Ypsilanti High School - Ypsi Dixit Yearbook (Ypsilanti, MI)

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Senior Class Play 667 PSHE Charm School” was the play chosen by the class of ’24 for the annual senior dramatic production. Many were already familiar with the pleasing plot of this story, which has been published in book form, as well as having been successful on both. the stage and the screen. Several weeks before the play was to be presented tryouts were held to choose students of real dramatic ability to play the various roles. Miss Donaldson, Miss Hardy and Mr. Grimes acted as judges, and the wisdom of their decisions was manifest to all who attended the final p erformance. Miss Lois Donaldson was chosen by a vote of the entire senior class to act as coach for the play. Her efforts were clearly shown in the smoothness of detail with which the play was finally presented. The plot of “The Charm School,” a three-act comedy written by Alice Duer Miller and Robert Milton, is based on the in- heritance of a girls’ school by a young automobile salesman and his subsequent attempt to run it his own way, teaching the girls charm with the aid of four other attractive young men. Although having promised to the contrary, Austin Bevans, the heir, was unable to keep the most charming of the young ladies, Elise Benedotti, from falling in love with him, and as a consequence, was obliged to withdraw from his educational venture. The parts of Austin and Elise were very capably played by Robert Leland and ‘Delphine Varney,. the latter» splendidly - interpreting the character of a young and very’ susceptible boarding-school pupil. Helen Squiers, as Sally Boyd, .Elise’s friend and schoolmate, was particularly successful in her role of an impulsive, matter-of- fact girl, the real leader of the others in all undertakings. No one could have resisted the twins, Jim and Tim, played by Harry. Sullivan: and. Clarence Stem. Eheir roles. as: danemey masters to the girls was the first real job they had ever been desirous of obtaining. Robert Hatch, as George Boyd, the young accountant who had spent his recent years being in love with Elise, succeeded in intro- ducing lots of spirit into his part. He starred in his sarcastic denunciation of Austin when he felt that Elise was becoming too attentive. The play was given in Pease Auditorium on the fifteenth of May. An advance ticket sales campaign put on by the entire class had secured a splendid audience of students and townspeople. No one present regretted having come, for the production held the interest and attention of everyone until its close. The expenses of the production were small, for no charge was made for the auditorium, and there was practically no expense entailed for costumes. A net profit of some two hundred and twenty-five dollars was turned into the class treasury. OD ar

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Senior Class Prophecy Q F course, you remember the J-Hop we all went to not many weeks ago. The decorations were gorgeous and the music heavenly ; and the punch—well, I didn’t help carry in that twenty- five-gallon can for nothing. But even punch has its limit, and | found it. No, don’t get the wrong idea; I wasnt’ intoxicated; | just got a little light-headed. With super-human will-power generated in the late Mr. Sias’ history class I was able to find my way home and stumble through the door. It must have been the music or the punch that made my mind begin to wander. Not from the straight and narrow path, you understand, but to things of the future. I threw off my hat and sank into a nearby chair. I found myself floating down a wide river in a small steamer. From all appearances I judged it was a training-ship. All over were groups of young people gathered about some officer or instructor, learning the precious art of navigating one’s course in life. To my astonishment I beheld our old friends, Mr. Grimes and Mr. Erickson, standing on the bridge. I noticed Mr. Grimes in particular. He did not have the usual commander’s whistle, but carried a pad of excuses in each hand. You wonder what color they were? Well, you must remember that there is much sickness in the spring, and pink is such a pretty color. In the chart-room I found Miss Hardy. Surely you will re- member the geometry charts we didn’t work so hard on. 1 passed on to the next room and saw Miss Donaldson giving a test on the latest classic, the log-bcok. Hearing a noise, I went to the back of the ship and found Mr. Bigger explaining how to calm a storm by perfect public speaking. Mr. Sias was telling a group how John Paul Jones had commanded his ship. I went below and was surprised to see Mr. Ross explaining what made the wheels go ‘round. There were many other groups I wished to visit, but a mammoth liner appeared passing the mouth of the river from which we were emerging. As we drew near the side of the great ship I could read the name painted on the hull. It was called the “Ship of Life.” Soon a gang-plank was put between the boats and we started for the larger one. Young men in blue sweaters with grey “1924” numerals and young ladies with swagger-sticks passed over the gang-plank carrying with them small rolls of sheep-skin. Our old friend Charles Gault slipped and almost fell from the plank, but a helpful teacher placed him on his feet again. We found our new home quite different from what the old one had been. Most of us went opposite ways and soon got lost in the cities and countries of the great ship. Friends were separated, but our old friendships were never forgotten. ral