The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1920-05-19
GROWN-UPS RETURN
To. CHILDHOOD DAYS
Plays of University Elemen-
tary School Students Score
a Decided Hit.
WORK WAS SMOOTH
Scenes Unfolded Without a
Hitch-Surpassed Older
Ones Performances.

Backward. turn backward, O Time
in thy flight,
And make me child again Just fof
tonight"
The poets prayer was granted to
the Grownups" who witnessed the
production of "Once Upon a Time"
by the children of the University
Elementary School in the University
auditorium last night. Before the
first scene was disclosed, the audience
was remembering that doll with the
broken arm and all the attendant
joys and sorrows of childhood.
At a particularly loud clap of thun-
der and a fearful flash of tightening.
it was not the children but the par
ents who crowded closer in their
seats. The entertainment was one
for children and by children, and
there was not a real grown-up in the
place. The audience soon forget to
remark upon the 'icunningness" of
Bobby or Mary to enter into the ter
ror of Goldilocks and Little Black
Sambo, to sympathize with Snow
White and to be bewitched by the
fairies and goblins that stalked the
boards.
AS to the story book which formed
the setting for the various scenes un-
folded. Grim and Anderson once
more became the leading lights of all
while men and women |
bowed homage to Mother Goose.
The stage managing and much of
forts of University talent that has
Columbia with more modern
The naturalness and
freedom from restraint of the little
players lent charm and simplicity
o the entire performance that is sad
y lacking in more ambitious pro-
luctions
Frank Hedriek Stars.
Little Frank Hedrick scored the un-
loubted hit of the evening as "Sam-
70" with his dancing of southern
plantation "shimmy" and his earnest
leading with the wicked tiger. The
aires and fireflies disporting them
elves around the sleeping forms of :
fansel and Gretel were an embodie-
nent Of childish grace. while the
Singing Top" (Katherine Freden-
alb and the "Paris Dolls" dorothy
'yles and W1nifred Ross) danced
heir way into the hearts of the. au-
ience and stayed there. 1t
Not until the last song when the en- ,
ire school had flocked about the Pied {
'iper of Hamlin Town to the tune of
he magic piping did the audience '
ONE back from the world of make S
elieve to that of stern realities. a
The little scene shifting necessary I
Tas done by girls, who performed the G
ervice gracefully enough to dispense 7
18th the lowering of the curtain and I
ispelling of the fairyland charm. The '
lea might well be adopted by the l
iodern musical comedies now in t
ogue, and would make the choruses
hereof really useful instead of mere
, d0ubtfully ornamental.
The Cast.
The fairy tales were arranged for
ie stage by Mrs. ]. L, Merriam. |.
Story teller, Anna Katherine Sykes. i
The Three Bears: Mother Bear,
irginia Persons; Father Bear. Paul
ansing; Baby Bear, William Neate;
Evelyn Shoemaker.
Nursery Toys: Jack-in-the-Box.
iary Martha Catron; Singing Top.
atherine Fredendall; Hobby Horse,
harles Balm; Tin Soldiers, Peggie
lark, A. D. Brown, Leonard Hase-
an, Joseph Haseman, Billy NOVEL;;
urse Doll, Marion Glickman. Martha
arden; Rag Doll, Herbert Wait,
oward Pyle; Ball. Sallie Barth;
en- Pins: Marjorie Baeker, Corine
arper, Helen Ball, Ruth Greenspon,