The Washington herald., 1908-04-29
Representative Audience En-
joys Production.
BOYS CHORUS GIRLS
"When Congress Went 10 Prince
ton" High-cIass Musical show.
George washington One of the
Characters-Ciever Electric Effects
and Admirable Singing.

of a clever musical comedy, When Con-
| gress Went to Princeton" It was a most
interesting audience, made up TO a large
extent of young people, and there were
| beyies OF young ladies from Washington
and adjacent schools, besides many
friends and parents Of the scholars who
were performing In the play
For the nonce the interior of the the
/ ater was transformed. College colors
were everywhere generously displayed.
/ The two stage boxes were covered with
| banners OF blue. with the word Prince
ton" in gold letters, and draped about
the balconies were the banners and col
| ors of many other colleges. with here
and there punches Of roses tied with the
| college ribbons.
The upper galleries were well filed. and
evidently with students or close chums of
students. for long before the curtain
went up on the opening there were col
/ lege yells and evidences OF enthusiasm.
and during the show. whenever anything
! especially good was done, and there were
| a great number Of simply bully numbers.
| the applause and the yells were rather
exciting.
The play, When Congress Went to
Princeton is really a pretentious musi-
cal comedy. one so good that it is plain
to be seen that with the benefit Of expert
stage management and performed by pro-
| fessionsls 1t would beat fully one-half of
/ the alleged musical comedies that have
/ been put on in recent years Il tells
dignihed story, in a semi-humorous way
a story that really deals with an histori-
/ cal episode in the early days OF the re-
public, It Is filed with good and rather
high-class music; has plenty Of comedy,
! a lot of good acting, and II is admirably
| staged, with some excellent electric ef-
fects.
4 Historical Play.
The whole plot OF the piece is based on
the historical fact that there was a time
when the Congress OF the United States
was moved from Philadelphia to Prince
ton. which thus became. for the time
being. the actual Capital OF the United
States. Real historical facts have been
worked into this humorous treatment of
an interesting historical phase, and the
/ characters of Peyton Won Vorckler. the
Dutch Minister. sent over to recognize.
early the new republic; Monsieur Bien-
tot. John Kildeer an Indian student at
Princeton; Simpson. and Kirke, are based
on authentic historical records.
So. too. with certain incidents IN the
/ play The dancing class that was held
in the tavern in the first act; the Incl
| dent Of the fmpertinence of Simpson. the
/ lackey. 20 the Dutch Minister. and the
| arrival of George Washington al Prince
ton are all matters Of history. The reso-
lutions Of the trustees Of the college in
| regard "a the dancing class, as they were
! read in the second act, are copied from
| the original manuscripts. Not only this
/ but the backdrOp Of the second act, which
| showed Old North as It appeared in 17S3.
the time OF the action Of the play. was
/ copied from an old print which showed it
/ exactly as it appeared.
4 Good Cast.
The cast presenting When Congress
Comes to Princeton" was as follows:
General Washington. Whitman 1910
Nathaniel Ferguson NJ. Ewing r l9o9
jonathan Brandywine Congressman.
Ge1rge Armstrong 1893
AnthonJ ofaThaWk. r. Thompson. 1911
/ His Exeeneney Payton van Verekler, Minister
from Netheriands.......F. /. Cunningham, 1919
Capt. Michael Burke Of the English army.
travelling as Capt Euquesne Of the Con
tinental army. ...........-...F. A. C0nnor Z. q
81 HenH Pierre Bientot. dancing teacher.......-..
..................... j. T. Nevers fqls
Horati0 Prescott. student.........C Vein IT, ias
Another student -.---N K Cas-. lsl9
John Kildeer. a Delaware Indian-D. D. Balm 1919
simpson, Braadywines seTvant...N. F. Carroll, 1900
| Christopher Kirke, proprietor Of the Sign Of
the college X. Elder 1893
CloTiBda Brsndywine .........- Brown Rost0n 1910
Kitty kiTke Roy s. Durstine 1873
Susette. bsrmaid T. Whitlock IT,, 1919
Officers Of the elub-Roy S. Durstine 1913 presi-
dent Norman r Carroll. 1909. secretary; Thomas
S. Taliafsrro. 1903, manager, and Walter g. Dun
lop. 1909 assistant manager
Act 1.-The taproom at the inn at the Sign Of the
College. ETening Of September q. 1!S5
Act 1.-THE campus The next evening
The piece Is full of good music, of
higher class than is usually expected from
shows Of this character. It's acting. too.
was considerably above the average of
the ordinary amateur performance. The
work OF F. L. Cunningham as Payton
Won Verckler was full Of good, unctuous
comedy. and the cleverness OF Roy s.
Durstine as Kitty Kirke was surprising.
He made up remarkably well and he
acted the part of the pert daughter of
the innkeeper with assurance and con-
vineingness.
mat" by F. L. Cunningham and F. r.
Elder Mr. Roy Du stine made his first
hit with "Stage-coach Days. an inter-
polated song, composed by himself. 1t
runs:
When Phyllis. the belle takes TIP. You can tell
Exactly the probable reason.
She's Just going down to the next good-sized town
To see all the styles Of the season
A packet has landed as sure as can be-
Il brought silks and satins from over the sea;
'0d's Needles" she cries. in a voice that would
trance it.
The truth is there really was no rapid transit
CHORUS.
There's much hesitation along the way
With scarcely a change Of scene;
It's quick transportation and yet you say.
It's not as quick it might have been.
But when you embark on a coaching "trip
You've got to expect delays.
It's hardly my notion
OF quick looomotion
In stage-ec days.
The way Mr.. Durstine sang It was in
imitable.
Full Of Good Songs.
But the show from beginning to end
was full Of good songs. There was a big
hit in You're the Only One Worth
While" sung by F. A. Connor and Brown
ANO''eCii' anu AtiS -aAAuStt Dy y. L.
Meyers, Brown R0lston. the students, and
the ponies were eneored until everybody
was tired. One e the prettiest numbers
in the whole show was Good Night"
sung by n. r. Cass and the chorus. The
electric effects here were most exeellently
managed. and the whole ensemble was
unique. Just after this enter George
Washington, and on that tremendous fig
ure-looming so large in the heart of
mankind that he cannot for many years
yet ever be a successful figure on the
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