Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1920-02-11
LARGE AUDIENCE
DELIGHTED WITH
MARRYING MARY
Fourth Annual U. G. T.
Show Makes a Big Hit
at the Colonial

+NIi duulcHCC lIlttt IAONQCtt lHc W.
lonial theater Friday night at the first
performance of "Marying Mary,
the fourth annual show under the
auspices of st. Johnsbuly Council,
No. 23O, United Commercial Travel
lcrs, witnessed one of the best local
talent productions ever seen in St.
Johnsbury. 1t is sparkling musical
comedy with nearly 100 pretty girls,
plot that is interesting and filled
with delightful humor, pretty seen
cry, wonderfully effective groupings,
and played by a cast that in every
detail was entirely competent.
marrying Mary was repeated alta
matinee this afternoon and the best
performance of the slow will be
given tonight before what promises
to be capacity house. AS is usu-
ally the case with amateur produc-
tions the performance improves with
every presentation and tOnight's
show will be free from any slight inn
pcrfections which were noticeable the
first night.
The plot of the play is unusually
entertaining. John Gibson expects to
/ become heir to large hotel property
but he had told Buckskin Ben, the
man who has the settlement of the
estate, that he is Il married man. The
Westerncr appears unexpectedly and
it is up to John to produce wife.
; The hotel porter, Minnie, the cook,
and the housckecpcr come to his res
cue. All three appear before Buck
skin Ben as Gibson's wife. The COM
plications come thick k>and fast until
Buckskin Ben discovers that John
is really not married but is deeply in
love with his (Bcn's) niece Mary, the
charming village school teacher So
it all ends happily by John getting
his bride and the estate also.
The play is intcrspcrscd with songs
which introduce large and well
drilled chorus. The scene of the play
is in the flower garden of "Thc Glib
son House" and is very attractive.
Miss Lillian Richards as the Quak-
cr girl gave a rarely fine performance
She read her lines perfectly and sang
/ in Il delightful soprano voice. Few
orofc 3sional performances in this
"a have produced = moro enjoy
sooist. She made q very charm
p "n :. 'urc in her modest Quaker
gt,.
i.o{ 'crwood. who carried the
~ 'es' .,rt of the play, did excel
len. d, k" A sonorous voice in the
wings that persisted in prompting. him
before he needed to be prompted
marrcd somewhat the effect of his
work. Mr.. Caldcrwood acted with
entire case and seemed to be enjoying
the complications he was making by
his loose use of the truth. with
Miss Richards he sang with fine effect
"rhc Only Girl" assisted by the
chorus. His song "Prctty Girls" was
specially fine bit of work.
Mrs. b. +. Doyle was excellent as
Minnie, the cook. The love-making
complications of the play centcrcd
about her. 1t was easily conceivable
. that so attractive a Gcnizcn of tho
kitchen might upset all the usual rou-
tine of the household. Mrs. Doyle
read her lines perfectly and had an
case and charm that was irresistible
Mrs. Il. T.. Sargent got II lot OF
good laughs as Miss Whitcomb, the
+ maidenly housckeepcr who was not
adverse to being wooed. She gave
, "Clcopattercr' as speciality and go'
| some good laughs.
, Fred l.. Follensby, as Peter Jones
, the porter, had very difficult par,
but he did admirably well. Harold
C. Abbott was excellent as the West
, crner "Buckskin Ben" His acting
! could not have been improved upon
:, From a musical standpoint the en-
, tire performance was thoroughly en-
ioyablc. The hit of the show was
p "Thc Song of the Rose" as sung BY
Miss Lillian Richards, assisted by q
> group of Northeastern Vermont's
!, pretticst girls. Miss Richards was a,
, her best in this number and her rici
soprano voice filled the thcatcr. The
girls presented delightful picture
in their evening gowns and thelI
groupings were effective in the varl-
n colorcd light thrown upon them.
; Two numbers Of real Western fla
; vor were "The Cowboy Wedding and
: "Thc Medicine Man." The solo part
: of the former was sung by Berhlt
; Hall and assisted by group Of cow.
!. boys and cowgills, tn" humber went
: over with IL "whoop." "Thc Medicine
: Man" as sung by Paul Farnham was
2 good.
| Allen Hunter and Miss Richards
. na>,c an excellent opening with
. "Summey Girlics" assisted by the
chorus. The "Moonlight Scrcnade'
: by Miss Thclma Roman, assisted by u
: scxtcttc, was excellent.
}, "Some Pretty noll,H was an excel
!, lent number as sung by Walter Cox
$ assisted by Miss Lcona Trcmblay and
$ Miss Dorine Drouin and group OF
: pretty young girls Mr. Cox sang in
! fine voice and put lot of "pcp" into
L the number. Miss Kathleen Chaifct