St Genevieves Academy - Le Flambeau Yearbook (Asheville, NC)

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0 c it c is i ii 11frzff:1. .... , gg A it i it . ., 3, , . gc ggniz Us 'IS vs 715:52 - '59 E 29 Q, A EE? Q 'cg ' qi, ' CZ C Writ-. .. 4 'i 1' '13'.,:-:E l 2 . s QW T e .- Q e e -i -J - xy t iff af? ll! . X . I . ,,'::' 1, I Q -------U r :'.'Z:i1'.x l 5 lf 1v ' SY f.,'.:1:'f.f'.1, ,A J, . , Q t i f 11 J 'G' la! -.,- -If '.'e J-nn.. 42 '. 63 'I gl V4.5 quam 5 Q 8 The Dramatic Club HE Dramatic Club of St. Gene- - vieve's has a serious educational object-that of developing lack of self- consciousness in its members, whether on or off the stage. While aiming to supplement the Literary Club in one di- rection by actually living the great mas- terpieces, it has labored earnestly to- ward giving its members facility in expression, poise and ease of manner. Madame MacSwiney is our beloved di- rectress. Whatever degree of success we may have attained we owe to her eager enthusiasm and untiring energy, for she has not only held the highest of ideals ever before our eyes, but has striven with us, giving each member careful and individual attention. g The first public essay was The Mis- tress of Fernleigh Grange, given by the Academic Seniors on the Christmas of 1908, in the auditorium of Battery Park Hotel. The hearty applause given these Freshmen in Dramatics was a telling tribute to the skilful labor expended on them. The little Juniors were an enterpris- ing class and were not to be outdone by the older girlsg so they worried the nuns until in the spring of 1909 they, too, were permitted to appear. Little Lord Fauntleroy was the play, and it was given with great success, first exclu- sively for Mother Deplanck and the Sisters, then for the entire school. Mad- eleine Loughran made a charming Ced- ric, while Marguerite McIntyre as the new claimant deservedly shared in the applause. The first performance was followed by a sumptuous banquet never to be forgotten by those Juniors. The Junior reputation was firmly estab- lished in Miss Jemima's Pets, where Isabel Cooke as the deaf lady, made her first great hit. Mother Deplanck was so pleased that she insisted on its being given for the Ladies' Altar Society! The Merchant of Venice was the first classic drama undertaken by the Club. In this Ruth Grey made her debut as Portia and Janie Jones hers as Shylock. But it was in the dethrone- ment scene from Richard II which followed soon after, that the remarkable talent of several of our girls was recog- nized and appreciated. Ruth Grey as Bishop Carlisle won still further laur- els and Janie Jones as Bolingbroke left nothing to be desired. An operetta Zureka, came next on

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.5 1.-. V A , -f - PK.,-J.-,wk r-fxsf' - in . --ff If f DN: 'N W ,ZN- ' i ,.f.'Qf?gffM6'f'.f 1, V I lllfaw jv x I ... VI! I , , , 1 ', V,- -f v. ,- V. j ,. ,,,, ,, ,xl yy fm-., f 1, fl I ' ,,g.4,p:,2'?',..:A.f3kf,'fff'lfif42,'A!5'f-:Z'!Mf4'H!ffA'f?., 42113117-,',',1 ,.f DAY! ' ffM4f'ff! , ff,', 'W 'f1 b4,'jfff ,f 'ff Mff'f ' n ' , the program. It was a delightful musi- cal comedy and lent itself charmingly to the youthful voices of the performers. In the title-role Juliet Meriwether, now Mrs. Le Wright Browning, won the hearts of all by her sweet voice and sim- ple, unaffected manner. ' In December, 1911, the Club again chose a Shakespearean drama. When people heard that Macbeth was to be given and saw the Draniatis Personae headed by familiar names, expectation ran high. Nor was it disappointed. Gwendolyn Macartney, all the way from Merrie England, took the part of Banquo, and Miss Beatrice Macartney delighted the audience by the recitation, as an entr'acte, of a selection from Innocents Abroad in her English ac- cent. And here we appeared for the last time at Battery Park. Henceforward our performances were given in the au- ditorium of our beloved new Saint Gene- vieve's. Doubtless the dear nuns sighed with relief, but surely even they must have enjoyed the humor of those ter- rible times behind the scenes, among which suit-cases with the essentials missing might be reckoned minor de- tails. By this time the younger set had grown up and its members were ready to fill in the older one which was fast thinning. In June, 1912, Fabiola was presented. Isabel Cooke as the Roman lady Fabiola played her part with great dignity, grace and feeling. Mary Ham- ilton as Fluvius proved her dramatic talent and gave promise of great things, while Ruth Grey, making an ideal Syra, acted for the last time on the St. Gene- vieve's stage. Frances Hill as Afra, the black slave, gave a comic element to the otherwise serious play, and when she appeared later to receive her prizes, her dusky hue still unchanged, the audience laughed and cheered with delight. The following June Henri Bornier's La Fille de Roland spirited us away to La Belle France in the days of Charlemagne when knights really and truly lived and did brave deeds for their Uladyes faire. Those taking part splen- didly interpreted the French sentiments, although the play had been translated into our own less musical if equally ex- pressive English. THE DAUGHTER OF ROLAND DRAMATIS PERSONXE The Emperor Charlemagne ...... Miss I. Cooke Gerald ................... Miss M. C. Cawood The Count Amaury ......... Miss M. Hamilton Ragenhart QA Saxon! ........ Miss G. Guerard The Duke Nayme ............ Miss B. Johnson Radbert QA Monkl ............. Miss H. Kelly Geoffrey 1 Miss F. Artz Hardre Young Lords Miss L. James Berthe fDaughter of Rolandl ........... Miss N. Zimmerman Theobald fPageJ ............ Miss M. Meehan Saracen Knights, Soldiers, Servants, Ladies-in-waiting It may be well to speak here of one or two of the many minor French come- dies which have been given. No one seeing Le chat de mere Michel will ever forget the excitement Mere Michel fFrances Hilll, caused over her lost cat and how, with the aid of Hen- rietta Kelly, who made an ideal police- man, peace and order were finally re- stored. Le Parapluie de Don Quixote, another musical comedy, was equally amusing. As space is limited we shall but men-