The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-04-28

ence already won; the vitality and
merriment intrinsic in the play took
possession of both sides of. the foot
lights from the first rise of the cur
tain.
The two dominant moods of the
play-the romance and poetry of the
Viola story, and the hilarious fun of
the incompatible buffoonery of Sir
Toby and his satellites-were clearly
contrasted, and carried forward in
parallel development with not little
skill. The audience manifestly took
the roisterers to it's heart from their
first entrance, and rejoiced in every
succeeding temperance. The young
women who presented these Joyous
rascals are to be highly complimented
on the response they got from the
audience. 1t is no easy task in these
grim days to make the sheer wild
love Of life of the Elizabethan con-
Yincing and contagious. Almost as
far from us, too, is the poetic extrava.
gance of Viola's nature; and the work
in portraying the romance Of her
weet-and-twenty" is perhaps even
more to be praised as it required
subtler and therefore less easily
grasped effects than the broad COM
edy of the other group called for
1t was pleasure to hear the laughter
fall to silence under the simple rem
dering of some of the beautiful lines
of one of Shakespeare's most winsome
parts.
The acting was supported by most
effective handling of the play as a
whole. Perhaps the point of highest
excellence in the shaping of the whole
into unit effect was the swiftness
with which the scenes followed each
other. Each scene was cut off from
the next by a brief blottinS of the
light, merely, This device gave the
play the swift flowing action which
was Shakespeare intent
Less obvious, but equally important
in securing this quick tempo, was the
firm hold of all the actors on lines
and situations, and the precision and
speed with which cues were taken
and movements made. All these con-
tributing excellences brought the play
to close in two brief laughter filled
hours, without cutting any line or
scene
The spirit and the speed of the
whole were reinforced by gay costum-
ing, quickly dissolving groups of good
proportion and balance, and effective
ly closed by the spirited dance on
which the final curtain fell. 1t is a
matter OF pride and interest for Wi
mona to have an annual production of
such merit; and it is easy, already,
to prophesy a full house for next
years production.
Last nights was a superior pro.
duction, finished in every detail and
revealing the hand of a master. The
audience was thoroughly appreciative
as indicated by the spontaneous ap-
plause.
The proceeds, which were rich,
will be turned into the endowment
fund. Donald Robinson, national
dramatic critic, assisted in the final
| work of perfecting the details. In
Winona's history nothing SO preten.
tious and SO remarkable has been at
| tempted.
Window: On Sunday, April %, a
large flag, the gift of the local coun'
| Gil, knights of Columbus, was raised
on the grounds of st. Francis Xavier
Church. in the presence of the parish
| toner's and many non-Catholics.
patriotic discourse, showing how fit
ting that the flag, the emblem of our
country, should be raised beside the
cross, the emblem of our faith, was
delivered by the pastor, Rev. II. j
Mckenna. At the close the entire
congregation Joined in singing 'The
Star Spangled Banner"