Emmerich Manual High School - Ivian Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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12 THE BOOSTER SHAKESPEARE MOVIES II STUFF O ' DREAMS THIS year the whole world joined in the tercentenary celebration of the birth of William Shakespeare. In most of the festivities the old English green was given as the setting. This idea was carried out in Stuff O ' Dreams, the fan- tasy given by our own school. The stage represented the green of Stratford-on- Avon during a May day festival. The vil- lagers were simple peasant folk, all dressed for a holiday and merrily dancing in their glee. As their queen entered they all paid her homage, although she was only one of themselves, chosen as queen just for the day. But they were very glad to grant her every desire, and so they danced more for her, swinging their gar- lands in pretty accompaniment, until they stood back in fear at the sudden approach of three old witches. But instead of breaking off the joy of the fete, the old women caught the spirit of the occasion and granted the queen her one great wish — to see Will Shakespeare and his people before her on the green. Shakespeare himself appeared and led his famous folk across the green in some of their best-loved scenes. The scenes passed in quick succession, and the court jester entertained the villagers with his antics during the necessary intermissions. Once again the Merchant of Venice was defeated in his fiendish desires; Hermione was restored to the repentant king, and Titania, queen of the fairies, again charmed an audience. It is difficult to decide which were the most important parts, because each part would have been incomplete without the others. Those who had no speeches to make found that it was very difficult to act out their parts so that all would seem alive to the situation. It was necessary for the two hundred actors to practice daily in order to have their parts per- fected. But we feel that the time spent in preparation was time well spent.

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11 THE BOOSTER WHEN SHIELDS CLANGED. ELFRIEDA, eldest daughter of King Brickbat, of the kingdom Doodlerwoozle, was angrily pac- ing her sumptuous (?) boudoir (?). That is, she had the anger but not the boudoir. The trouble was that old Brickbat had sent an ultimatum (yes, note writing was in vogue in 827 A. D.) to the poor but otherwise hon- est Prince Golddustwins of Soapland, stating that the Prince should compel the boys to ease up a little on the long-distance arrow shooting, as many a Doodlerwoozle doodlebug had been killed thereby. This little stunt made Elfrieda real peeved, because she had liked to have the Prince sit on the front porch ever since his exploit of throwing two ringers on top of two others in the recent horseshoe tournament. She raised an awful howl and made such a racket that her mother told her to let up on the noise, as she was keep- ing little Butterine, the latest addi- tion, from sleeping. When Golddustwins got the ultima- tum, he didn ' t uncover the family typewriter and write a reply. I should say not! He called his cavalry (17 men, 8 horses, 9 mules), his well trained infantry of 47 men, 29 of whom were armed with the most for- midable of pit.chforks, and 7 knights who had copped their armor from other knights whom they had way- laid and laid away. After riding furi- ously for a half mile (time 4:30 3-5), they stopped at the outer gate. The chief flunky wheeled; the nine mules were wheeled; all delivered a blow at the same time, breaking in the old gate. Then ye gallant company charged. This light brigade stunt was nipped in the bud by the introduction of twenty-eight very much alive skunks, which the Doodlerwoozleites, encased in gas-proof helmets, let loose. With- out a word, but with many odors, the brave gallants retreated in the direc- tion of home and mamma. Just then Elfrieda appeared on the topmost tower (measuring 113.2917 feet above ground and used as the royal weather observatory) and cried to Golddustwins to rescue her, for her father had cast her out when he found the cause of all her raving. At first the rescuer wouldn ' t rescue, for he believed that his fair one had made a contract with a local movie studio and was acting in a feature film. Finally, however, he commanded his regiment of seven knights to advance double quick. At a fierce rate they galloped the hundred yards past those mean, unmannerly skunks in 27 flat (?), making a new state record. The noble Golddustwins then dis- mounted and climbed the beastly tower. It seems that he was a fly guy, and, being stuck on himself, he naturally stuck on the tower. Then at the rate of twenty-one feet per minute (a fish scaling record), our friend Golddustwins went to the res- cue of the sweet Elfrieda. When he got almost to the top, he saw, to his horror, that the brickwork had been done by non-union labor. Then, with a gasp, a groan, a gurgle and a grin, he dropped as quick as sin, and skinned out, cursing the old Brickbat for his injudicious use of non-union labor, and with a bump on his head. Old man Brickbat, who thought the charge was a troop of Ford milk wagons, and who ran to a dungeon to escape the noise of little Butterine who had just awoke, saw the attempt at a rescue. Deep down in his dun- geon he swore many marvelous, mighty oaths, both by mouth and on his fingers, for he was an expert in the deaf and dumb alphabet. He was such a genius that he cussed twenty minutes without repeating a word, and he cussed at his repetition until the pressure of the blue halo around him blew up the castle and Elfrieda, and put little Butterine to sleep. Poor Elfrieda was going up — up — Just then, A. D. 1916, Floriene woke up, with the crash of a collision be- tween a Ford and a dinky, in her ears. N. B. — Too much When Knight- hood Was in Flower for little Floriene.

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THE BOOSTER 13 GREEN STOCKINGS GREEN Stockings, a modern comedy in three acts, was given May 25 and 26 to packed houses by the June class. This play marked a departure from the past custom. Performances were given at night. The acting throughout the play was spontaneous, spirited, and unaffected. The characters seemed to fairly live their parts. One forgot that he was in a hot auditorium and imagined himself far away in an English country house. It is hard to say just who did the best work — it was all so perfect — but Helen Hilkene, who took the part of Celia Fara- day, the girl who grew tired of being called a hopeless old maid, was the most finished. From the moment she entered in her quaint costume, to her final exit, she held the audience entranced by her naive charm. Florence Guedel, as the quick-tempered, warm-hearted Aunt Ida, and Fred Keil- holtz, as Colonel Smith, who at first was invented and later turned out to be a real person, supported Celia remarkably well in the big scenes. Calvin Gerlach and Eugenia Clark, as Robert Tarver and Phyllis, the foolish lovers, more than acted their parts. Earl Heller, as William Faraday, the fashion- able, selfish father, impersonating the testy old Admiral Grice, Edward James, Donald Cayton, and Willis Overly, as Henry Steele, James Raleigh and Martin, the family servant, could hardly have been better. The other two feminine parts were well taken by Martha Ogle, as Evelyn, and Mae Githens, as Madge. Had it not been for other persons who helped, the play would not have been such a success. The class is indebted to the faculty and their assistants for the busi- SHAKESPEARE MOVIES |l 1 i i . jt.i