the thing! The Shakespearians want to compose a play of their own! The Show Must Go On -and we're looking for it! 4- ai- si- -if at :- Stretchless Rubber Buttons presented the Seven Men ! Station L O C O! Down the calendar came trucking the 14th of january and ALPHA EPSILON'S man-produced meeting. Cu! by Mania Filion '41 Floridorio Slugger Lewis was the announcer of the broadcast conducted behind sheets ftelevision, to usj. Did you know that Rom-e-od while jul-i-et? Well- Shakespeare Stark said so, and George julio Bigelow and Raymond Romiet Harris proved it! Richard Nel- son Eddy couldn't be outdone-he brought on his ama- teurs. Have you heard Emerson Desmo Dunklee sing? Dat lil' feller sho can slay 'em! Keep your balcony doors unlocked, girls! Howard Paderewski Park-general di- rector of the program-accompanied RubinoE - Bigelow and his violin! Wow! They got the gong! lk 41 if 14 X 214 Two guest artists, Misses Gloria and Sylvia Porter, sang and played the violin respectively. What applause they got! But the Seven Men were unabashed and ap- peared with their News Flashes ! My Dear-did you know that-But why let A. E.'s secrets run wild! The girls wildly cheered the broadcast Qand we heard an im- modest echo from behind the cu1tains!j. Now-girls-what'll we do to redeem ourselves! Pk lk 111 is 41 PF They're at it again! Undaunted by the price of wheat and cost of pigs! Vermont farmers may come and go, but B. H. S.'s AGRICULTURAL CLUB farmers will go on forever! Rodney Clark, the man behind the cow and before the F. F. A., bravely presided over the cracker barrel in Mr. Granger's Gen'ral Store fannex, to unimaginative read- ersj at the meeting in December. Long may it wave! What? Oh, the banner! Yes, they're going to have a banner for their organization! Hear! Hear! All you skiers! Now, you can buy your hotdogs at the Guilford Ski Tow-and from the Empo- riumf' Our Future Farmers may need some F. F. A. flfavorable Feminine Assistantsj. Why not apply, girls! Have you ever seen a cider shower! Wellhfrom what I heerd -cider literally poured after the last meeting- and I don't mean down the throats of the farmers, Those doughnuts like Mother used to make were holey consumed. Well- Strong Men to the Front and here are our men Ready, Willing and Able! What'll they be up to next! i15l