Evening star., 1914-05-05
Mask and Wig Club.

Born in 1889 and advancing materially
year by year. the Mask and Wig Club
OF the University of PENNSYLVANIA seems
to have reached the climax of its career.
Judging from the standpoint of excel
ience of attainment. Closing its twenty
sixth anniversary tour at the Belasco
Theater last evening. the talented anna
teurs who compose the organization re-
turn to alma mater in triumph In THE
Royal Arms they seem to have sur
passed all previous efforts. This is praise
indeed. when il is recalled that the clubs
list of productions includes such nota BILE
successes Maid in Germany" Miss
Helen of Troy. MIR. Hamlet of Den
mark. Mr.. Asuinaldo of Manila" and
SO on back to Ben Franklin, Jr.. and
''Lurline.
Facing a Washington society audience
that crowded the theater and which in
ciuded many of the alumni of the uni
versity. the Mask and Wig Club enter
tanned for three hours in a manner
marked by enthusiastic and almost con-
tlnuous applause and other insstent de-
mands for encore. numbers. The club
was senerous in complying. The mem
bers of the cast and chorus worked as
though they We're strangers to physical
wearmesS. singing and dancing in a
manner equal to the efforts of profess
SionalS.
The Royal Arms" is a musical com
edN IN two acts, book by Darrell H.
Smith. with music mostly BY Charles Gil
pm. VINO is in large part responsible for
many of the clubs successes. The story
is of rich ChicaSoan travelling abroad
with his daughter and an adopted niece
who is later identified as a long-lost prin-
cess \ German prince and grand
duke travelling incog. in England fall in
love with the two girls. Their prime
minister Russian adventures an
American sleuth and an Italian detective
complicate things dreadfullv. but a
United States consul at the end straight
ems ont the tangle. the girls marry
their royal wooers and all ends happily.
I. r. Merrell, remembered for his Ger
man dialect and d. A. Hogan are among
those prominent in the cast Mr.. Hogan
as the American detective enters new,
field. having been assigned to female
roles heretofore, The others with leading
speaking parts are j. B. French.
Thomas Hart. R G. Morris. J. B. Mccall,
jr., p. NJ. Hesser W. NJ. Wright. Stan
ley Coar and L. r. Ivory.
| The production is crowded With action.
supplied nallopathic doses by the
Brighton Cadets, summer girls and
boys, hotel guests and walters, tourists.
| jack tars. masqueraders. fnturist maids
and men, hussars. drummer girls and
| cotton field folks. One of the special
features is a spectrum specially. unique
and gorgeous colored lights playing on
dancing figures in gay costumes against a
black velvet background. The new society
dances not overlooked
| The performance last evening seemed
without a flaw. The production was
| sumptuously staged. with special seen
cry and costumes. a great deal of care
evidently having been devoted to the de-
signing of the latter. especially the mod
| ern gowns worn by the girls
THE best ever was the general com
rnent as the audience departed-which
did not occur, however until the club
H., f.t,A
sung the familiar Pennsylvania song with
every alumnus present standing and Civ
ing Pennsylvania stirring yell with a
vim.