New Utrecht High School - Comet Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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BACKSTAGE AT CYRANO By Murray Leif

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Time-Thursday, lanuary 4, 1940 lljour days before the lackson Day Dinner and the discovery of Americas No. 1 humoristl. Place-New Utrecht, famed for a Dramatic Society which has always managed to get rave notices from the critics . . . of the Utrecht Nuhs. 8115! Mr. Ehrlich's baton rises and the strains of the overture reaches the ears of an expectant audience. The music ends and Burly lack Potash and Blurry-Eyed lrving Goidel of Schnur's Stage Squad, lnc. 5 go into action and the curtains ac part revealing onstage a theatre in the background of an inn somewhere in France. The cash customers as well as the teachers in the front rows are already gaping at the beautiful scenery and the excellent lighting effects. As yet not a gesture had been made nor a word spoken, still the audience has already moved forward to the edges of their seats in antici- pation of a great show. And as they anticipated, so it was. From the moment the cavaliers start their fencing exercises in the first act to Cyrano's fifth act death, it was easy to see that the New Utrecht Dramatic Society's presenta- tion of l'Cyrano de Bergerac was the most spectacular and greatest in its eventful fifteen-year history. So successful, in fact, was the play that besides the scheduled lanuary 4th, 5th and 6th performances, a demand performance was given on lanuary 13th. And who is responsible for this hit? A great many people, from whom we choose lack Chakrin for initial honors. Chakrin, as most every good Utrechtite knows, played Cyrano. From the moment Cyrano throws Montfleury off-stage and for approxi- mately three hours more, the long-nosed soldier must dominate the play with the force of his character. l-le fights a duel, makes love for another to his only love, leads his regiment in a war and dies a magnificent death, all within three hours. And Chakrin does make Cyrano the dominant character. He performed more magnificently than any member of the audience ever dreamed of seeing. Every word he said added to the great- ness of the production. Yes, indeed, lack Chakrin brought fame both to himself and New Utrecht as he spoke and moved about on the great New Utrecht stage. But it was not Chakrin alone who was responsible for the play's success. lsabelle Cohen played the leading feminine role, that of Roxanne, Cyrano's cousin and secret love. She performed eloquently in a difficult role. Miss Cohen appeared on the stage as a spiteful, young, beautiful girl who loves the dashing young men who speak and write beautiful words about her. Robert Le Shufy portrayed Christian de Neuvillette, a young soldier, who is madly in love with Roxanne but who is handicapped in this love affair by his lack. of the power to write and speak eloquently. l-le makes a deal with Cyrano whereby his good looks and Cyrano's Words would Acljectives by MORRIS DWECK and HAROLD VVEBMAN Nineteen

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woo Roxanne. Le Shufy played his role as author Edmond Bostand PTObUb!Y V!SiO1'lGCl him, good-looking, dashing but weak in front of women. ln the role of De Cfuiche, a nobleman who also has a liking for Box- anne, was Zelly Donneson. Donneson made a perfect job of his character as his jealousy for Roxanne's love was brought out. incidentally, this is the same Zelly Donneson who is famous as an orator in Utrecht. Eliot Agush handled the comedy relief well in the role of Bageuneau, the pastry cook. His acting at the beginning of the second act in the pastry shop scene drew plenty of laughs from the audience. Agush kept un- tarnished his reputation as an actor in this school. Marcella Marksamer turned in a fine bit as the fidgety, flirtatious Duenna. Al Lebarwitch turned in a great piece as the Meddler in the first act, Marvin Berman appeared just about as drunk as he was supposed to be as Ligniere. Harold Webman was excellent initwo small parts, those of Montfleury, the actor in the first act and the Captain of the Cadets, Carbon de Castel-laloux. The actors who portrayed members of the crowd and the cadets all acted to perfection. Credit is due the Stage Crew under lerry Schnur's supervision, includ- ing lights, scene changing, making of scenery and so on. And now . . . Mr. lsidore Rosenzweig. Guiding the aspiring thespians through stormy rehearsals over a period of more than three months, Mr. Bosenzweig, in his last production at Utrecht was determined to make Cyrano his best. l-lis interpretation of the play, did more than anything else to keep this play in the memories of the Utrecht students for years to come. Wait, here comes the signal from Mr. Bosenzweig for a slow curtain at the end of the last act. The Two Stooges, Buster Simensky and Abe Blumenfield are getting ready to 'lwalk the curtain, the properties are being collected by Elo Turchin and Hall Tall, and the loudspeaker is being disconnected by Abe Eaigelman. Curtain! Two Curtain Calls! House Lights! October 3-Utrecht Nuhs starts 30th term of publication with Morris Dweck as Editor-in-Chief. October 3-According to scholarship lists, New Utrecht leads the entire State of New York in scholarship. October 6-Faculty committee launches campaign to 'Beautify Utrecht. October 8-Work on Cyrano De Bergerac begins with Mr. Bosenzweig at the helm. October l9-Tall, Le- , , shefsky, Bellantoni nomin- ated for the G.O. Presi- dency, Dweck, Feinstein and l-lendel to seek Vice-Presidency. October 20-Ierome Schnur, Morris Dweck, Florence Turchin, Harold Tall, Shirley Ackerman, lsabelle Cohen, Emil Meli, Ioseph Ahearne, and Pearl Blau elected to Senior Cabinet. Twenty-one