Howard Payne College - Lasso Yearbook (Brownwood, TX)

Page 9 text:

Directed by Dr. Roy Ambrester, The Bal- lad of the Sad Cafe deals with the attempts of a community to form. a life of togetherness, but facing failure from the outside because three of the principal characters are seeking even closer relationships: Miss Amelia Evans, who runs the general store and the l 1 I 1 town's liquor business, Lyman Willis, a dwarf with a hunchbackg and the most hand- some and wild man in the region, Marvin Macy. A reformed Marvin and Miss Evans marry, but the maniage lasts only ten days because she isn't willing to be a wU'e to Mar- vin. When Marvin is sent to prison after a drunken crime spree, Cousin Lymon comes to town and Miss Amelia ultimately falls in love with him. The town's first cafe is started by Miss Amelia and everything seems to be going well when Marvin again appears. 111 Mrs. Peterson, portrayed by Sharon Kay Garner, seems unsure of how to react to the playful threats of Cousin Lymon. f2j Rob Grace, as Henry Macy, attempts to con- 3 vince Miss Amelia, played by Glynis Holm, that Marvin is going to leave her. This is a result of the strange triangle that has devel- oped in which Marvin loves Miss Amelia, although she hates him, Miss Amelia loves Cousin Lyrnon who detests her, and Lymon has a strong fondness for Manrin who har- bors a hatred for the dwarf 131 The inevita- ble result is that Miss Amelia and Mamin, portrayed by Boyd Garrett, have a public fist fight and, with Lymon's heho, Marvin beats up Miss Amelia. M1 The townspeople, played by Nancy Scott, Mark Ryman, Deb- bie Ellis, Neil Burks, Cathy Martin, and Sharon K. Garner, look on as Henry tries to comfort Miss Amelia. Marvin and Lymon go off together, leaving' Miss Amelia alone and the cafe closed forever. The opening play of the 1974-75 season was beautiful, absorbing, and touching with a unique blending of directing and acting which provided an evening of pure theater for the audience. new an eval 4

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The final production of the HP Drama Departm.ent's 1973-74 season was Emlyn Williams' Night Must Fall, directed by Mr. John Barton and student director, Jon- nye Rankin. The plot revolved around a murder that happened prior to the curtain's opening. As the results of the subsequent trial were told by the KU Lord Chief Justice, played by Dr. Roy Arnbrester, the flashback of which the play consists climaxed with little surprise. f2j Linda Baldwin, as Mrs. Terrence, bus- tled around Mrs. Brarnson's house perform- ing her housekeeping duties with one ear to the gossip fence and the other wherever it shouldn't be. Bruce Ross, as Inspector Bel- size, seemed almost as much a victim as the woman for whom he sought. f3j Dan, as played by Scott Ware, was one ofthe most interesting and demanding of the characters that appeared on the Coggin stage last season. Cindy Taylor portrayed the niece of Mrs. Bramson, Olivia Grayne. M1 Nurse Libby, as played by Ruby Mar- tinez, was a bubbling medicine herseb' as she brought sunshine into this somewhat .Mgtt Mtn git dreary household. Donna Pippin's Mrs. Bramson and Cindy Taylor's Olivia Grayne combined to form an electric aunt-niece antagonism. Filled with puns and chuckles, this prod- uction was two and one-haU hours of Sit back and relax. 2 r v 1 1 v l -.gf 3 4

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Howard Payne Universityls entry in the American College Theatre Festival competi- tion this year was The Chalk Garden by Enid Bagnold. U1 Student actors included Ileh to rightj Linda Baldwin as the second applicant, Dee Dee Evans as the third appli- rant, Susan Adamek as the nurse, ,Ionnye Rankin as Olivia, Scott Ware as the judge, Sharon Garner as Mrs. St. Maugham, Nancy Scott as Miss Madrigal, Susan Acuff as Lau- rel, and kd Bennett as Maitland. Director of this play was Mr. John Barton. 0 1 2