Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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The Devils D'isc'iplc the backdrop in the final sceneg the manner smacked of lJufy's, and the neat and colourful expanse of a New England village square was skilfully suggest- ed. Sensitive and impelling direction was evident throughout. The collabora- tion of Messrs. Meikle and Charles Beer was most successful: the small stage never seemed cluttered, grouping- was coherent and balanced, and movement was meaningful. Voice control, to achieve variety and elarity, is the most difficult technical problem an amateur actor has to face, and the skill of the directors in this area was most apparent. Vnder-playing was partly their answer, and a fine sincerity and naturalness were achieved, with lapses into inaudibility or monotony kept to an unusually low minimum. The variety of interest displayed by the Dramatic Club over the past three years is worth noting. XVe have seen farce in Charley's Aunt g an original adaptation in The Ox-bow Incidentug and this latest return to the master-drama. A rich and ambitious tradition was enhanced by The Devil's Disciple . Tufenty-seven

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ctivities dramatic club Haw in-:sc'R1BEn HIS PLAY, The DcriI's Disciple , stuffed with every- thing from the ragbag of melodrama . . , with just that little bit of my own which makes all the difference. There was little of the Hragbagn quality apparent, however, in the Dramatic Club 's production of this modern classic during the week of Visitors' Day, 1951. The audience sensed excite- ment and colour aplenty-redcoats and a courtmartial, a race to save a man's lite, the reading of a will and at rattling of family skeletons in the cupboard, but with all this, there were tenderness and courage, heartsearching, and an examination of the ideas by which men live. These latter perhaps constituted the unique Shavian ingredient, and for an amateur cast to project it clearly and sensitively was no mean feat, however friendly the audience may have been. Mrs. Jackson created with the professional skill this audience has come to expect trom her the character of Judith Anderson, whom we saw grow from a warm-hearted girl behaving correctly and kindly as a parson's wife should, into a woman of wisdom and understanding. Bill Maguire played Parson Anderson as a man of God and a man of actiong he was hearty without being pompous and righteous without being priggish. Peter NVigston's Dick Dudgeon clearly hated sham and cruelty with equal violent-eg the inner gentleness beneath his swashbuekling and waspish exterior vas revealed not only in his scenes with Judith but also by his warm solicitude for the boy Davey, played with conviction and a surprising poise by Bob Melville. General Burgoyne was given the dignity that Gentleman Johnny required by Jim Watson, who con- veyed much of the irony and wry humour inherent in the part. Burton Kellock and Bill Purves-Smith managed convincing effects in their charac- ter roles of the not-quite-bright Christy Dudgeon and the somewhat dour and meticulous Lau-yer Htl-1.l'll i7l.9. John Luck played the proud and em- bittered Mrs. Annie Diudgeon with great effect: the problem of female im- personation was smoothly solved. Much colour and atmosphere were provided by several smaller roles, in no instance did a bit part lower the standard of performance-a high one for an amateur production-that was in general achieved. A happy combination of imagination, colour sense, and practicability marked Denny Burton's sets. Their most notable component was perhaps Twenty-six

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the glee club 1-ir: Lxw is 'mia TRUE EMBODIMENT of everything that's excellent sings the roly-poly Chancellor in Iolanthe. This reviewer found the Pick- ering College production of Iolfmthe to be the true embodiment of every- thing that's excellent in Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. There was, as there always is, a superb blend of music, action and nonsense. The chorus was sprightly and well trained. These workers are integral parts of the whole joyous ritual. All have mastered the traditional busi- ness as it lite for them admitted no other. From John Luck condescend- ing- strut in the opening' Peer chorus to Burt. Kellock's angry St1'61Jl1OI1'S a member ot Parliament a perfection of team work and spirit was achieved. Let me stay Strephoif' In the magic of all the innocent merriment the audience reveled in the delectable performances of the leadsl'. Moire Jackson interpretation of the Faery Queen was rich and warm. Betty Beer gave beauty to a difficult role. Alice Rourke and llenny Burton were most agreeable lovers and the two Peers, Maguire and Fraser were properly haughty. Bill At.kin's Private Willis was a delight. But the amazing work was done by actor-director H. H. K. Rourke. The incredible dexterity of his caperings, the proficiency ot' his patter songs and his own high spirits make it impossible to believe that Iolrmflzc was to be his last show. Surely there will be one more farewell performance! Fred llagen, in charge of the stage, did it once again! Taking' the criminally small space known as a stage Mr. Hagen was able to create the Tzverzly-eiglal