St Scholastica High School - Scholastican Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 70 text:

THE SWATTER FLY CASE llI say, Jane, tell me about that venture in creative dramatics which your class perpetrated. It was called The Swatter Fly Case, wasnTt it? Sounds like a murder mystery? Thatls just what it was. The freshmen B division wrote it and worked most of it out in pantomime. Instead of regular conversation they used aIbIci, language. iTll tell you the plot. The curtain rose on a crowd of people assembled at a house party. They were sitting in a drawing room fanning themselves with the queerest objects such as shoes, roses, and fly swatters. Presently all but Mr. Van Alpha, the host, left the room. He was sitting leisurely sipping a glass of water, when a man with a masked face and a cap pulled over one eye walked slowly into the. room. He demanded the glass of water. When Mr. Van Alpha refused, the visitor picked up a fly swatter and murdered him? lth, poor Mr. Van Alphalll ilThen the murderer took off his mask, and who should it be but Mr. Du Barry, one of the guests. He sat down and drank the water. The maid came in and when she saw what had happened she screamed, and the rest of the guests rushed in? ilWhat happened then? llYou couldnTt guess. Mrs. Van Alpha, ignorant, of course, of the real crime inal, appointed the murderer as detective. He questioned all the guests and finally said, liIXryIzT which meant sI killed him., Now, what do you think of that? TESounds rather queer to me, as if they all belonged in the insane asylum? llThatls just where they did belong. The play ended with the guards coming in to take the patients to their rooms? ROSEMARY RUDERSDORF, l344 SCHOLASTICAN 1931

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THE CHERRY BOUGH Several days before the Christmas holidays a cast selected from the entire high school offered to an admiring audience the first presentation of The Chewy Bough, which had ever been given in America. This delightful oneeact play is based upon an old Irish legend concerning the birth of Christ. The plot is centered about the quest for the Blessed Mother by St. Bride of Ireland, who has dreamed that a woman needs her help at the birth of her Child. St. Brideas search takes her into far distant lands. As she travels she meets a Chaldean woman, a woman of Beth1ehem, and a small lad from the Inn. Each had refused the Blessed Mother the gift that she begged, some cherries. or perhaps some water. Carrying those offerings, they are now seeking her, whose sorrowful face has haunted them after she passed. The fragrant cherry bough in the hand of the Chaldean woman gives the play its name. To escape an approaching robber band which is searching out a rumored Infant King and His supposed caravan, St. Bride hides in a cave nearby, where her quest ends with the discovery of Mary and Joseph. The play concludes with a picture5r que tableau; villagers carol, and all, even the fierce robbers, bow in hushed reverence before the Babe in the manger. Every role was portrayed with exceptional ability, especially that of St. Bride as interpreted by Harriet Lichtenberger, Dorothy Messenger as the Chaldean woman, and Ruth Heinz as the woman of Bethlehem. To Mrs. Wachtel, the dramatic director, can be attributed the artistic success of this play. BEATRICE BRENNAN, Page fiftyinine SCHOLASTICAN 1931

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CREATIVE DRAMAT'ICS There have been many successful ventures in creative dramatics during the past year. The object of this form of drama has been to make the ordinary curriculum act1v1t1es become a vital part of the students life. To start the ball rolling, the second year junior high pupils offered a bloodecurd' ling skit which revealed the horrible penalties of using bad grammar. As an added stimulus to Good Book Week the freshmen dramatized scenes from several of the most familiar books. Among them were Robin Hood, Daughters of the Manor, and Little Women. In order to show that language can figure in creative dramatics the junior French class presented an interessame scene contrasting Amer1can and French marriage banquets. The audience was on edge with excitement as well as being thoroughly entertained by the romantic b1111ng and cooing of the confused Don Juan in an 1nterpretat1on of The Ghost Story by Booth Tarkington adapted by the sophomores. Various vocations suited to young women were dramatized by the vocational guid' ance c1ass.Am0ng them were homermaking, journalism, interior decorating, social service, nursing, and teaching. In order to illustrate dress designing, the last scene showed an exclusive dress shop where the freshmen were gracefully modelling the newest creations. Enthusiasm and more enthusiasm marked the creative work staged by the Annual editor and the seniors. A model singing class accompanied the spirited gymnastics of the Athlet1c section. A riotous dramat1c interpretation was succeeded by a mock debate. We wanted advertisement and got it plus r0111ck1ng good humor. These creative dramatics are the results of the work of sundry classes who have tried scenario writing, directing, and acting. LILLIAN GRAFFT, 31. Page sixtyrone SCHOLASTICAN1931 xxx xvf xx; xx. V1 3;