Loyola College - Review Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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LOYOLA COLLEGE Page 12 REVIEW rAamattes Ir IS definitely a pleasure this year to chronicle the. season’s activities of the Loyola Dramatic Society. The year has been one of accomplishment, and we believe we can say without giving umbrage to Loyola Thespians of former years that new heights were reached and new — set for the years lying before the society. Many who have witnessed every major production of the college for the past fifteen years were of the opinion that YELLOW JACK was Loyola's signal dramatic achievement. Dramatic activities began with the wane of the football season, when re- hearsals were initiated on a two-act operetta, “Тһе Vagabonds” of Arthur Penn. Under excellent direction, chorus and soloists made rapid progress, and many of the entertaining lyrics and catchy airs were ready before the Christmas recess. In consequence, it was determined that the society should celebrate “А Night Before Christmas on December 19th, the programme consisting of a number of selections from ‘‘The Vagabonds’’, a group of Christmas carols'sung in parts by t he boys of the Junior High School, and a one-act play by Father Daniel Lord, S.J., “Mistress Castlemaine's Christmas Dinner . The songs and carols were well received, the offerings of the tiny waits in white and scarlet costumes being specially applauded by a well-filled theatre. ‘‘Mistress Castlemaine's Christmas Dinner”, a Christmas story of the period of the American War of Independence, was skilfull — by Norman Dann, Richard Paré, Walter Wadey, and Angus Macdougall. he former pair particularly, in powdered wigs, Wellingtons, white breeches, lace and ruffles, gave a very convincing performance. When the dust of the mid-year exam skirmish had settled, and the even tenor of school life was resumed, it became evident that production of The Vagabonds’’ would necessitate the abandonment of any other production this year. Work on the operetta was therefore regretfully dropped, i the committee went into long and secret session for the selection of a drama to be presented just prior to the college exams. It was the unanimous opinion of the committee that some departure from the menu of the three-act farce should be made, and that dramatic pabulum of a more solid sort should be ordered. The suggestion of Shakespeare was toyed with, and attempts to obtain stage copies of Richard II were made, fortunately without success. Sidney Howard's YELLOW JACK was proposed, but all drew back ap- кч by the difficulties involved in staging such an ambitious play. Finally, owever, the advocacy of the more sanguine prevailed, and YELLOW JACK went into rehearsal. Stage engineering was entrusted to Father W. X. Bryan, S.J., who, with the aid of a not-to-be-too-highly-praised crew, and by dint of four or five hours labour daily, over a period of weeks, eventually evolved a stage adequate to the presentation of a play which had taxed all the facilities of the Martin Beck Theatre, New York, in 1934. It was a revelation of the store of talent to be found in the college and senior high school, and an indication of the value of the courses in elocution, that the

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міл аа TR I LOYOLA Page 11 COLLEGE REVIEW The two men were middle-aged peasants, poorly clad, tired and bent with labour. The woman was old, but with the age that is brought about by grief and hardship rather than the passing of many years. She sat on the ground, as near to the gibbet as the soldier would permit, and beneath the ragged cowl of her gown she wept softly for her dead son. The stranger breasted the top of the hill, and approaching, paused. One of the brothers spoke. He was her only son,” he said with a slow look at the body of Caius. “He saw how the people suffered, and his heart warmed to them, and he defied Caesar.” “Tell ше”, said the stranger, and his voice was very low. The mother of Caius lifted her head. “He was but a lad of twenty , she said. “There was по evil in him; only a great love for those who suffered. He could not bear injustice, and he incited the villagers to disobey the law. So they took him and condemned him to death”. Her voice broke. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted””, said the stranger very softly, as though he were searching deep within him for some past event. But the mother of Caius shook her head. ‘‘My son has died this day and I am alone. He wished no man evil, but they persecuted him and his people, and because he loved justice they killed him”. Again the stranger spoke softly. “Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake, for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven”. The mother of Caius looked strangely and half-fearfully at the speaker. — are beautiful words’’, she said, “І have not heard them before. Who spoke them “One who loved righteousness as your son 414”, was the answer. “Tell ше”, said she, with a new softness in her voice, ‘‘tell me the name of this man”. His name is Jesus’’, was the reply. And what is yours'', asked the mother curiously. An instant change seemed to come over the stranger and he answered in a voice that trembled. “They call me Judas’’, said he, and strode quickly away, fumbling with the halter.

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EN x LOYOLA Page 13 COLLEGE REVIEW cast of nearly forty players was assembled without too great difficulty, and by late March a programme of intensive rehearsals under the direction of Mr. Maurice Stanford, S.J., had been begun. It was felt that so much labour could not receive its meed of applause at a single performance, and presentations were scheduled for the evenings of Friday, May 5th and Monday, May 8th. Organised by Mr. Edward Sheridan, S.J., the committees in charge of tickets and of publicity were responsible for large houses at both performances. The story of the gratifying success and enthusiastic reception of YELLOW JACK is more gracefully told by the dramatic critics of the local press. Herbert Whittaker in the Montreal Gazette, May 6th: Sidney Howard's ‘Yellow Jack’, given what is claimed to be its first Canadian production by the Loyola College Dramatic Society in the college auditorium last evening proved to be an exciting event. Howard, with е assistance of Paul de d turned the Walter Reed chapter of ‘Microbe Hunters’ into thrilling and extremely stage-worthy drama and the Loyola players under the excellent direction of Mr. Maurice Stanford, S.J., did nobly by it. “Те is greatly to the credit of the director and of Rev. W. X. Bryan, S.J., and his assistants in staging “Yellow Jack’, that they have fully appreciated the beauty and force of its style. It is given оп a modern approximation of the Elizabethan stage, that is a thoughtful adaptation of Jo Mielziner's permanent setting for the original production. The intricacy and success of its lighting command admiration. . . . The setting, the lighting, the effective sound effects, all are a part of the play as Howard has written it. Equally so must the acting and the direction do its part. . . . Suffice it to say that every part was done conscientiously and the important parts without exception were done ex- tremely well. It is Walter Reed's chapter, though not entirely his play, and it is fitting that the name of the actor playing that role should head the list of credits. Albert Shepherd played with a solidity and sincerity which supplied the production with its acting back-bone. Angus Macdougall as Dr. Carroll, Louis Fortin as Dr. Agramonte, and Stanley Knox as Dr. Lazear were all impressive, growing in conviction with the play. They were not lyrical when they might have been, but they were more, they were believable. ' Possibly the best commentary on the play was the last paragraph of the Gazette's criticism,—surely a production is nearly beyond criticism when adverse criticism is reduced to mentioning a picayune slip occurring once in a long evening,— “One small “ү in all this glory could easily have been avoided. The play suffers not at all in the changing of the nurse to an orderly role, but it is surely unnecessary to refer to the actor who played that role as Miss Blake. Tbe Montreal Star, Monday, May 8th: “Montreal theatre-goers should be most thankful for the various amateur theatrical organisations operating in this metropolis, for without their efforts we would have few opportunities to see the actual performances of many well- known plays. The production of Sidney Howard's “Yellow Jack’ by the Dramatic Society of Loyola College is a case in point, for here is a play which was acclaimed in New York several years ago, and now Montreal has been