The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-03
Exceptional Work by High
School Students in
Colonial Play
CROWDED HOUSE
SEES NATHAN HALE
Hearty Applause-Net Receipts Ex-
pected to Be About $3.50 for Benefit
of School Paper.

pected to Be About $3.50 for Benefit
of School Paper.
With cast of p members of the Brat
tleboro high school, every one a star, the
Student Activities society presented the
patriotic play, Nathan Hale, by Clyde
Fitch, last evening before an audience
which occupied the entire seating capacity
of the Auditorium, while mary Others
stood throughout the performance IT
was one of .he best .oa.! productions ever
seen here. From thc beginning the cast
received the support and appreciation of
the audience, which was shown by ap-
plause, ripples of laughter or intense quiet
ness as the situations demanded.
From advance statements the public had
been led to expect that the play would
be well worth while, but the audience
was not anticipating such a finished per
formanee. That a company OF high school
students could be so oblivious to the pres
enee of the crowd and present so exacting
drama as Nathan Hale with such natur-
alness, which is the real test of good act
ing, was scarcely befevable They worked
like seasoned performers and there was
not a period in the four acts that did
not meet requirements. 1t was fully dem
onstrated that there is abundant histri-
onic talent in the high school, and it is
TO the credit OF, Principal Julius E. War
rem that this talent was developed and
rounded into shape. The members of the
cast say of him, HE can do anything"
There were parts that stood out promi-
nently, as In most theatrical pieces. but
| 1t was noticeable that the minor parts
were just as ably taken and helped to
make a perfect whole.
| Being laid in a Revolutionary war pc
riod and involving the British military
| department and the colonists, the play
required much in the way of costumes,
and these added materially to the attract
iveness of the scenes, as did the antique
| furniture and the interesting stage set
tings.
/ Nathan Hale was martyr of the Rev
olution, being executed by the British for
his loyalty to George Washington. At
Washington's call this New London school
teacher volunteered to act as a SPY and
/
formation which was of great value to
the American Patriots but which cost
| him his life, as he was suspected and his
true status was discovered after he had
gotten the information into the desired
hands The play follows accurately the
historical account of Nathan Hale's mar
tyrdom
The title role was taken by Roy Swift
v-1,;ia i.a IooJfpn fa,,,oIn oh
was katherine Denning as Alice Adams
Hale's betrothed Richard Rogers as Eb-
enezer Lebanon, Hales assistant in the
union grammar school in New London,
was the comedy character Mandy, Hale ;
colored servant, was impersonated by
Dorothy Hubbard. Clayton Piggott as
Lieut.. Col knowlton, Ernest Gibson as
Guy Fitzroy, Forrest Harmon as Capt.
Adams and Arthur Barrett as Cunning,
ham, took the leading parts among the
Britishers, while other leading roles were
Beatrice Seovell as Mistress Knowlton,
Julia Simonds as Angelica Knowlton, and
Leila Barber as the widow Chichester
proprietor of Chichester Tavern
All these young people acted with rare
tly good Judgment and received individual
applause, while no less commendable was
; the. work in less conspicuous parts of tho
remaining members of the company, who
were: Tom Adams, Ernest Wells; vii
! liam Hull yale l775), Allen Davis;
| Continental officer, Kenneth Morse; The
jefferson boy, James Irish; the Talbot
boy, Howard Rice; sentinel, Allen Bracll
EFT: lst soldier, Carroll Murch: ID sol
der. Howard Richardson's; Sd soldier
: Howard Gilbert; school girls, Carolyn
7 Warren, Laura Hoadley, Kathleen Ser
combe and Helen Manley; school boys
Kinson Doak, Carroll Cobb and Merrill
Coleman.
In the fourth act, while the execution
| Of Hale was awaited, there was singinl
off the stage by the boys glee club, whicl
intensified interest in the act.
n The high school and Baptist Bible schoo
orchestras combined gave number OF Sc
lections under the direction of Earl \
c Braman. musical instructor in the schools
I which were given hearty applause. Tn
n committees comprising members of tn
l. faculty and students, were as follows:
IS Rehearsals, Miss Osgood, Miss Wallis
Mr. Warren; costumes, Miss Pauline Fish
er and Miss Holland; staging and musis
Mr.. Warren and Mr. Braman: promptei
Miss Lyon; stage manager, Arthur Ban
..4t: business manager. Howard Rich
lardson: property man, Richard Rogers.
n 1t is impossible to state what the ne
lreceipts will be, but they are estimate
at $3.50. This will go into the treasur
a. of the Student Activities society, to b
1T used more especially for the support {
y the Dial, the school paper. Between tn