Turners Falls High School - Peske Tuk Yearbook (Turners Falls, MA)

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“ Onward and Upward ” Turners Palls High School 1944 “LOST HORIZON” One of the biggest events in our four years of high school was our senior play. Although the play itself lasted but a few hours, weeks and weeks of work went into it. After the cast had been carefully selected they were given their thick little books to go, home and memorize. Two afternoons every week the actors and actresses-to-be went briavely through their lines, leaving themselves and Miss Teed exhausted. In order to prevent nervous breakdowns time out was allowed at each rehearsal to eat refreshments th,at had been provided by different members of the cast. Before the play was over even the boys could bake. The cast, however, did not complete the “Lost Horizon set. Miss Teed had chosen groups of boys and girls to take over the many other respon- sibilities of producing a play. Coistumes, scenery, furniture and electrical equipment were needed. The costume ocmmittee searched the town over for evening gowns, fur coats and tuxedos. A balcony scene had to be painted and screens covered. The “clean up” committee got down qn their hands and knees and scrubbed the entire stage. I think the electricians, however, outdid everyone in ingenuity. A visitor on the “Lost Horizon” set would have been amazed at all the queer contraptions about him. Searchlights were perched 0|n top of long planks that were held erect by three boards nailed together. The High Lamia’s stately chair was crowned with a barrel hoop from which a blue electric light bulb dangled. Wires ran everywhere threatening to trip someone. There was more excitement before rehearsals than when the players were going through their parts. Leonard Aldrich had to play his one land only piece, “Chopsticks” on the piano. Donald Felton could be seen crawling back of the scenery to adjust a spotlight. Joe Constance and Ronald Warren ran wildly about shooing everyone away from their precious electrical works, while Virginia Richardson and Phyllis Schneider studied the problem of ho.w to get their mountain range up with the balcony windows nailed shut. A few of the players sat quietly studying their lines but most of them had more important things to do. Brian Jacobus, Varick Smith and Edward Simanski slipped out from beneath the watchful eyes off Miss Teed and went to watch the boys practice basketball at the gym. Fay Carroll, Geraldine McCarthy and Marguerite LeMoine hopped about chattering to Larry Bolan- ger in their newly acquired Tibetan language. Jean Spencer and Jeanne Pelletier glided gracefully in front of Miss Teed in their costumes while Doris Englehardt, Claire Thomas and Mary Care watched anxiously to see it they would meet with approval. Katherine Clark chased Leonard away from the piano and began to practice her music, accompanying an argument going on between Sylvia Annear. Alice Pervere and Kenneth Rau and David Gunn. The night of the play came and went all too quickly. After the last happy face had been wiped clean of makeup by Ruth Wilson and Marion Hauessler, the cast and members of the committees were all invited to a chicken pie supper given by Mrs. Jacobus and Mrs. Pelletier. We danced to a late hour and then went home to dream about the touch of Broadway that had come to Turners Falls. Pdf, ie Forty-seven

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Onward and Upward Turners Falls High School 1944 Sylvia Annear Kenneth Rau David Gunn Jean Spencer Standing: B. Jacobus, D. Gunn, V. Smith, Miss Teed, A. Pervere, E. Simanski, K. Rau. Seated: P. Carroll, J. Spencer, L. Aldrich, J. Pelletier, G. McCarthy, L. Boulanger, S. Annear, M. LeMoine. Page Forty-six

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“Onward and Upward” Turners Falls High School 1 044 PRIZE SPEAKERS JUNIOR PRIZE SPEAKING CONTEST Tryouts for the much coveted participants in the junior prize speaking contest were held in March 1943. The competition was so keen that not only the nervousness of the students but the task of the judges deserved sympa- thy. It took careful deliberation to choose eight from the sixty contestants but they finally decided upon Jean Spencer, Albena Waidlich, Jane Thomas, Glenna Boyle, Leonard Aldrich, Brian Jacobus, Edwin Banash and Varick Smih. Geraldine McCarthy, Marguerite S ' humway, Edward Simanski and Kenneth Rau were alternates. After weeks of Miss Teed’s fine coaching they gave a wonderful per- formance on May 14. Brian Jacobus won first place with Stephen Vincent Benet’s “The Devil and Daniel Webster’’, Albena Waidlich second place with Mary O’Hara’s “My Friend Flicka’’ and Jane Thomas third prize with Ste- phen Leacock’s “With the Photographer”. Other selections were Frederick L. Allens “Sleeping Outdoors” presented by Leonard Aldrich, Hal Borland’s America is Americans” by Glenna Boyle, Antoine de Sain-Exupery’s “Wind, Sand and Stars” by Varick Smith, Foster Haily’s “Pilots, Man Your Planes” by Edwin Banash and Carl Sandburg’s “The Friendly Stranger” by Jean Spencer. I t « I f Page Forty-eight