The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-09-16
HOW THE GREAT PLAY WAS
ACTED. "

HOW THE GREAT PLAY WAS
ACTED. " s "
The all-important night for which the
little girls Of Miss Muddleson's school
had been plotting and planning them
selves for at least two months, had at
last arrived; and the event Of the season,
the great play of michael Angelo Buon-
!. arotti," as dramatized by Lizzie Rollins,
was announced to come off that very
evening, without fail. ..5
Such hopeless furry as there had
been all day; such a gathering together
OF the theatrical wardrobes, to deposit
them IN any corner where they could
tnd resting place; such hurried drill
ing Of few who are utterly incapable of
retaining their five or six lines in their
heads-amid the general tumult, what
wonder that twelve-year-old stage man
ager should find herself driven nearly
wild by the work to be accomplished; es-
pecially when it is taken into considera-
ton that she was also the dramatist, the
Leading actress, the stage carpenter and
the manager Of the wardropes! It was
well that she had an aide-de-camp to
second all her efforts as vigorously as did
Minnie Roland, who had assisted IN pre-
par1ng the play, dutifully taking long
part in 1t, and who now worked hard to
reduce the turbulent dramatic corps to
something like submission and order.
1t was a large boarding-s School. and
the older girls had acted several little
plays with such astonishing success that
the minds and hearts of the Second Di-
vision had been filled with a great LONG,
ing to do likewise.
1t is true there were more than a few
obstacles to be overcome They had no
play, no fancy dresses, no one to drill
them, and as rule, no money to buy
.,he things they wanted; but all these
difficulties vanished like smoke before
the vlgor and cleverness of one little girl,
the acknowledged leader of the Second
Division. After many secret consulta-
tatlons and much deb ating, it was at last
determined that Lizzie Rollins should
dramatize favor1te story about the boy
hood of the great ulptor and architect,
Michael Angelo, and that Minnie Roland
should act as secretary, and copy the
parts, which were to be distributed as
Lizzie thought best.
All this took long while, it being q
peculiarly of Miss Muddleson's school
= that although there was plenty OF time
to study lessons, there was very little to
study plays; but by dint of holding re-
hearsals every day at noon recreation
hour, everybody at last knew what she
was to say, and few had even some
faint idea of how they were to say it.
Selecting the actors had been no easy
task. Lizzie had modestly declined the
leading role of Michael Angelo, and Civ
en- it to Emma Cullen, fat girl Of thir-
teen, who acted nicely and was too pla-
cid to get Hurried under any circumstan-
sees, and could consequently be relied up
On to remember her part. Minnie was
to be the painters father, and Lizzie was
70 be an old man servant, named Urbino,
~ no supplied the comic element, and
lad more to say than anybody else in
he party. To the prettiest girl in the
Dom, Lille Middleton, was given the
part of Sebastian, Michael Angeles bo-
som friend, solely as tribute to her
charms, for she could not act at all, even
f she Gid not forget what she had to
-'ay.
1t may perhaps be noticed that all the
'haracters were men and boys, which
vas rather funny when all the actors
we're little girls; but tr1fe like that did
lot discomfort these children, and having
ssig ned the different parts, the commit
ee passed on to the momentous question
f dresses.
- II wish we knew SAID Miss Minnie,
houghttully, ''what kind of clothes the
'eople wore IN Italy about that time.
lone of you girls ever saw picture of
Iichael Angelo, I supposes'
1--WE had an engraving of his head at
ome,'' suggested Annie Campbell.
Had he any kind OF a hat on?" in
. ulred Lizzie, eagerly.
"No, nothing but hair
"Then it's of no use, and you needn t
ave mentioned it, was the disconsolate
eply. ''Of course Emma will wear he1
air. Nobody expects her to leave it of
Dr. the occasion; but 1t would have been
omething, even to knew what kind of
ats they wore.'' -..-..
= "Well, am not sure Of that said
tinnie, who was of a practical turn, ''the
aances are that if we did know, we could
ut get up anything at all like them.
We've got to make the clothes ourselves
al don't believe that any one who will
;e US knows how Michael Angelo really
i'd DRESS" .
'What will we wear then2" asked an
npatient chorus. E., "...
''Why, I think the best thing we can
D." said Lizzie gravely, twill be to dress
/ the men" "...." -
ave are all men," put in Annie, 'there
e no women '
well, then, to dress ourselves all in
,ort balmoral skirts. They will leek
ze something between toga and a tun-
< c, and won't be very inappropriate. -
They will look more like kits than
ther," grumbled "a disaheeted actor,
nd what ever Micheal Angelo might
We been he was not a highlander
swell, what OF that?" burst out Mn
e, rushing to her friends defence; ''you
- MT be sure that he did not wear kits
yhow! You've no idea what he did
Ear, and SO how can you go and say
Aat he didn't2"
This argument, though by no means
ind, was felt to be convincing until a
let girl suggested that she thought the
III 4