The Washington herald., 1920-02-15
ficial duties tend to develop thai
By E. c. DRUM-HUNT

Some one was teInng tne the sthst
day-can't recall just who II was
that society people abroad have
costuming q feature of. their enter
tainments more than we do hero
and that when they travel they usu-
ally carry along with them a col
lection of make-ups. The same per-
son-who was that now? can't
think!-said that they, came over
here on the ship with Lord and Lady
Glenconner and that the latter ar
ranged a fancy dress party for the
children on the trip over. She was
provided with all sorts of costumes
tor her children but the mothers of
the American children had to Inn
provise costumes the best they
could.
Then the Princeton Triangle Club
show. The Isle Of Surprise" pre-
sented here last week suggests the
same thought It was a bunch Of
college boys dressed up. BUT believe
me! (excuse the slang) Those college
boys put on the best musical comedy
have seen in many a day! 1 never
saw a professional show that sur
passed II and very few that could
touch 1t in cleverness! / haven't a
criticism to make-not that I'm a
critic. The scenery was most artistic,
the music pretty and catchy. the
lines exceedingly clever and amusing
Il laughed until cried and nearly
coughed myself sick CThe fiu left me
with that awful cough Yes. every
one know ard some never saw
before suggests a cough medicine to
me every time I cough I did not
know there wefS SO many cough
remedies on the market before). The
costumes were lovely. handsome and
effective and every single actor was
good in his part I couldn't tell you,
to save me. whom thought was the
best in 1t. John Jacob Topey" trealiy
Russell Forgan. Class 2 1872, you
know) was fine; there wasn't any
thing he couldn't do-dance, sing (the
girl In the audience next to me said
she just adored-accent on adored-
ms voice. and act He did 1t all so
easily and naturally.
PRINCETON DRAMA
CLUB HISTORY.
Walter Folmer as "Namonia," the
Vampish and sophisticated and very
much undressed daughter of the Mu-
rad OF Hurshibar was great, But so
they all were and / haven't time to
tell about them ALL One of the chorus
girls, ellison Gray. made a tre-
nendous hit, chiefly because OF her.
mean his fascinating smile. Incl
oentally he was sending all sorts of
smiles and mods to Lindsay Wood
usnt she iovelyD sitting behind me.
AND Ruth ODinnis who copied the
famous dancer his name suggests wa $
splendid. He initiated her well in
deed But I must stop raying for
tnere is so much to tell you about
repeat. 1 never enjoyed a musical
comedy more and / can't stop mar
Yelling at the thought that every de-
lSll OF that show scenery, clothes.
plot music. dialogue, orcnestr.
everything was done entirely bv col
lege boys. Think of the amount of
real talent there must be in one
college. ohe
Ever since the organization of
the Princeton Dramatic Climb. in
iss2, as a pioneer among college
tneatrical clubs, dramatics AZ
princeton have been deyelopIn o
steadily to meet the changing re,
qulrements of <tme. UNDERGRADUATE
thespians directed their first efforts
toward the production of such clas-
slcs as She Stoops to CONQUER
ana Rivals" While this endeayor
furnished ample opportunity for
AMBITIOUS actors, it presented a
restricted field for creative talent
Consequently, in 1891, the work of
the club was extended to include
playwrighting. Booth Harrington,
S5. president of the club at that
time. was instrumental in this
change and it was through his ef-
forts. seconded by J. W. Mayhem,
'92. that the Princeton Triangle Club
was formed, as a natural outgrowth
of the parent organization. Carry-
ing out the desires of its founders.
the club is dedicated to the pro-
duction Of musical plays which will
give a reliable reflection of the life
in Princeton.
the production came the need FOR
an orchestra, so that the club was
reinforced by the services of paid
musicians. This acquisition, how
ever, resulted in an indifferent COM
bination of amateur and profess
sional talent. with the result that
in 1895 the Mandolin Club was re-
cruited to assist in the production.
1t was only a matter of time, then,
until a student orchestra was added
to the personnel.
For the first seventeen years the
efforts of the club were confined to
local performances. but in 1898 per-
mission was obtained for Trenton
ond Morristown showings. This de-
parture from precedent was the
forerunner of the elaborate schedule
of performances which developed
steadily.
As was only natural in the case
of rapid development. the plans
grew so fast under the guidance
of ambitious managers as eventu-
ally to overreach the goal. On this
account. the work of the past few
years has been the search for a
happy medium and a general sta
bilizing OF the production. The
present management believes that
this seasons Itinerary accomplishes
this end. in that the Christmas trip
was restricted to nine cities. That
was a Western tour. Every other
consideration is subservient to the
one purpose: play well in every
city"
At the same time. The Isle of
Surprise" prohted by the lesson
learned from last seasons produc-
tion, Every element Of profession
alism has been abolished. under
sraduste efforts being solely re-
iponsible for each performance.
Whether this innovation in college
plays is to the best interests of
the club is a question. The en-
swer lies in the success Of The
Isle Of Surprise"