The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-04-02
PLAY IS SUCCESSFUL
Crowded House Greets High School
Pupils in Their Presentation of
"Captain of Plymouth"
Colonial Day Play is Appropriately
Staged and Characters in the
Cast Are Well Taken.


Again the teachers and pupils Of
our Princeton high school have dem
onstrated their ability to bring to
satisfactory finish any dramatic
undertaking they may attempt.
The "Captain of Plymouth. pre-
sented by them at the armory last
Friday evening-with it's numerous
tuneful choruses, it's costumes so ac-
curately conforming to the period
represented, the many and varied
graceful drills that interspersed the
action, the ease with which the solo
and dialogue parts were executed,
and the graceful grouping of the
actors, all greatly enhanced by ac-
compartment of the High School
orchestra-is unquestionably the
finest thing of it's kind ever put be-
fore a Princeton audience.
To the thinking ones in the audi
ence-as chorus succeeded chorus, as
one beautiful picture gave way for
another, as one after another &C.
quilted herself or himself so credi-
tably, all moving so smoothly to
form a compact whole-there were
represented many weeks, even
months, of patience and hard work
on the part of the teachers, and hard
work, patience and perseverance on
the part Of the pupils which will
undoubtedly count in their future
life work.
When it is taken into consideration
that very few of the many whose
voices blended so beautifully can
read by note, Miss Writings able
training of the chorus can be better
appreciated. Also when one stops to
consider that comparatively few of
those who so gracefully accomplished
the drills have had much opportu-
nifty to see anything of the kind to
copy from, and the ease with which
the young people acquitted them
selves during the action of the play,
it will be borne in on one that Mrs.
Stroeter and her very able assistants
accomplished wonders.
The only help outside of the school
that was requisitioned, with the ex.
ception of the two who kindly took
the places in the orchestra made
vacant by sickness, was that OF
Claude Briggs, and as he is worthy
product of our high school, he car
scarcely be classed as an outsider.
His delineation of ''Miles Standish'
as the play called for twas partic.
ularly good.
Possibly to escape somberness the
playwright saw fit to depict Miles
Standish and his fighting men in
farcial way, SO that instead of the
dignifed little captain of history
we beheld ''swash-buckling" old
blade, and his followers were gotten
up in the costumes of our latter day
so-called "Coxey's army" rather
than those of colonial days.
The choice of the principal charac-
tiers was particularly good as re-
CARDS voice, status and general ap-
pearance, and it was also fortunate
shat most of them could be chosen
from the senior class.
David Umbehocker certainly looked
his part as sedate, solemn, dignified
old "Elder Brewster" and his solos
we're rendered in the astuere manner
required of his part. Gerald Nc.
Dougall, as ''John Alden, the fail
haired taciturn stripling," might
have walked right out of the pages
of any well-known edition of Long.
fellow, and his clear enunciation i1
singing was pleasant to hear
Dorothy Dickey quite won the
hearts of all by her protrayal .o1
"Priscilla'-modest, simple anc
sweet-and her voice is particularly
suited for the sweet songs required
of her. "Erasmus"-Mile Stan
dish's right hand man-was vel
taken by Earl Fullwiler, and Nellie
Foltz, as his sweetheart, "Mercy,'
did some good snappy work. Hel
song, with full chorus, was clear and
sweet. Ernest Nelson was indeed an
arrogant, boastful Indian chief in
the character of "Wattawamut, 81
and the rendering of his solo was
well received. Wonderfully vel
suited for the part of ''Katonka, ,
the graceful, sinuous Indian maic
was Hazel Scalberg, and her voice
was we'll modulated to the solo parts
Space does not permit to tell of the
individual work of each and all o1
the sixty odd, who by painstakine
endeavor made the play a success.
The thought and labor put on the
costumes alone count for a great
deal when it is remembered that al
of these young people kept thei1