Manhattan College - Manhattanite Yearbook (Riverdale, NY)

Page 201 text:

dramas, war. Here too, they received rave notices. The Fall of 1945 found the Players ac- tive again when casting was started on the Pulitzer Prize play, You Can ' t Take It With You. Letters were sent to friends and to various women ' s colleges who had provided talent in the past for female roles. Over hfty girls appeared in answer to these let- ters to try out for seven roles. After many readings Director Carty finally chose Kay McLoughlin, Carolyn Crawford, and Phyllis Slattery of Mt. St. Vincent as well as Mrs. Betty JVIigdal (wife of a former Manhattan football star), Phyllis Atkinson, Frances Graff, and Mary Jane Wilson. Frank Cam- panella. Player alumnus, was called in to handle the important part of Kolenkhox ' , an affected Russian, but with this one exxeption all the male rcjles were filled by students at Manhattan. 197

Page 200 text:

MANHATTAN PLAYERS THE house lights dim . . . the curtains silently part . . . and the audience settles back for an evening ' s entertainment as an- other Manhattan College Players ' production has Its opening night. This scene has been repeated many times during the past eleven years through the efforts of the society carry- ing the banner of Manhattan in the theatrical parade. hi 1936 two campus groups with things thespian on their minds combined to form the Manhattan College Players under the tutelage of Professor Donald J. Carty, Head of the Department of Speech. Creating a knowledge of and love for the best in drama, were the aims of the group as stated formally in their constitution. Those aims .;re closely followed by the fledi Hng orga. ' .ation and their work was recognized shor y in collegiate circles. For in 19.t9 The )nsignor ' s Hour was pre- sented for the benefit of the Catholic The- atre Conference and was awarded first prize in competition with other metropolitan col- leges. Suddenly the fledgling was full grown. The following year a serious and unusual drama, Thornton Wilder ' s Our Town, was presented with Frank Campanella handling the difficult role of down-stage narrator. The play was an immediate success and its run was extended by an additional four perform- ances. Knickerbocker Holiday, a musical comedy, and a melodrama, The Night of January 16th, were staged during the next two years and each well earned the term hit. Early in 1942 a break was called while the members of the society donned costume and grease paint for roles in the most realistic of 196

Page 202 text:

Charles Riker, ' 49, was chosen to play the lead, the amiable home-spun philosopher. Grandpa Vanderhof. Supporting roles were assigned to Dan Petix, ' 48; Phil Seltzer, ' -49; John O ' Leary, ' 48; Bill Smith, ' 48; Barny Rynn, ' 49; and Robert McFadden. ' 47. Long hours of rehearsal, gradually de- veloped the cast ' s talent. The construction crew sawed, hammered, and pasted tor many afternoons and evenings building the sets. A publicity campaign featured many stones in the Quadrangle until the long hours of work were over and the curtain went up to reveal — another hit ' That others than pre|- udiced Manhattanites enjoyed the play was soon proven in the form of many congratu- latory letters. The Oscar Serlm organization, producers of Life With Father, sent a message praising the sets and the handling of comedy lines by the cast. Another first- nighter, well accjuainted with theatrics, placed the i.]uality of the production well abo ' e collegiate standards. This year a well-knit Players group met early m October, hi the past the group was idle during the winter months until plans got under way for the yearly show. However, the surqe of interest shown at the initial meet- ings continued through the Fall because of a well-balanced activities schedule. Theatre parties were organized, and distinguished speakers from the theatrical world were in- vited to address the meetings. On one occa- sion, Dennis Guerney of the BLiLkfriars ' Guild gave a talk on the Catholic theatre group and he was so well recened that he was made an honorary member and presented with the gold key of the Manhattan Players. ■While these activities were going on, a varied group of plays was being assembled for the members ' choice of a 1947 vehicle. Serious drama bowed to comedy when Rob- ert Sherwood ' s Queen ' s Husband was ' oted the best suited for maximum enjoy- ment by audience and actors alike. Professor Carty, moderator of the Players, this year handed the task of directing over to Mr, Frederick Little, instructor in a course in Play Production at Manhattan and an in- structor 111 dramatics at (Columbia Univer- sity. The cast as it appeared on opening night consisted of: Al Coakley, ' 49, in the role o£ the mild-mannered King Eric; Frances Graff as the Queen; Ed Earley, ' 47, as the foreign minister; Jared Haines, ' 49; John McCarthy, ' -48; Michael McDermott, ' -I9; John Quann, ' 49; H. T. Hosten, ' ' SO; Jack O ' Connor, ' 49; and |ohii P. Smith, ' 0. The officers of the Players for the past year were James Sheehy, President; Dan Petix, Vice-president; Joe Daly, Treasurer; William Burns, Secretary; and Robert Mc- Loughlm, Director of Publicity. 198