The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
SMITH COLLEGE G00D-BYS.
THE ROUND or PLEASURE AND
PAREW ELLIS AT COUMENCEMENT.

EHCellencirs OF the Presentation ana the
Cast-Exercis., on Succeeding DAYS
NORTHAMPTON Mass, June 23.-"lt's the MIC
est COMMENCEMENT that ever happened" said
the Smith College senior as she turned into the
stage door Of tho Opera House to be made up
for the evening performance.
-ErceDt mine,- returned the alumna In a
shirt waist, who was on her way 20 the station
10 look up a missing trunk. Missing trunks
are the incidental trials Of any COMMENCEMENT
although the three hundred people whose trunks
reposed quietly on the platform on Saturday
night last while they arraycd Themselves In
makeshift costumes for the play felt that the
experience was something more than q minor
trouble.
But what was 10 BE- expected when the college
was closing the twenty fifth year OF its history
and 600 anxious alumne. returning for the
event. we're convincing tho station agent that
hs was the victim Of u huge conspiracy to make
him insane lnvonting nswer 10 the questions;
But where's my trunk"
He never answered the question for the
alumna who liked her own commencement
best, and she went through the festive season
In a shirt waist. while her pretty gowns. squeez-
ed between trunk trays. were reduced TO a mass
OF wrinkles. somewhere in the West. II was
annoying when all except a few u~nfortunates
were h~urrying TO the play. In silks. In satins and
In flmy laces, to appear In travelling costume:
but ~ soon rs the curtain rose, the alumna for
got her woes In her eagerness TO See what 1900
had done with Twelfth Night"
They made q SUCCESS Of their play, The crit
los all agreed that there was no doubt about II.
Sir Toby outdid herself. and was enquisiteiy
ludiorous without being for a moment vulgar.
ST. AndrsV Aouechssk held up her part OF the
fun. Petite Maria was fascinating. ana tho
musical clown completed a quartet OF humor-
tts hard TO equal. Orsino. The sentimental duke.
was well represented; 0iipia was beautiful. Nal
colo excellently interpreted. and Viola attrac-
lively presented. Sebdst,dn and Antonio, too.
wore well done. Indeed the play this year was
uniformly good. Tho level was high. higher.
perhaps, than usual, but with the exception OF
Sir Toby, who was remarkably well presented
by Miss Gould. none Of the characters stood
out W It'll great prominence.
The cast was a. follows:
Oysfno, Duke OF ulyria. ,...... Emogene Mahony
Ssoaaian. brother 10 Viola Bessie StorTs Rogers
Antonio, a soa captain. friend 70 Sebastian, .n.
A Sea Captain, friend to Viola. Clara penison LOOMS
Valentino Gsnairmsn A. E,hsi l S9,f, .Gis b b1sn
-" Cornella Drownell Gould
81 Andrep Aguschest Bertha Wenden Gt3esleca
Nalroiio, steward 70 olivia. Mabel Winfrod HaItsui
f tss.s. : clown, ! q s;' DIVA } H.r f;s i 4a$ia's tf Ks:.
prttH .,.,.,"," annie Louise ioHcy
s@% S osss, :."... Marie Emile II Jones'
y WA -. Eliza Jane Good,eil
Maria, olyla's woman .,..,-.., Helen Mary Janney
MODS.
Lo,d,-Carolyn. Weston, Mary Wilder. Katharine
LssdIss-HeIen Coolidge, Laura Shedd. Anna Ram.
say. Grace Russell Beltna Smith. M "a NsI, lyman Pnn
virginia Mellen. Margaret Vanderbilt.
pag.,. france, Lynch. julia Greene. Picket, Mar.
g Es,sisr A Rslsn as ssns Nay nsy, WALTON, Ma Mary Wit Wait
comb, K.turah Beers. Katharine G,,sFs us,u.u
Caroline King. Ens Wilder. Carolyn Wurster, Marion
True.
The acting was simple. natural and unaffected,
three qualities which are rarely combined "
was interesting. and seemed TO lose little by
the judioious cutting which reduced lts five
sSts r. f0us So and 80 m sll%,n "a the al Sh5 5sie Of a so,, 10
or . glas. appeared during the performance.
although In the usual representations, Sr TOBY
and q tipsy state seem syn9noplous, The
actors oOntrived TO make the humorous soenes
irreslstibly funny. without once stepping be.
yond the bounds OF propristy, Taken by ltsoli
Twelfth Night" was a performance TO be proud
of. That a cast OF amateur actors could, pre-
sent q play with so much artistic effect, finish
and power. shows an amount OF intelligence
worthy OF college girls, and a course. OF training
which reflects much credit on the department
OF elocution. Smith plays for several years,
particularly since. the Shakespeare series, be-
gan, have Invariably been a surprise 10 those
OF the audience who had not known before what
girls az actors could accomplish;
In '97 The Merchant Of ' enico" was given
The class Of Us pres ented Much Ado About
Nothing" and 90 The Winters Tale" Com
pared with these. Twelfth Night, sxcelled
The acting OF the last play. in general. showed
an Improvement over that Of the others. good
as 1t WAS. The stars in tho previous plays do
and fle OF the actors side by aide, the palm zoe,
to the Twelfth Night actors for their lack Of
stag ness and afectation. In soepio effect,
plays. ltlacked the warmth and color and move
mont characteristic OF them until the last few
minutes OF the last scene when the stage was
play. ended the performance with q climax a.
effective as anything In the other plays.
When the audience reflects on the amount
OF work and time spent on the senior play. Its
members are not inclined to be too critical OF
the small flaws IN so excellent a pieoe OF work,
Of any senior play they would give the ~heartieet
kind Of a vote Of thanks IN the seniors who had
provided so well for their entertainment. Plans
Tor 'dramatics" are made In junior year. and
from that time until the last light il out in the
opera house. after the last performance. tho
play IL moro or less on the senior. mind, and
the class Is only happy when y Is fully assured
that II has reached the standard OF other classes.
II II has not surpassed them,
The play as an entertainment Is always emil
nently satisfactory, but n serves many other
purposes also, One of them is to show mothers,
fathers, sisters. brothers and friends how many
pretty girls smith College holds. The visitor
at chapel sometimes doubts this, but when he
secs the girls In the opera house. glad In gor-
geous .raiment and examining them In detail
he finds each one prettier than the last, he can
not understand how he ever considered Smith
girls IA a class plain. Besides correcting false
impressions the play serves as a most delightful
Initiation for commencement and It's joys. Tho
pausns betw een the act. are continuous recep-
lions. and every isle and corridor - filed with
laughing girls. wedged IN 80 tight they can
scarcely move. Alumn@ learn all about ono
another IN two. minutes ana Incidentally tell
all tho rest e the world as well. The college
opora house. and hundreds OF them stand about,
One middle aged graduate, swayed hither and
thither in the crowd, confded 20 q companion
that she was devoutly thankful that Providence
had sent her To college while there las still room
10 move around.
More space Is the great cry OF the President
and the college. The college buildings are
travelling up Main street and down Bedford
clature should be reaarangsd and their alma
mater he described as the city Of smith college.
about which l. a little Northampton.
sunday nor ming after tho play the seniors
usually slceep the sleep Of Unsuccessful. They
need every minute they can get, tor nothing
Is so d. llghtful and cNhausting a. commence
ment. Each hour ha3 It's pleasure. but even u
continuous performance of pleasures Is delight
ful. and when commencement II over under
graduates. graduates and alumn@ feol as 4
Aey had had a Washington season concentrated
In three days.
Baocalsureats is the first formal event after