Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1919-01-30
THE HIGH SCHOOL
oPERETTA

The operetta, ,"The Japanese Girl,
presented by the high school girl
Friday, the Gath, was a decided sue
cess. In spite of unfavorable wealth
ef conditions, the Pastime Theatre
where it was given, was fairly crowd
ed, and the attention and interest o.
the audience was sustained to tn,
end. Many persons whose artistic
sense is fine and whose judgment i,
valuable, were unanimous in theil
opinion that it was one of the best, il
not the best entertainment that it ha.
ever been the privilege of the Estan
cia public to enjoy. Several sug.
gestions were made that the play be
presented again, and the directors Of
the play may act upon those sugges.
tions and present it again after some
lapse of time, very likely with some
slight changes in the arrangement.
A special addition to the stage had
| been constructed for the occasion,
giving it deeper appearance and
providing more ample room for the
twenty-five girls who took part in
the operetta. The stage was beautiful.
ly decorated in the picturesque Jap
anese style, with pretty colored Ian
, terms and a profusion of flowers fill
ing and overflowing artistic baskets
of various shapes and sizes. The
girls were very attractive in their
quaint japanese kimonos and their
artistically arranged chignons, and all
acted their parts in way worthy of
commendation. Some of the curious
Japanese ceremonies were rather diff
ficult to perform, but the players
came through without slip.
Some scenes were full of quiet hu-
NOR; as when Chaya, the servant, re-
naming on the stage after her mis-
tress and her friends have left, is so
perplexed by the multitude of things
she has to do that she can scarcely
collect herself enough to do any,
thing; or when the stiff American
governess with her two young lady
"prodigies," (who at the age of
eighteen have traversed all the fields
of human knowledge and "are not
finished yet") arrive in the Japanese
garden and are later caught in nap
and surprised by the playful Japan
ese girls, who although they under
stand English, BATTLE her attempt to
speak to them in French, Spanish and
Italian, and her futile effort to es-
cape, by their tantalizing, quaint
japanese chants and their opened
umbrellas, held out in front like
shields.
Others were full of a delicate
soothing charm; as when the hour of
the siesta has come and the heroine
is lulled to sleep, resting her head on
the lap of one of her attendants,
while the girls sing together the
beautiful Lullaby, until gradually,
one by one, with heads leaning upon
their shoulders, they are overtaken
by the genius of sleep.
Yet other scenes were alive with
an ardent spirit of enthusiasm and
patriotism; as when the heroine, in
spired by the thought of her brave
soldier-father, breaks out into the
animated song: "a Soldier Shall My
Hero Be-; or when after the gov
erness has been surprised in the gar
den, all join in singing their praises
to America, rounding up with an en-
thusiastic rendition of "The Star
Spangled Banner"
The accompanying music was
beautiful and was rendered in mas
terful way by Miss Ruby Connolly,
the music teacher, who through her
ability, patience, and perseverance,
has the largest share in the pro-
nounced success of the play. The
work of Mrs. Rousseau, who has ably
assisted Miss Connolly in the prepar-
ation of the nneretta is also highlY