The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-04-15
NIGH SCHOOL SHOW
IS A BIG SUCCESS
nneretta 'The Drum Major is
Creditably Staged by Young
People of Richland

r. IS over, and the hard work OF the
nost five months received its merited
reward in appreciation and applause.
Tho operetta 'The Drum Major" pro-
duced by the students of the Richland
b;ph school, under the supervision OF
Mice Ethel Smith, musical director OF
az Richland high school, will go down
= the annals of the social life of the
whole community as one of the best
Efforts of it's kind ever staged by a
school of this size.
When one takes into consideration
the fact that many members OF the
chorus had never had the slightest
rusical training until taken in hand
bv Miss Smith, it is all the more diff
Hcult to understand how she accom-
plished the finished production. OF
course, Miss Evelyn Yedica and Miss
Hazel Teachout, the principals, have
had previous training and are in the
habit of singing in public; neverthe-
less they could show few things to
many of the light opera singers whom
the writer has heard in what were
supposed to be pretty classy shows"
Costumes were imported to heighten
the effect of realism on the stage, each
one being representative of the sta
ton of the wearer and the age of the
play. Miss Teachout had two beau
tiful costumes, the one worn in the
second act, brocaded white satin, with
long lace train over the satin, showing
of to wonderful advantage her dash
ing brunette beauty. In fact, the con-
trast between the two principal char
acters formed one of the prettiest
features of the entire affair, Miss
Yedica being a dainty blonde while
Miss Teachout is decided brunette.
The acting of the various roles was
very we'll done; Carl Harding in the
part Of Jean, the delinquent lover of
Babette, was especially good. Mr..
Harding has a very fine voice and a
good stage presence and put on his
part in a very creditable manner. AL
va Armstrong was little weak on the
singing of his lines in the early part
Of the play, but later more than made
up for this. His acting was extreme
~ good.
Too much cannot be said of the work
Of Miss Teachout and Miss Yedica.
They were letter perfect in the entire
operetta and as both have beautiful
voices, they alone could have assured
the production of its ultimate success.
They were backed up by a well-trained
chorus, and certainly it would be diff
fcult to find two girls of equal talent
in towns many times the size of our
little community. It is to be hoped
that in the near future we may have
the privilege of hearing these beauti-
full voices in another production Of
equal scope.
That the affair was a success was
assured from a monetary standpoint
long before the box Office opened, all
reserved seats being sold several days
in advance, and before the curtain
was raised all standing room was sold
out. When anything is done in Rich
land it is done right.
To Miss Ethel Smith, musical direc-
tor OF the Richland high school should
be given the credit for the success at
tanned by the operetta.
She has been untiring in her eff
forts for the past four or five months,
In her training of the principals and
chorus, taking in hand a lot of raw
material and rounding out a finished
chorus of young men and women.
Miss Smith is "little, but Oh, my"
energy is often hidden in small body.
herself talented musician, she knows
now things ought to be done and never
gives up until the end she desires is
accomplished.
School will be out in another month
and what with commencement, dances
Tor seniors and juniors, etc., the whole
school has been very busy, but it will
be hard for them to do anything which
will so greatly please and entertain
the entire valley as the little operetta,
The Drum Major"
Mrs. S. McElvain and daughter Eth
el left the latter part of the week for
Horse Heaven to make their homes
with Mr.. and Mrs. w. S. Travis. The
trip was made in covered wagon so
that Miss Ethel, who is unable to leave
ner bed, would be as comfortable as
possible. We all greatly regret to
see Mrs. McElvain leave Richland. She
is one of the old timers and her devo-
ton to her invalid daughter made one