The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1921-04-14
SYLVIA" DRAWS
SPLENDID CROWD
Operetta Given in Community Build
ing Friday Evening Makes
Decided Hit
MISS NEpsTAD IN TITULAR ROLE
Pupils Assisted in Presentation by
Local Talent

Pupils Assisted in Presentation by
Local Talent
The school authorities evidently
failed to bribe the weather man last
Friday evening, for the near-blizzard
that ragged made it almost impossible
for any but the citizens Of Oakes to
for any but the citizens of Oakes to
attend the performance of the oper-
eta, Sylvia" In spite of the handi-
cap of the weather over 300 people
gathered in the newly-encloscd COM
munity building to enjoy the musical
comedy. Three stoves set up tempo
rarily kept the hall reasonably COM
Portable.
The high school orchestra tuned up
the crowd by playing several numbers
before the curtain went up, and kept
the audience in pitch between acts.
The combination of violin, clarinet,
saxophone, piano and drums, played
respectively by Warren Ferber, Clar-
ence Jacobs, Albert Schmit, Miss
Thomas and Eldred Armstrong, prov
ed very effective, as was demonstrat-
ed by the hearty applause their num-
bers drew from the auditors.
During the early moments Of the
operetta the front door Of the build
ing seemed determined to take lead-
ing part in the music. It had besn
hidden behind George Tuthlrs big
separator canvas, under which the
spectators had to tunnel their way to
get into the auditorium, but il svi-
IDENTIFY did not intend to be crowded
out Of the limelight in such per-
emptory fashion, and Joined in with
the music with a constant squawk that
was both out Of time and tune until
j. w. Bush silenced it with dose Of
castor oil, or whatever it is that he
applies to the Fords he sells to make
them run quietly.
The operetta itself went of smooth
ly, and gave evidence of the weeks Of
training put in by the glee clubs and
soloists in memorizing the songs and
spoken parts. The directress, Miss
Edith Even, musical instructor in the
city schools, deserves great credit for
the success of the performance.
Frances Nepstad in the titular role
of Sylvia not only sang her soprano
parts effectively, but by appearance
and actions would have graced any
court or potato patch. Ruth De La
Hunt as Betty, the farm lass, furnish
ed most effective answer to the
question of the late popular song,
"How are you going to keep 'em down
on the FARM" If every farm pro-
vided such an attraction, the query
would be how to keep 'em away.
Glenn Dill, in the part of De Lacey,
the court poet, and in the garb of the
eighteenth century courtier and the
twentieth century chorus girl, gushed
most admirably. J. C. Gould, as the
farmer, William, while decidedly lack
ing in the grace that characterized De
Lacey, at least gave the men of Oakes
a few ideas along the line of handling
the ladies in the good old treat -'em-
rough cave-man style.
Arne Melby, playing the part of the
conceited Prince Tobbytum, kept the
crowd in roar of laughter whenever
uC appC1LCu Oi GIIC oCdSS. lAC was
ably seconded by Mabel Savold and
Carrie Dill, as the ladies Arabella
and Araminta, and by the farm maid
ems Polly, Molly and Dolly, played by
Bernice Reko, Alice Root and Hazel
Taylor.
The girls of the glee clubs made
most attractive farm maidens, with
their sunbonnets and dainty gowns.
The boys were costumed in a manner
that would have doubled up any real,
honest-to-goodness farmer with laugh
ter, with their many-colored patches,
huge freckles, assorted hats, missing
teeth, and tufts of hay and straw scat
tered promiscuously over their per-
sons.
Photographer Birk took couple of
flashlights of the cast after the per-
formance, to preserve for posterity a
clearer memory Of the aggregation.
I, The receipts were held down con-
siderably by the weather, running
slightly over $4,000. The expenses
of such a performance are unavoid-
ably heavy, amounting in the case Of
"Sylvia" to about $4,000. The bal
ance of the proceeds go to the music
department of the city schools.