Pekin High School - Pekinian Yearbook (Pekin, IL)

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Page 29 THIS YEAR’S FOOTLIGHT FEATS Presented by the combined music and drama departments, the annual Christmas vesper, December 13, formed a very impressive and appropriate program entitled, Christmas Throughout the Ages. Every school has one and so did PCHS. What? A junior class play, entitled Every Family Has One. Performing for a packed house on February 5 and 6, the performance given by the junior class was heartily praised by the pleased audience. This comedy in three acts dealt with the troubles of marriage planning which were humorously solved by the grandmother of the Reardons, Nana, outstandingly portrayed by Mary Jean Dimler. The cast was as follows: Colette Lowman, Shirley Petrie, George Petrie, Sara Hinshaw, Clara Kuntz, Dale Runyon, Betty Lou Pierce, A1 Weber, Paula Siebens, and George Iftner. The drama 2 class was responsible for a fine radio show, What We Defend presented March 2. This program gave an answer to the cynics who find it difficult to justify our present conflict. A one-act play, Mr. F,” enacted by four well-known PCHS dramatists, was awarded first place in the sectional speech meet, and was placed second in the state finals held at Champaign, April 17. The cast for the winning performance was Mary Jean Dimler, Paul Belk, Allen Weber, Vernon Lewis. Stage Crew, Ilene O z e 11 a and Pat Champion, accompanied them to the contest. American Education Week was appropriately observed by PCHS when the drama department presented Education for Democracy, based upon the fact that our democracy is founded upon education for all people. Three Thespians were entered in the sectional speech contest in interpretative work. Mary Jean Dimler won first in verse reading with Murder at Lidice, thereby qualifying for the state contest, at which she captured first place and was privileged to EVERY FAMILY HAS ONE speak over station WILL at Champaign. Vernon Lewis took third place in the sectional with a cutting from Watch On the Rhine by Lillian Heilman. Dean Wieburg won second place in the comedy reading division with George Washington Slept Here, by Moss Hart and George Kaufman. Climaxing the dramatic season was the senior class play, Lost Horizon, presented May 6 and 7 in the PCHS auditorium. The mystery of Shangri-La was exceptionally fascinating and everyone's attention was held during the performance. Vernon Lewis's realistic portrayal of the principal character was acknowledged superb. Also to be complimented were Margaret Flynn, Leah Spenser, Roland Champion, Bob Fuller, Harvey Anderson, Paul Belk, Ella Mae Williamson, Don Winkel, Vera Pearl Green, Norma Rockwell, Harry Williams, Judy Donahue and Frances Lampitt.

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Miss Melba Reid During the year, Thespian troupe 146 initiated 25 new members into the National Thespian Dramatic Honor Society. New and old members alike enjoyed a very successful season. PCHS National Thespian Troupe was established on January 1, 1931, and the troupe charter, signed by Robert W. Johnson, Helen Hiett, Henry Whitfield, Ruth Weeks, Richard Von Der Heide, and E. Louise Falkin, sister of Miss B. W. Fal-kin, head of the English department, now hangs in the main office. The first-semester officers were as follows: president, Norma Rockwell, vice-president, Eugene Alesandrini, and secrtary-treasurer, Louise Coryell. The officers for the second semester were president, Vera Green, vice-president, Dean Wieburg, secretary-treasurer, Judy Donahue. The Thespians made a contribution of forty dollars to the nation-wide stage canteen campaign, for which they received TROOPERS OF UNIT 146 a certificate of recognition. During the year, the Thespians have been complimented for their presentations of productions to various clubs and organizations. In order to better the organization, the Thespians have attempted to arrange better programs for their meetings in The Little Theater. They also maintain a point system which the members use to total their points received by participating in dramatical events. These points, when totaled, decide whether or not the member is active enough to benefit the club and to be retained. In advancing the cause of dramatics at Pekin High, the Thespians have cooperated wholeheartedly with their sponsor, Miss Melba Reid, who came at the beginning of the year to replace Pvt. George Sparks. The 1943 dramatic season at PCHS began successfully with Growing Pains, the all-school play, under the direction of Miss Melba Reid. Growing Pains was presented October 22 and 23 to two large and enthusiastic audiences who thoroughly enjoyed the complications arising throughout the entire show. The cast included Dean Wieburg, Dorlene Gianessi, Eva Mae Gurney, James Bramlage, Josephine Lyon, La Vonne Hainline, Patricia Champion, Eugene Al-esandri, Bill Strickfaden, Bob Fuller, Gene Kumpf, Jack Campbell, Don Albers, Mary Jean D:‘m!er, Pat Frye, Jacquline Jenkins, Vera Pearl Green, Judy Donahue. The extras were Norma Cooper, A1 Weber, Norma Rockwell, Robert Preston, Paula Sie-bens, Fritz Joesting, Louise Coryell, Walter Fluegal, Jean King, and Jack Rosenberg. Growing Pains

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Page 30 SENIOR ED TT TO N Girls' Club Council Edith Gramlich, Adviser NEW HEIGHTS FOR GIRLS' CLUB The Girls' Club has marked another successful year n the achievement book of PCHS. The girls elected in June of 1942 to represent the entire membership of the club on the cabinet were Jean King president; Nita Mae Allison, vice-president,-Mary Pauline Barthel, senior rep-seniative; Merla Hundt, junior representative,- Charlene Clarke, sophomore representative,- and Marcia Heim, freshman representative. Additional girls se- lected to assist the cabinet in its work were Maxine Arnett, Harriet Brosmer, Helen Cannon, Carol Dennis, Margaret Ann Friedrich, Virginia Hagney, llene Ozella, Margaret Ann Snowden, Joy Snyder, and Ruth Weimer. The Girls' Club accomplished four extra projects besides their regular monthly faculty teas, matinee dances, and programs. They assisted the Red Cross in making supplies for soldier's kits. The annual Christmas project consisted of making Christmas dinner menus for the Dutch flyers stationed in the United States for training. Another project was that of sending boxes of used playthings to the Japanese-American camp in Poston, Arizonia. The final project of the club was to provide entertainment and an extra treat for the Shut-ins at Oak Knoll Sanitorium each month. MATH DEPARTMENT HONORS MEMBERS-ON-LEAVE Girls' Club Hostesses Entertain Faculty At Monthly Teas