The age-herald., 1899-01-06
THE DRAMA
 IN BUNDYTOWN


 eight hundred. Then it stopped growing. If a citizen of Bundytown is asked what the towns population is he will probably answer eighteen hundred, but unless ono counts the dogs one will reach no such figure in taking the Bundytown census
 Bundytown has fur churches, a public square, "a opry house." and a dozen stores. The citizens are loyal and they are proud or the churches, the square, the "opry' house, and the stores; but the institution of Whlch they are proudest is the Bundytown Dramatic and Social club, Bundytowns ff- teen or twenty, which corresponds to New forks four hundred composes the club, put the ehtire town high-easte and low caste' takes an interest in it and it's doings.
 heeentiy the club gave a performance of W. shakespeares Julius Caesar" and every citizen and citizens of the town was in the "opry house"t to see it. It was voted grand success by all who attended, though several incidents which were un- looked for occurred.
 Bud Smith was cast for Brutus, Squira Lawrenees son, Jim who went to college and came back with trunk full of loud clothing and a mop-like shock of hair was Cassius; Bill Lewis who went to school but short while, was Caesar; Tom Lewis. Blll s brother was Antony and other prom lnent young men made up the remainder of the cast. As none of the lady members of the club would consent to "go on" the fem mine roles were intrusted to male members. Frank Bolts was Calphurnia and Dug Bas- com was Portia.
 The Bundytown "opry house" is located in the hall over Stoddards general mer- chandise store The spectators sit in chairs arranged on steps, which ascend from the stage. The orchestra is composed of pianist and hard-toned piano. The hall and the orchestra are not much but the stage and its settings are glorious The curtain rolls as well as any curtain could, and from the stock scenery can he selected a half-dozen stage sets" and there is a rope which hangs down from the flies, which, if pulled, will start a fall of paper snow
 The presentation of Julius Caesar" had just started when the first incident occur- red. The stage set for the first act and first scene should, according to custom and to Shakespeare's ideas, represent a street in Rome, with F1avius, Marullus and rabble of citizens in the street. Flavius Marullus and the rabble were there when the curtain went up after the overture by Miss Amy Blanchard, but the Roman street was not There were no Roman streets among the stock scenery, so Flavius and the boys did their turn in the wildwood, with the cotton growing in the distan fields.
 Of course, every one knows how the play opens with little airy persihage between Flavius, Marullus and the citizens Mr. First Citizen and MT. Second Citizen doing the talking for the rabble. In the book they are written down as T Cit" and "2 Cit" MT. Two Cit, it will be remembered, is a sort of comical cuss. He is a shoe maker by trade, but when Marullus asks him what trade he follows he answers eva sively, and instead of saying what he Is he says: q am mender of bad soles."
 The important role of Two Cit was in- trusted to Ali Hudgins. Alfis heavy-voiced and red-headed, and he has never been known to do anything as it should be done, but he was determined to do Two Cit to a queens taste. When Marullus asked, What trade art thou?" Ali answered, ''In- deed sir, am a mender of old shoes.'
 Marullus overlooked the error and pro- ceeded win his part, but Ali, remember- ing what he should have said, shouted at the first pause made by Marullus, Back there when l said 1 was a mender of old shoes I meant to say l was a mender of bad soles."
 The next incident occurred when Portia made her first appearance Jimmy Johnson, one of the bad boys of the village, was sit ting in the first row with others of his kind, and he laughed aloud and said, Say, fellers, look at Dug Bascom with them cloes on. He looks like CT washerwoman." Then Bobby Davis sung out Lady, why don't you git shaved?" and truth to tell, Dug had forgotten to shave and Portia re- sembled the bearded lady of the dime mu- scum.
 Dug was somewhat embarrassed by the remarks, but he knew his Portia, even with the whiskers was better than Frank Botts' Calphurnia, for when Frank came on first he forgot to throw his quid of tobacco from his mouth. He was so intent on doing the part we'll that he forgot all about the tobacco and chewed and spat at a great rate until Caesar called him down. After that he did not spit upon the stage again. When he filled to oYerfioWing he walked to the wings, poked his head behind the scenes and spat, but the audience never lost sight of his body. When Frank made his second appearance he did not have any tobacco in his mouth, and some rude cit of Bunlytown, who was in the rear of the hall yelled out: 'Kalifurny, won't cher take dip uv snuff"
 Squire Lawrence's son Jim almost spoiled the piece in the second act by trying to show off his college 'learnin." Jim was playing Cassius. In the second act he and Trebonious, Decius and other Italians go down to Brutus', and after they sent the can down to Adolphus Schmidtimus' several times they rib up a scheme to fix Caesars clock, or, in other words, to ruin his breath works forever During the talk Cassius asks, But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?" Now during the rehearsals Jim had pronounced Cicero as if it was spelt
 S-l-s-s-e-r-o,' but as he had learned the Roman pronunciation at college he desired to show off his learning, and on the night the play was produced he asked, But what or klckero?" None of the Fuses" in the bunch knew Kickero, and they stopped acting, but Jim muttered, Hes the same as Sissero," and the play went on.
 When the players were making ready for the star event of the evening-the scene in which Caesar is made to look like a porous plaster-every one was excited Cassius was not in place and the audience heard Caesar asking, in tones of impatience, "Whur in the hell is Cassius at?'' Cassils came up all right and did his stabbing job to perfection, but Caesar had not overcome his excitement and instead of saving. 'Et Tu Bru-tee,' he said, "Et Tu, brute" and Brutus laughed.
 To make matters worse, when they brought Caesars dead body on after the rough house in the senate chamber the corpse sneeZed twice while Antony was