East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-03-21
.ELKS SHOW CHORUS
Is SIMPLY GRAND
Young Ladies' and Gentlemen Re-
hearslng Faithfully-Chorus Has
Been Carefully ChOsen-There Is
Plenty of HumOr In "The College
Pennant"-NIinor Parts Good.

With a few more rehearsals. the
chorus in "The College Pennant" will
be ready to appear in public for the
first time on Wednesday next at the
Oregon theater. This musical show
will be the annual offering of the To-
cal lodge of Elks and from the way
the rehearsals are being conducted,
the production will be among the best
! things seen in Pendleton this season.
The chorus has been carefully cho-
sen, the first necessity of course be-
ing that full volume of sound be
| produced. A weak chorus Is always
failure and spoils the best of pro-
ductions. Director Brown, who is
conducting the rehearsals. has an ear
| for voice and he has taken the best
talent in this particular line for the
| Elks play. So it can be safely said
that the chorus will be fully up to all
the flattering comment that can be
made of it, There is a deal of work
| yet to be done, however, and the par
ticipants, who are new to the stage
will have to be drilled in team
work so that the dances and gyrations
| will be in strictest harmony. The
chorus is responding readily to every
suggestion and on the first night of
the musical should be UP to the limit
of perfection.
From the fact that some of the
best known Pendleton folks are in
the cast, local playgoers will likely
await with much anticipation the
dates of the offering
Rehearsals win proceed every ev-
ening until next Wednesday, the first
night of the offering, the chorus be-
ing drilled early in the evening and
the character parts latterly, while pri-
vate rehearsals of those who take
more prominent parts are also being
held. Most of the lines have been
committed to memory. Close applica-
ton now to the technique of acting
should bring the participants to a
high standard of excellence.
To mention this musical show and
forget to include the commedfans
would be a dire calamity, for 1t is the
funmakers who are going to decide
whether the show is a success or not.
1t is safe to say, however, that those
chosen to fill these most difficult
roles will do their parts exceptionally
we'll.
Jack Urquhart and Jim Estes, as
the Dutchmen, will provoke much
laughter One of the funniest sftua-
tions is placed on the island where
the captain OF the steamer Columbia
larSGs the passengers and crew in or
der to rescue Bob StubbIe (Brooke
DicKson). The Dutchmen proceed to
seek for clews OF the young man and
in their search discover foot prints in
the sand. Not being versed clearly
in the art of detective work they have
procured a book which gives direc-
tons how to proceed when following
clews. So they look up what to do
when they find foot prints, and say
this scene is guaranteed to make ci-
gar store indian snTile.
To step from the ridiculous to the
sublime is always short step, and in
The College Pennant' there is fun
well mixed with the. deeper shades
of sentiment, such as love-making for
instance There is a pretty love scene
between NhANS. my
Alexander) and Dick Holbrook (Roy
Buchdnan) which is as good as has
ever been placed behind the foot
lights. These. two characters in fact
have stellar parts throughout the
play and they have entered into them
with the enthusiasm Of professional
stage people.
1t is: not a good plan to overlook
the smaller parts, for ia many in-
stances it is just these parts which
make or mar the piece. AS matter
of fact, there are few minor parts in
1.-The College Pennant," but no play
has ever been written In which all
take star parts, SO with this particu-
lar production there are incfdentals
upon which hinge the plot Of the
story.
If the newsboy Raggsey George
Gillette) had remained away from the
wharf ON the day the Columbia sailed.
the captain paul Sperry) would not
have purchased a paper which con-
tanned the news of the murder at the
college, 1t Is Raggsey, therefore, who
is responsible for circulating the news
of the crime; and it Is through this
knowledge and the belief that Bob
Stubbte is innocent. that leads Captain
Starboard to determine to help the
youtsg college man. Mr.. Gillette will
undoubtedly enact his part with real
ism For the time he is on the stage
he should be a newsboy in fact and
forget that he Is a businessman or
knows anything about business-and
from the way he is rehearsing 1t Is
safe to say that he will be a regular
Richard Mansfield-which Is saying
good deal, for II Mansfield had ever
essayed to be a newsboy he would
have been the best newsboy that ever
appeared on the stage
O'Brien, policeman (Walter Wag-
goner) is another who should be men
toned for the efforts he is making to
have the character a personality rath-
or than a shadow. 1t Is these parts
which will be the pivots upon which
the remainder of the play will swing,
and II a minor detail is poorly taken
or If there Is a lack of enthusiasm,
the effects will be noticeable.
Dnyyc WANT ANTI