The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-01
SENIOR "OPERELLA'
Play of the University Glass Of '0s
Made a Hit With General
Public.
"a Sovereign and Copper One Of
the Best Glass Plays "Put
On" Here.

The senior class play given at two per-
formances Saturday at the Metropolitan
opera house scored a distinct success
especially from the standpoint OF the por-
ton of the audience not IN close touch
with university social life. AS the public
is asked and expected to attend the plays
1t is only fair that the productions should
be of broad enough interest to entertain
the whole audience The play Of 1908,
"a Sovereign and a Copper, mad TINS
breadth of scope and provided good en-
tertainment for all The play did not claim
for itself comic opera stature, being called
an "operella in three spasms." Its au-
thors were Earl P. Mallory, Alice T.. Dyar,
Irene p. McKeehan.
Miss Elizabeth Brown as the Princess
Coed shone with exceptional brill1ancy as
the leader Of the megaphone brigade drill.
her elaborate white gown picture hat and
fluffy parasol being in effective contrast
to the green trimmed red automobile
coats and caps of the brigade. This was
the most imposing picture of the series
The specialties began capitally with the
cooks chorus in which six little maids
representing brands Of breakfast foods led
by the cook extolled the merits of the
brands, the chorus being based upon the
six Little Wives in San Toy.
This was followed soon by the Books
and the Digs that was one Of the clev-
crest ideas in the piece. The girls were
costumed to represent the most extreme
type of Boston blue stocking, whom the
court Of Ski-U-Mah found wandering
about on the common on their arrival IN
a Virginia reel with unexpected levity
with the Books the dancers being en-
cased in ponderous tones, especially ram
iliar to university students.
Magician Burton called upon two gypsy
haids to help him in his kindly offices OF
getting the Sovereign" out OF scrape
and incidentally the characters, Misses
Grace Lavayea and Katherine Steele gave
a spirited gipsey dance. The basket ball
girls were very picturesque In their short
white costumes with red f1nishings. The
finale of the second act was the lotus
flower dance in which the court was put
to sleep by the graceful swaying Of the
creamy blossoms preparatory to wh1sk-
ing them back to Ski-U Nah.
The plot was quite in evidence, altho
not at all complicated. The sovereign
was "a jah whose kingdom in the open
ing scene suggested the university cam
pus. The sovereign is beset by a. relent-
less enemy which had inflicted upon him
many defeats. In order to strengthen
himself he proposes to marry the Princess
Coed in order to add her army to his, but
the princess has other ideas. In despair
when the food supply was cut off the
rajah was persuaded by his "Nautee'
family to make a journey to Boston to SET
great magician in whom the young PEG
pie have unbounded confidence and wht
has carried off with him all their hearts
The magician wins the consent of tn,
princess to use her army, but she is prom
ised she need not marry the rajah an(
the magician evidently connived at he
fragrant encouragement of Prince Ed, sol
of the rajah. When her army is marsh
aled it included a vigorous rush Of foot
ball heroes, seniors in caps and gowns
medics who stopped to dissect a victim
and others. The fool brought in as hi
offering for defense a group Of cripple
injured by overwork and showed then
off like wax works.
The camel act, by means Of whfcl
Magician Burton made his entrance In tn
last act, and Miss Grace Chadwick's soma
Nobody Is Looking but the Man in tn
Moon, were excellent individual special
ties. The comedians were Princess Nau
tee Six, in white slip and bonnet, Mis-
Irene McKeehan, and Prince Nautee Five
a big boy in bingham Knockers, Allen F
Brown.
The play went off with spirit and pre-
cis1on and the snappy, crisp effect ex
hilarated the audience as well the per
formers. The play was directed by Clay
ton D. Gilbert and reflected great cred
upon his artistic ideas and his disciplin
as a stage manager. Miss Ethel Malcol1
was responsible for the excellent effect
of the speciality pictures and the dancin,
and the Smith Costuming company prc
vided the splendid array Of clever an
handsome costumes