Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-05-24
An Enthusiastic Audience Sees
Modernized Merchant Of Venice, =
High School Satire on 6hakespearean Classic
Elicits Encomiums Eleven Girls 10 Inter-
estiug Pantomime.

Football yeiis and school songs "a
liserea the performance last nishr
81 TIE Merchant q Venice Up TO
Dais." which ~as presented under he
auSpic~s ~ the seniors ~ ne Hssh
school in ooanerfion with the osfn-
msncemsnt exercises. The class plss
lfssif was given h ereaitshae proauc.
lion and the rantomime IN whieh
eleven girls look par sss sfso praiser
worthy. IN fact. n sas me ccnssa.
s,is of opinion Of the spectators thar
the entestainmlsni ~as one q the
rfeyeress amateur fheatricais they had
ever witnessed. The audience was
as sppreciatiss ~ n ~as iarge and
eyinced lis approval with frequent
and spontaneous applause.
Unlike most homo talent plays the
little farce comedy moved aiong with
a snap and q dash that was delightful
There was not a hitch a. any Kind
during the psrforfsance and there
was no long tedious waits between
the acts either. Meme III the boys or
girls showed any SIGNS of stage fright
and on the contrary appeared 10 be
remarkably self.posssssed. Special
costumes in keeping with the various
roles hayl been engaged and tho
scenery used gave proper environ
ments 10 the play. One must needs
have seen the old Shakespearan
drama 10 appreciate tha hnmor n
this modernixed version of the ''Mer
chant Of Venice"
shyiock In this later day adoption
which Il designed as trasestry for
high school students instead of exact
inr the pound ri flesh from Antonlo.I
changes his tactics somewhat and d..
mands q pound Of hair shorn from the
shaggy head nf the youth who ~
the captain Of the Venice football
team. Like Sampson the youths
strength lies IN his hair and Shylock
concocts this scheme 10 asense him.
self and casriet his plan ints exeeai-I
iIon on THANKSGIVING day. The Gun.
ming old scoundrel appears on the
eridiron during the midst of the
great game, Antonio being led away
by a dapper young policeman with
stuffed billyclnb. The court scene II
also a clever little buriesaue showing
the defendant and his followers still
clad In their football togs.
There are q number of faughabie
during the rendition OF the
play which admits of the injection Of
an unlimited amount OF local color and
the youthful thespians did not over
look any Of the opportunities to poke
d little fun MT teachers and fellow
students, All OF the boys and girls
who had been assigned speaking roles
acquitted themselves so meritoriousiv
that II would be unfair to single ont
a few for special mention and lack on
space forhids criticism Of each indi-
vidual. A number OF students whose
names do not appear In the program
IN the make believe foot
hall game and gave Il realistic ef.
feet. 8e
The inlay was supplemented by q
pantomime In which eleven young
ladies appeared. Ten NJ them attired
ID flowing white Grecian robes went
through series Of striking poses
while one of them recited the famine
lines OF Longfellow's fAmous
POEM "1iiawatha." !" The speskerI
snoke with PLEASING distinction while
those doing the living picture stunt
performed their part In graceful nni-
son. + 4. <:
The members OF the Junior class