University of Chicago - Cap and Gown Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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x ,7, NW 7; a m Ht The Dramatic Club in presenting Goldoni,s tt The Fan,i as the Winter Quarter play for 1909, attempted something just a little beyond the ordinary run of Uni- versity dramatics. With scenery and costumes that represented an expenditure exceeding those of many professional productions, and With a larger cast than usual. The play, although better supported than in previous years, was not a financial success. ' Though not familiar to AmericanAaudiences, T:The F an,, easily lent itself to amateur production; and, with its lively action, its interesting style, its sim- plicity and humor of line, situation and character, it was especially well received. Albert Henderson played the leading role of Evaristo, the passionate, dis- traught and eventually rewarded lover, in true Henry Woodruff style. Miss Cleary, acting the part of Candida, his beloved, was sweet, haughty or loving, as the occasion demanded. Francis Orchard, hero of the minor love plot, kept the audience With him and won his peasant sweetheart to every onesi satisfaction. Miss Chatterson, as Giannina, played the character about which most of the plot revolved and showed herself quite capable of managing her share in the troubles. She made Giannina stand out clearly as the spirited little minX, quite sure of her own mind, loving and hating with a sincerity Which created a part, very real to the audience. Baukhage, as the near-villain and spurned lover, did his best with the ungrate- ful but essential role of the aristocratic Baron del Cedro. With Miss Chattere son,s Giannina, Benzies Count Rocca Marino stood out as one of the most vivid portraits in the play. Benzies played the broken down, scheming old nobie with great consistency and played the lines for every bit of Character and humor they contained. Clarkis Coronato, the Innkeeper, was a smoothly acted-piece of comedy, intelligently read and keenly characterized, bringing plenty of well-deserved laughs. 126

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An excellent piece of character work was done by Ralph Benzies in the part of Pio, the bashful priest to be. With his usual skill, Benzies gave to a part that might easily have been spoilt by a suggestion of the always unpleasant ttsissyf3 a thoroughly pleasing interpretation. Without verging on the effeminate, he held the character up to the gentle ridicule, but never to the contempt, of the audience. NIaruja, the leading part among the women, was gracefully rendered by Miss VVillnwdean Chatterson. Her vivacious acting portrayed a character laughter- provoking and full of sunshine. Miss Harriett Grimm, as the kindly and over-solici- tous wife of Indelacio, acted the patient and self-appointed guardian angel with great discrimination. Dona Blasa, the loquacious mother of Pio, played by Miss Inez Jackson, was one of the best character parts of the play. Bliss Jackson gave an amusing interpretation of the talkative and scheming fortune hunter. Gregoria and Perico, played by Bliss Eleanor Day and Paul Davis were quite a departure from the usual servant types, and in both cases the parts were most adequately handled. The Program GREGORIA, servant ........................................... ELEANOR DAY PERICO, man-of-all-work ........................................ PAUL DAVIS DONA DOLORES, wife of Indalecio ............................ HARRIET GRIMM MARUJA, her niece .............................. WILLOWDEAN CHATTERSON DON INDALECIO RUIPEREZ, wealthy farmer of Salamanca ..... HILMAR BAUKHAGE DON SATURIO, village doctor ............................... JOHN RACKAWAY DONA BLASA, mother of the parish priest ....................... INEz JACKSON P10, her son, anxious to become a priest ...................... RALPH BENZIES CARLOS, nephew of Indalecio, student of iMadrid ............... DOUGLAS SCO'fT AMBROSIO, hack driver .................................... GEORGE GARRETT HERMOGENES ZARAGUETA, Iliadm'd moneyelender .......... FRANK SHACKELFORD TIME: The Present SCENE: The Living Room of Indaleciots House 125

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Senora Geltrude, Candidate, prosy duenna, was adequately interpreted by bliss Etten. Miss Etten maintained the dignity of the role through- out without losing any of its comedy. Miss Wilder gave an exceptionally good piece of reading in Suzanne. Although an ungrateful partethe village gossipeMiss Wilder made a distinct impression. An excellent bit was Limoncino, the saucy waiter. played by Frank Parker, who made a great deal out of a small, though important part. Paul Davis made the most out of this part as Moraccio, the gruff and unsympathetic brother of Giannina. The smooth production and the continued how of well-drillcd action was due in no small part to the services of Coach Frank Wallace. The entire action of the play transpires in the square of an Italian provincial town. The period is supposed to be about the close of the eighteenth century. The Cast EVARISTO .................. A meT D. HENDERSON BARON DEL CEDRO ......... HILMAR R. BAUKHAGE COUNT OF ROCCA MERINO ......... RALPH BENZIES CRESPINO ................... FRANK M. ORCHARD CORONA'I'O ................... BARRETT H. CLARK MORRACCHIO ..................... PAUL H. DAVIS TIMOTEO ............... CARLETON W. XVASHBURN LIMONCINO ................... FRANK G. PARKER SCAVEZZO. .................... COVEY F. GRIDER TOGNINO . . . . ................ JAMES E. DYMOND GIANNINA ............. VVILLOWDEAN CHATTERSON CANDIDA ...................... LORRAINE CLEARY GELTRUDE ................. MARY LOUISE ETTEN SUSANNA ......................... LAURA Wmmn 127