Elmwood School - Samara Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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20 S A Al A R A Dramatics DRAMATICS this year under the able super- vision of Mrs. Meiklejohn have pro- gressed rapidly with the junior plays and once again the senior play. The house plays which were missed by all of us last year were put on in December, after the determined and persistent house- heads had kept us after school and Saturday mornings for much needed and later appre- ciated rehearsals. The winner this year was Fry with The Wonderjul Tourist, a well staged and talented piece of work. Especially worth mentioning were the jungle scenery and animal costumes. It was repeated the week after at the bazaar for others to enjoy as much as we did. Keller ' s comedy, The Quilt- ing Bee at Bascombe ' s, and Nightingale ' s It was a Love ly Meeting, tied for second place. Outstanding in the plays were Janet Chapman and Susie Brain as the wonderful tourist and his wife; Jennifer WooUcombe, as the slightly erratic Aimt Abigail and Shelagh Macoun in the difficult role of Alonzo Allen both in the Quilting Bee; Bobby Bradshaw, who played the oldest member at the Lovely Meeting, and Jo-Anne Davis as the timid chairman. The play which annually creates the greatest excitement and interest is the Ash- bury-Elmwood play under the direction of Mr. Belcher. The Little Theatre was packed and ushers were kept busy, showing over four hundred spectators to their seats. This year Eliza Comes to Stay was presented, a three act comedy about a young bachelor who suddenly finds himself the guardian of an old friend ' s daughter, excellently portrayed by Diane Boyd who had the difficult job of playing a plain and awkward Eliza in the first two acts, but an attractive and sophisticated girl in the last act. The prim and snobbish Lady Penny brook who talked in an extremely affected tone of voice, which was well main- tained throughout the play, was aptly played by Pat Knowlton. Diana Fraser as the flashy and sophisticated actress-financee of the Hon. Sandy Verrell displayed unusual talent in a comedy role. As the firm and disapproving nurse, Leslie Anne Jackson played a small part with ability and conviction. The male roles were enacted exceptionally well with John Fi ' aser and William Grimsdale outstand- ing. Eliza Comes to Stay was considered among the best performances ever put on by the Ashbury-Elmwood Dramatic Society. The seniors presented five scenes from Housman ' s Victoria Regina, Strained Rela- tions , The Rose and the Thorn , Under Fire , A Woman Proposes , and Six O ' clock Call , to an enthusiastic audience on April 27. Several of the roles were divided to give everyone a chance to display her talent. Diane Boyd, Leslie Anne Jackson, Catherine Hecs, and Pat Knowlton were among the best actresses.

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Cast of Senior Play, Victoria Regina