Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-06-12
MoDERN1zE ANCIENT PLAY.
The Merchant of Venice" as Pre-
sented by Senior Glass.

The High School Senior class day
exercises of last evening, except a
solo by Louise Miles, consisted of a
play, "The Merchant of Venice Up
to Date,' which included most of the
Senior class. Considerable liberties
were taken with this classic play, it
abounding in local hits. Shylock, in
the person of Herman Hawkins, was
gambler and a friend of Tubal,
Lyn Matheney, captain of the Inde-
pendence football team. Ray Boyd
ston, as Antonio, and his friends, Fred
Gooch as Bassanio, and Hershal
Pritchard as Gratiano, decide to bor-
low "Ponies" from Shylock in order
to pass the Latin examination, which
Bassanio, a suitor of Portia, Elya
Lucas, must pass in order to fulfill
the will of her eccentric father and
win her hand.
Three caskets, containing questions
on Caesar, Cicero and Virgil respec-
lively are placed on the table as per
the original. Antonio has only been
able to get a "pony" for Caesar of
Shylock for his friend Bassanio, as
no football player has. ever gone
farther than that in Latin. Bassanio
must then choose this casket or fail.
He chose the casket inscribed, "Who
chooses me will get it in the neck, !"
which proves to be the Caesar casket.
And in spite of the watchfulness of
schoolmistress, Miss Abby Threedice,
Frieda Neal, succeeds by the aid of
his "pony' in passing the exam.
In the meantime, Shylock has pro-
posed to and been rejected by his
ward, Jessica. He locks her up, but
by the aid of his servant, Launcelot
Gobbo, Harold Miller, she escapes and
marries her lover, Antonio. Shylock,
in his bond, exacts ga pound of hair
nearest the BRAIN of Antonio in case
his friend Bassanio fails to return the
"pony" in a month. The "pony"
is not returned and he determines to
exact the fearful penalty on the day
that the great Thanksgiving game be-
tween Independence and Dallas is
played. In the midst of the game he
is arrested and taken into court. Bas-
sanio begs of Shylock to take his hair
instead, but Antonio replies that as he
is a senior this is his last year any
way, and Bassanio must keep it so he
may lead the team in future.
In the courtroom scene the disguised
Portia decides that Shylock must have
his bond, but begs that he will en-
ploy barber to do it smoothly. Not
being in the bond Shylock refuses
this, but again the young judge, Por-
tia, declares that as the hair must be
removed nearest the brain specialist
must be called to locate the brain.
Arthur Miles, as Prof. Sweigenhau-
genblumenheimer, P. H. D., L. L. d.,
A. S. S. p. d. L., is called and with
an Xray instrument finds he has no
brains. Before the court recovered
from its CONSERVATION, Gabbo lets
loose mouse he has found in trap.
Portia and Nerissa jump on chairs,
loose their caps and disclose their
identity, while Laird Woods as police
man leads off Shylock.
Elva Lucas as Portia, Pauline Coad |
as Jessica, and Davie Odom as Cob
bo S mother deserve especial mention,
while Harold Miller kept the audience
in a gale of merriment by his pranks,
and Herman Hawkins as Shylock, and
Fred Gooch were both good Fred
West coached the players.