Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-02-03
HIGH SCHOOL PLAY
GIVEN LAST NIGHT
"Charley's Aunt" Brings Down the
House-Was a Big Success in
Every Way.


"Charley's Aunt" began to practice
for the production of the play. How
ever, a series of unforeseen Interrupt
tions has postponed it until Friday
night. The work of preparation has
been much increased, by reason of
these delays, and the members of
the cast have at times felt discourage
ed over the outlook. Regardless of
difficulties, postponed practices, ILL
ness or other troubles, the play came
off last night at the opera house.
A large crowd was in attendance.
In all the history Of our high
school, there has never been a fun
nier production than ''Charley's
Aunt" All the characters seemed
to have grown just for that particu-
lar place, and they worked together
with excellent results. Frank Mag,
as Jack Chesney, looked and acted
the part of a live young college man,
ito perfection, while Glenn Green
wood as Charley Wykeham, who has
the rare difficulty of having an
Aunt" and has also, the awful
handicap of being in love and not
knowing how to propose, acted in
such a way that it seemed impossi-
BILE to remember he was an amateur.
Both these boys had awful complica-
lions over love affairs, each tried to
help out, both got into more straits,
and both had to rage and rare and
become calm suddenly. Much quick
ness of wit, and agility of body was
required and these two basket ball
heroes always bounced around and
lodged at the proper moment.
Leslie Clifton, as dad Chesney'
was the very prototype of the self
satisfied, sober, middle-aged gentle
man-awfully correct, and some
what "chesty" over his own achieve
ments. Those who know Leslie's ma
tive modesty, were much surprised
to see him assume this part and play
it with all the pompous dignity of
a real English "Sir."
The two wards of Stephen Spet-
tigue, Amy Spettigue and Kittie YER
dunn, played by Ruby Whitman and
Marie Brown, fitted into difficult
places very cleverly. They were
charming young ladies indeed, with
whom the audience sympathized sin
cerely because they were watched
over continuously by their vulture
guardian, Spettigue. In their efforts
to escape his vigilance and give the
two boys the chance to propose, they
found some very hard situations
but their poise never deserted them
and they were. Of course, rewarded,
in the long run. The necessary
"gush" that had to be supplied, to
get into the graces of Charley's
Aunt, and the way they Influenced
that lady to get old spettigue's writ
ten consent to their marriages, was
beautifully done.
Antony sparboe, as the eccentric
attorney, Stephen Spettigue, was
fine. His rage over the girls visit
to Charley's Aunt, was only equal
ed by his modification when he dis
covers the supposed possessor of
millions, Donna Lucia, is Charleys
Aunt and therefore possible future
wife for him. His attempts to win
the favor of the supposed lady, and
his pursuit of her, in spite of inter-
ruptions, quite brought down the
house. But when he at length spread
out his handkerchief and knelt
thereon, and called the aged Donna
Lucia his "way-side foweret," every
boy in the audience screamed with
laughter, and the grown folks fol-
lowed suit.
The man, forced into feminine at
IllS, anu W dSI IhO
Aunt, was Donald Mckee. His gen.
uine but misguided intentions to be
really lady-like are source Ct aw-
full dismay to Charley and Jack, who
openly seem to be found Of the Aunt.
but who secretly curse themselves
for putting man between them
selves and the girls. The thicken-
ing complications grow worse, but
Donna Lucia plays "lady" to the
last, in spite of the awful depriva-
ton of drink or a smoke Once,
when alone, the temptation to smoke
became irresistible, and the lady"
grabbed a cigar, sat down and
scratched a match in a peculiarly
masculine manner, to- the great
amusement Of the audience. Don
AIDS makeup certainly made him
look the part he played, while his
impersonation Of the character was