Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-23
DRAMA CLUB LIGHT
OPERA DELIGHTS BIG
AUDIENCE AT 0. H. s.
miss CHERRY BLOSSOM" a ROuS-
ING SUCCESS VERDICT OF
AMUSEMENT CRITICS is UNANI.
NOUS.

Members of the Ottawa Drama Club
who have staged some Of the biggest
amateur stage hits ever given by local
people, are today consratulating them
selves upon their latest and best pro
duction, which was produced last night
in the high school auditorium The
play, Miss Cherry Blossom" was like
breath OF summer aid from The time
the curtain lifted on a stage beauti-
fully depicting yard OF Japanese
tea house until it fell after the grand
finale.
Myriads OF wistaria and hundreds o.
chry ysanthemumS We're blooming
around the fence at the back Of the
stage and around the laticed doors
Of the tea house Tle same stage set.
Sings We're used through the three
acts. For this rea on the members OF
the cub were able to make them very
beauhfu and realistic. deyoting all
their time to the one setting.
Miss Cherry Blossom" could not be
otherwise than the greatest hi. for
several years, considering the talent
that was assembled for the pr0juc-
ton, That group Of local people
were able to turn out such a clever
affair speaks much for both the dl-
rector, James c. Crandall, and the
members of the club, who have worked
II /. in o. lN EGtnr9l ulAL..
Miss Martha Hinebaugh, in the title
role, Miss Cherry Blossom, was beau
tiful and al. that could be expected Of
Japanese maiden. Her soprano voice
was never heard TO better advantage
than last evening Cherry Blossom
was the daughter of rich New York
er who had visited Japan many years
before. While there both he and his
Wife had died OF fever, leaving his
daughter in the hands OF his secre-
tary. The secretary turns the child
over to a Japanese tea house keeper,
kokemO. who raises her as his own
daughter When she is Is he wishes
her to marry a rich politician, Togo
and at this same time Worthington
her fathers secretary, appears on the
scene, bringing with him John Henry
Smith a rich New Yorker.
Smith falls in love with Cherry, and
he action Of the play centers around
his efforts to outwit KoKemo and
Togo. Eventually Cherry learns her
true identity and through a change o.
fate is permitted TO marry Smith.
Miss Alyena Scherer, who takes the
patt Of Jessica, an American girl is
equally as pleasing as Miss Hne-
baugh. Her acting with Justin Jaeger
who is cast as lovesick American
youth extremely jealous of Jessica,
was very clever.
Probably the greatest hits of the
evening were Walter Nertney as ko-
keno and Harold Lindemann as Togo
These two young mem won records as
comedians which they will never be
able to live down. The entire per
Torrance was excellent, and each per-
son in leading role and each mem
ber of the two choruses were so we'll
fittei to their part i. would be diff
ficult matter to ass anyone as the
star performer of the entertainment.
The solo dance given by Miss Ruth
Dieterich and James G. Crandall at
the beginning Of he second act was
wonderful. The dance came just after
a very beautiful solo, Starlight by
Miss Vera Ham, one Cf the city's best
Young vocalists, while the giesha
chorus was grouped at the back Of
the stage in an attitude Of devotion
Miss Ham, Miss Dieterich and Mr..
Crandal are all artists whom ii would
be difficult to surpass, and the trio
could not have been staged to better
advantage than in this scene.
Probably the members of the giesha
chorus staked their most popular song
and dance of the evening in the last
act when they sang and danced The
Garden of My Dreams and the Amer
ican chorus scored their biggest hit in
their son. "The Game Of Love- The
men and women OF the chorus ap-
peared in full evening dress for this