Watseka High School - Watchekee Yearbook (Watseka, IL)

Page 73 text:

3rd Row---Jim Flesher, Marion Ralph, William Razzano, Sally Brammer, Pat Unger, Marlene Garfield, Jane Hess, Harold Gerber, Barbara Mason, Esther Prange, Joyce Leiding. 2nd Row---Don Hendress, Sam Dooley, Dick Francisco, George Warner, Earl Garfield, Lee Mueller, Sam Williamson, Lloyd Eostburn, Jean Milar, Barbara Ehrhardt, Arlene Gerber. 'lst Row---Charlotte Owings, Ruth Ellen Privo, Gerold Gregory, Margaret Fay, Jeanette Engelbreckt, Sam Foster, Ralph Davis, Howard Gordon, Donn Clauser, Norma Graeber, Gayle Flesher, Miss Strauss. Floor---Bill Sandilands, John Lehman DRAMATIC CLUB To Be or Not To Be an Actor , that was the question. Don't worry I hadn't overtaxed my thinking resources, l was lust trying to decide whether I should ioin the Dramatic Club or not. I think I might have overtaxed it trying to decide the issue though if I finally hadn't visited one of their meetings and found out exactly what the club was like. Would you like to know what the club is like? Well, here is a condensed version of whatl found out about it. The Dramatic Club has stressed dramatics of all sorts. Their programs have been made up of all types ot drama, ranging from extemperaneous talks to monologues, pantomimes, humorous readings, very dramatic selections, and original skits. There is no doubt that with each year a progress has been shown in all branches of dramatic arts in this high school. This year the club is working on improved diction, posture, stage presence, and good char- acterization in their plays. The sponsor of this busy group is Miss Caryl Strauss. With this much information at hand I quickly decided that I was a stage-struck 'ilniun Joe. 69

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I i-area. ' Fourth Row--- Earl Garfieldp Lee Muellerj Sam Fasten Howard Gordong George Warner. Third Row---Pat Unger Second Row---Gayle Flesher First Row---Esther Prangep Miss Strauss Floor--Barbara Mason THESPIAN CLUB I discovered the Thespian Club quite by accident one day during homeroom period. You see an announcement came over the public address system that all the Thespians planning to attend the Milford dress rehearsal should be ready to leave Watseka at 12:30 prompt. Now here was another Mystery Club for me to find out about. Naturally the longer I sat there the more perplexed my little brain became so finally I decided to ask the teacher in charge if she knew anything about the Thespian Club. Let me tell you I sure am a lucky Little Iniun Joe for who should be the teacher in charge but the sponsor of the club herself, Miss Caryl Strauss. She explained to me that the National Thespian Society is made up of students who have achieved the highest honors in Dramatic Arts that our school can award. WatseIca's Troupe 635 has endeavored to promote the highest standards in dramatics. They have worked to stimulate students and community interest. They have tried to be a stimuli not only for improving dramatics but for furnishing an additional incentive to appreciate further the fine art which is so beautifully portrayed by the theatre. With this in mind Watseka's troupe is making an exhaustive study of modern plays--reading them--making cuttings and delivering the finest speeches in them. That gave me o very good explanation of my mystery club. Since my question box was at last depleted, I thanked her and returned to my seat a heap smart lniun Joe. 68 X

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ii.,- in --r l f ' JUNIOR CLASS PLAY On the night of November 20, I95I, I, lniun Joe, was invited to attend the iunior class play, Our Miss Brooks. This was advertised as a comedy in three acts and let me tell you the advertising was not wrong. Never in my whole life has my little Indian Funnybone been more tickled than it was on that night as I watched Miss Brooks clamor through one calamity after another as she tried to produce the annual Dramatic Club Play in Madison High School, mid many of the problems and distractions of school life. Miss Caryl Strauss was the director of Our Miss Brooks and Barbara Mason was the student director. The cast of Our Miss Brooks included Miss Brooks, Margaret Fay, Miss Finch, Jeanette Englebrect, Hugo Longacre, Donn Clauser, Mr. Wadsworth, John Weidert, Miss Audubon, Carol Mickelson, .and some supporting students, Elsie, Phyllis Grice, Elaine, Donna Claywell, Jane, Carol Roberts, Sylvia, Shirley Behrens, Doris, Mary Cavitt, Marge, Gloria Gerber, Faith, Pat Wall, Rhonda, Ellen Eastburn, Ted, Keith Schmidt, Stanley, Charles St. Germain, Martin, Bill Razzano, plus some basketball players, Joe Koonce, DouglasiShonts and an eccentric School Board President, Ruth Ellen Prevo. With this cast plus an excellent play the iunior class presented another smash hit in Little lniun Joe's opinion. 70 i jx 5 Q t . I