Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-23
PleaSeS Two Large Audiences
Here Last Week.
GIVEN IN ST. MARY'S HALL
In Spite of the Fact that the Opera
was Produced in One Week. Was
Pleasing to All who Attended,
Written for The Democrat.

ger auu ulreCtor OF entertainments, On-
der the management and auspices of
Trinity Episcopal Guild, the light opera
"Pinafore, was given in st. Mary's
Hall to the appreciative delight of two
large audiences. 1t would have been
impossible, for even Mrs. Hooking
Smiths energy to achieve such a
charming result in one week, without
the constant and efficient work of the
four ladies Of the committee on ways
and means, Mesdames Frank Ludden.
Homer Ludden. Robert Smith and Fred
Spratler; and the frequent practices Of
the cast. The thanks of the Guild are
due to the many outside the Parish,
who so kindly and generously donated
their services rs members of the cast.
The stage the best one in town-was
attractively set in white. with the
quarter deck and companion ladder in
the middle background.
Mr.. Henry Frieden made an impres
sive gallant captain Of the Pinafore."
and Mr.. Clarence Wackman as the Ad-
miral. Sir Joseph Porter, who was the
Monarch of the Sea-" was quite wor-
thy of Chicago loop theatre. His i'm.
personation, appearance and phrasing
were all good.
To say that James Knight was "Dick
Deadeye" himself, means that he pro.
badly received more attention, and GER
tainly caused more amusement and
laughs than anyone ON the stage; and
in Mr. Dunwiddie's characterization Of
'the Bos'n" he had fit companion.
Miss Rhoda Hughes AZ the lovelorn
sailor lad, Ralph was delightful In
her manly airs aud feminine grace.
Josephine, tho lass who loved y
sailor" had dainty exponent In Miss
Florence Hughes. whose cultured.
strong. high soprano voice showed to
advantage In the music Of her part
When she and Ralph" danced, during
chorus, they had the lightnsss and
grace of fairies; and In their duets the
blending of mezzo aud soprano was
! beautiful. .,..ro
Miss Ruby Hughes was no whit be-
hind In her rendering Of the part Of
Little Buttercup," who Strengthened
things up. To the general public In
Mineral Point, who have heard the
three Hughes sisters only in trios or
duets, it was distinctly pleasant sur
prise to learn the high range Of Miss
Ruby's deep contralto, and Miss Rhoda's
mezzo- soprano, and the richness Of
their high notes. The benefit Of the
two years of vocal study by those sis.
ters In Milwaukee was delightfully."- ap-
parent.
When the crestfallen "Sir Joseph
was musically announcing that he
could not live alone" and pretty
little Miss Stephenson as Hebe
assured him that he still had one de-
voted admirer, it was evident that Dame
Fortune, who had brought him from
polishing the handles Of the big front
doors" to ruling "Tae Queens Ma wee,
was still befriending him. The chorus
was strong and good and the costumes
were most becoming. The "aunts'
were fully as attractive and lively as
the sisters and the cousins.
Before the curtain was raised, Miss
Catherine Hutchison read synopsis Of
the opera, and between acts she gave
two readings. The French Canadian
patois of the first was remarkably we'll
done, as was, also, the boy talk OF the
second. Miss Hutchison is II graduate
of the Northwestern School OF Expires
sion.
Each of the other specialize" was
mo.v attractive, and was given in cos.
thine by members VI the chorus Miss
Ruby Hughes as the Little Bis1de
Doll" who had "a pain in her sawdust"
was a veritable "OIyiHpfa'' from The
Tales of Hoffman," and Mr.. Frieden,
who wheeled her ont onto the stage on
truck and then set her in position,
was most excellent in his anxious and
proud care Of her appearance. Miss
Florence Hughes-of the stage sang
the verses of the song aud Miss Ruby
the chorus.
Miss Blanche Fox was dashing
Jack % Lantern Girl" and sang her
part well and the same remark applies
10 her companions, the Misses Florence
Knight and Shirley White. On left
and right Of Miss Fox was Osmond Fox
and George Knight, and right and left
driving lines held by Roman Healy
aud Harvey Huxtable who also carried