The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-05-08
MINSTRELSY AND MEDLEY


With all due consideration for the
efforts of the pupils of the public
school in the past it must be admitted
that the minstrel show and declama-
tory contest at the Orpheum, last Fri
day evening, was far and away the
best and most meritorious entertain
ment ever staged by public school
pupils in Oroville. This expression
was heard repeated time and again
by many of those. present at the close
of the program last Friday evening,
and reiterated since the evening of the
performance. Not alone was this ver-
dict based upon the presentation of
negro minstrelsy by girls, something
unusual and really unique in the way
OF a school girl venture ON the stage,
but from the excellency of the de-
clamatiOns. Taken as a rule school
recitations, especially among younger
children, is an embarrassing eXhibi-
tion of painful timidity, hating and
suffering delivery, sing song dirge,
in which the performer looks and acts
as though suffering martydom, re-
quiring the greatest stretch of the i'm
aginatiOn on the part of dOting par
ents to see anything more serious than
a joke in the performance. 1t was
happily, delightfully."-, altogether diff
ferent last Friday evening. Every
participant, from the oldest to the
youngest, stepped upon the stage with
confidence, faced the large audience
without perceptible tremor, spoke
their lines clearly and distinctly, had
their pieces almost letter perfect, and
gesticulated with ease and grace. The
exhibition indicated both careful study
and painstaking coaching. That the
efforts were appreciated was plainly
demonstrated by the liberal and gen.
erous applause that greeted every
number.
The entertainment was advertised
as a minstrel show, but prior to the
introduction of the colored artists rec
itatio-s we're given by members of
the hien school and graders. The OBJ
ject of the high school recitations was
the selection of a candidate to rep
resent the Oroville. school in the de-
clamatory contest to come off later in
the week during the interscholastic
meet. The graders recited for prizes
offered by Prof. Courtnay. E. e. Par
sons, A. e. McMahan and Mrs. Samson
were appointed judges to pass on the
merits of the contestants. Miss Goldie
Mitchell's selection was the Death
. Bed of Benedict Arnold" and that of
Miss Maud Keeler, "If." Both of the
young ladies handled their subjects
with much affect, showing thorough
study of the selections and careful in
depreciation. VIM. Cole and Lawrence
Dallam were pitted against each 9TH
er in the same selection, "Lasca."
Dressed in the regulation parapher-
MALTA of COW boys both young men
surprised their friends by the admir-
able manner in which they rendered
this much overwOrked combination of
drama and pathos. So evenly balanc-
ed seemed the contest that the judges
decided it draw, and it may be add
ed here that the boys stood to the
rack in a repeat two night later, when
the palm was awarded to Mr.. Cole,
whom the judges decided had shade
the best of it.
OF the younger contestants the fol-
lowing took part, with the titles of
their selections. Constance Greiger,
"The Wind" Vesta Minnick, "A Leap
for Life" Sydney jackson, "The
Wounded Curlew." Gladys Smith,
Mary had a Little Lamb" Orna Nc
Allister, "The Raggety Man., Paul
inc Schassberger, dot Baby of Nine"
Helen Jackson, Our Hired Girl"
Grace McAllister, Little Orphen An
nie." Addle Hart, "The Lost Steam
ship" John Killian, 'St. Peter at the
Gate" OF the efforts of these young
sters it would be difficult to express
too much praise. There recitations
were so far above, and such an i'm
prOvement over, the recitations that
are generally a part of school exer-
cises of this character, that there can
be no comparison with what this COM
munity has heard and seen along the
same lines in the past. There was no
hesitation nor embarrassment on the
part OF the little ones. They knew
their subjects thoroughly and spoke
them with freedom and ease only
possible where supported by absolute
confidence. Where all did so well
it was difficult for the judges to render
a decision, but the honors were award
ed to Miss Constance Grieger as the
first, Miss Pauline Schassberger Sec
ond, and Miss Gladys Smith third. The
latter recitation was in the nature of
triple part. At first the little miss
spoke her lines as though she had for
gotten the words and was struck with
stage fright 1t was so realistic that
many in the audience felt keen SYM
pathy for the young lady. She then
returned upon the stage reluctantly,
as though ordered by a teacher to try
again, and she repeated her piece with
hidden face in whimpering, half
crying voice, acting the part to per-
fection. At the third appearance she
ratified off the time honored lamb
story without halt or hesitation, bring
ing down the house that recognized
the play. Little Miss Grieger was as
near perfect in speech, accent, post
ure and gesture as one so young could
we'll be, and little Miss Schassberger
with her broken German grooming to
her babe, was delightful bit of speak
ing and acting.
At the close of the speaking and
after brief intermission the curtain
rolled up displaying to the audience
semi-circle of eleven young ladies,
as black as the blacklist natives of
blacklist Africa, decked out in the most
bewildering costumes supposed to
represent attire of the colored folks
they were initiating. Miss Rowena