Manhattan College - Manhattanite Yearbook (Riverdale, NY)

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Manhattan Players i , ' OPv most students at Manhattan, Friday night marks the end of a week ' s work and the beginning of a pleasant e ' ening of entertainment. If that favorite telephone number gi ' es a negati e reply, there is al- ways a friendly face to be found at one of the local taverns. Howe er. there is a small group at school who neither fly to their fa- vorite ta ern nor date on Friday evening, but somehow find pleasure in closeting them- selves in Smith Audiorium for three hours of work. These people, who seem to enjoy the extra time spent on the campus, are normal m every other respect, and are officially known as the Manhattan Colleqe Players. Since their organization in 19.3-i, the Man- hattan College Players have constantly la- bored to produce worthy and timely plays on the campus, and to give the students of the college an opportunity to demonstrate their thespian ability. With the aid of the women from the neighboring colleges, who have always responded to any call for assist- ance, the Players usually presented two three act plays each year. Listed among the many successes that the group produced before the war interrupted their activities were such notable works as Thornton Wilder ' s Our Town, Maxwell Anderson ' s Knickerbocker Holiday, and Ayn Rand ' s The Night of January the I6th. 211

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student body and the faculty, which is c uite an accomplishment. In spite of beiiii; badly undermanned, the Sports staff somehow managed to cover all the various varsity and intramural sports on the campus. Sports Editors Bill Miller and Joe Gallagher were relentless in their cam- paign for the return of football and a first- class basketball team at any cost. With the aid of four other men, Ed Brundage, Dan Gallagher, John Sheedy, and Ed Grimes, they brought the news of all the current, past, and future athletic events to their numerous readers. Through their two sports columns, On Deck, and Jasper Jottings, they pleaded for a football team, denounced the plight of the crew, and denounced Madison Square Garden as a den of thie es. Ever dependable Romeo Sterlini carried out his duties as Office Manager, doubled as Circulation Manager, acted as correspond- ent for Alpha Phi Delta fraternity, and had his on-the-spot sports photos splashed across the center of the Daily Mirror when the crew- sunk in the Harlem River. Of such men is the Quadrangle made. Exchanges with other colleges were han- dled by Jack Ryan and Vin Vitagliano who doubled as a reporter and feature writer. In February a new staff, headed by Joe Gallagher and Tom Donahue, took over the editorial reins. After a slightly shaky start, the paper began to shape up with a some- what revised make-up. Dan Gallagher was named Sports Editor, Depuy and Riker, Feature Editors, Mech- mann. News Editor, and Joe Fitzpatrick, Business Manager. With the exception of Copy Editors, Bill Mack, Ed Reynaerts, and Pat McKeown, the rest of the editorial staff remained the same. Men Al Willi Al Play 210

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Late in 1945, after a two year period ot inactivity, tlie Manhattan College Players were reorganized under the aegis of Jim Sheehy when the students gradually began to return to the campus. For its first endeavor the group turned to the field of comedy, and in May, 1946 they presented You Can ' t Take It With You, the hilarious Pulitzer Prize Play. The confidence gained from this production was not groundless, for the suc- cess in the following year of The Queen ' s Husband under the direction of Mr. Fred Little, only served to substantiate the faith the players had in their own ability. With Al Coakley portraying the kind, lovable, checker- playing King Eric, and John McCarthy as the social reforming Dr. Feldman, The Queen ' s Husband delighted audiences for nearly a week and proved to be one of the outstanding events of the year. In September of 19-47, Professor Donald Carty, moderator of the Players, announced the intentions of the group to produce three plays a year. For its first production the Play- ers chose Shadow and Substance, an out- standing representative of the Irish theatre. With Jerry Haines playing the part of the strong willed Canon Skeritt and Jean Mc- Neill as the devoted maid Briget, the play opened in December. Its presentation of the theme of the superiority of faith based on 212