Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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DRAMATICS - Julius Caesar Shakespeare returned to the stage of Pickering College this year when the Dramatic Club produced his Roman tragedy, JULIUS CAESARW, as their annual oifering. The plot of this play is the well known one concerning the attempts of an ambitious and rather unscrupulous man to capture the centre of political power in Rome, and the designs of his enemies, both great and small in character, to undo his schemes by assassinating him. This play is awkwardly constructed. The iirst act unfolds the plans of Caesar's opponents and depicts their jealousy and hatred of the man. The second act. in which the conspirators carry out their dastardly designs, is the high point of the drama, and was exceptionally well handled and portrayed by the actors. It was, indeed, a very real theatrical treat to witness the fine development of the characters of the main protagonists, especially Mark Anthony by Andy Newbery, as they swiftly moved to the consummation of their attempt on Caesar's life. The final act is a collection of messy little battle scenes which are very diflicult to piece together into anything which displays a sense of continuity. Perhaps the fact that this act is anti-climactic makes it difficult to hold the audience's attention. However, despite these limitations, the cast did carry it off and managed to give this act an intelligent interpretation. Naturally, it is the actors who must assume -the burden of developing the theme of the play and the unfolding of the characters of the main individuals. In this respect we were all rewarded. Robert Barnstaple showed us a Julius Caesar who was both a power politician and a man who had statesmanlike qualities. Barnstaple had good stage presence in portraying a noble, high born Caesar. Really, it is two other characters who hold the centre of attention in this play, Marcus Anthony, Nineteen

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Back B. R. Lundgren tStaff Advisorl, R. Duder, D. Ferris, M. Oelboum, R. Dunham, J. Bisset, The Headmaster. Front: J. Mutch, G. Munroe tChairman, Fall Terml, R. Simons lChairman, Winter Terml, P. Grant tChairman, Spring Terml, R. Barnstaple. The School Committee In keeping with the Headmaster's theme of transmitting more responsibility to the students, this year's Committee and student body are indebted to Mr. Beer for the formation of the Caput. The Caput was a committee of six consisting of two members of the staff, two members of the Committee, the corridor chairman of the particular student involved. and the Headmaster who met to interview and discuss with the boys problems usually relating to school rules which had been broken. The value of these meetings, needless to say, was great for all concerned. As in past years the committee held two meetings a week, one with the students and the other with a staff adviser discussing student affairs and committee business. I would like to thank the student body for their full hearted co-operation. It helped to make this a full and spirited year. Peter Grant, Chairman, Spring Term. Eighteen

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