Cumnock School - Chronicle Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

Page 82 text:

ln the midst of a driving rain, which by some miracle was kept away from the scenery, the Cumnock High School presented THE CHARM SCHOOL to a large audience on Thursday evening, December 5, l934, un- der the direction of Helen Wright Hovey. This delightful play has to do with a young automobile salesman with ideas, who, assisted by his friends, undertakes to run an exclusive girls' school along modern ideas of his own. The role of the salesman was carried by Donald Green, who played oppo- site Suzanne Vidor. Two beautiful sets were required, and despite the fact that only a skeleton crew was available, the difficult shift of scenery was made in rec- ord time. The cast was composed of the following people: DAVID - -------- - AUSTIN - iiivi - GEORGE - MR. 1oHNs ELISE - Miss cuRTis SALLY - ETHEL - Miss HAYS NoTsiE - Aux - 74 - Bill Hammerstein Donald Green Leland Moore - judd Cox Ben Sternberg Suzanne Vidor Edith Snyder Wanda Gilman Marjorie Pope june Rhinock Betty Goodrum Laurice Malouf

Page 81 text:

ELLIOTT HENSEL MINICK MINICK MINICK, a comedy of youth and age by George Kaufman and Edna Ferber, was presented Thursday evening, November I5, I934, in the Cum- nock Auditorium, under the direction of Helen Crane Hardison. The play concerned the trial of old man Minic-k, played by Elliott Hensel, when he came to live in Chicago with his son, Fred Minick, played by Ben Wolbrink, and his daughter, played by Gloria jenkins. This play, made famous on the stage by O. P. Heggie, and on the screen by that famous character actor, Charles Chic Sale, offered some marvelous opportunities for character work. The three old men parts were taken by Hensel, Guy Moore, and Ezra Smith, who worked as a group, as did the women's club group, ably characterized by Helen Beckwith, Lillian Targen, Dorothy Drew, and Lucile Frank. Two radically different maid parts were done by Ruth Gardner and Lillian Collins, while Ernest Megowan and Beth Collar played two short but loquacious roles as the talkative Dia- monds. Besides the two Minicks, the only other straight roles were done by Marie Brown and Don Hankey. An enthusiastic audience applauded a cast consisting of the follow- ing: Marie Brown LIL COREY ---- NETTIE MINNICK - Gloria jenkins Lillian Collins Don Hankey Ben Wolbrink Elliott Hensel ANNIE ---- jlM COREY - - - FRED MINICK - OLD MAN MINICK - AL DIAMOND - Ernest Megowan MARGE DIAMOND - Beth Collar LULA ----- Ruth Gardner MR. DIETENHOFER - Ezra Smith MR. PRICE ---- Guy Moore MRS. SMALLRIDGE - Lillian Targen MISS CRACKENWALD - - - - - - - Lucile Frank MRS. LIPPINCOTT - Helen Beckwith MISS STACK - - Dorothy Drew 73

Page 83 text:

FOUR ON E-ACT PLAYS The second School of Expression production of the year consisted of a program of four one-act plays, presented in the unit simplified manner with the use of curtains. These plays were entertaining and sufficiently diversi- fied to offer a wide range of material for the actors, in addition to giving the audience a varied program. The plays were of such a character that it was not necessary to put one actor in more than one play, giving ample time for the careful preparation of the material. The first play, GREEN EYES OF ROMANY, was a light comedy con- taining only women, and had to do with the fortune teller who comes to perform for the bazaar. Capable performances were given by Lillian Targen, Dorothy Drew, Helen Beckwith, Gwendolyn Dorsey, Winnifred Miller, Bar- bara Cohen, and Gloria jenkins. This amusing play was followed by another all-female play entitled THE LETTERS, which concerned a smart mayor's wife who tricked her hus- band's secretary into returning some letters by the help of a chorus girl. The role of the wife was taken by Frances Hooks, the secretary was played by Eleanor Maxfield, and the chorus girl was done by julianna Monroe. The second portion of the program consisted of two plays of entirely different type. The first, a tragedy by Willis Knapp jones, called SPICED WINE, was based upon the story about Peru, told of the Viceroy who goes to seek the Countess to declare his love, only to be poisoned by the suspic- ious and faithful servant. The part of the Countess was taken by Beth Col- lar, the role of the servant, Celestina, by Phyllis Rosenberg, and the Viceroy was played by Elliott Hensel. Ending the program came a Harlequinade by john D. Shaver. This clev- er bit of commedia dell' Arte fantasy had to do with the escape of Colum- bine from the clutches of her father, Punchinello, and her flight with her lover, aided by Pierrette. The parts were taken by Lillian Collins as Colum- bine, Don Hankey as Punchinello, Marie Brown as Harlequin, and Ruth Gardner as the inevitable Pierrette. 75