The New York herald., 1921-04-13
Mask and Wig Club
Has Much Fun in
Somebody's Lion"
University Of Pennsylvania
Actors Present Amusing
Play in Metropolitan

Historic dignity that has character
ized previous proceedings In the Metro
politan Opera House since last Novem-
ber received jolly Jolt when the mer-
rymakers OF The Mask and Wig Club
OF the University OF Pennsylvania ar
New York alumni and large addi-
tional public besides with It's thirty
third annual production. called Some
body's Lion" The audience that Allied
the opera house went with memories OF
last years show. ''Don Quixote. ESQ.,"
as one of the best offerings the college
players ever brought to this city. but
went home convinced that the Mask and
Wig Club had maintained its best tradi-
t!ons as funmakers.
Somebody's Lion" subcaptioned "A
nautical tail In two knots" Is the re-
suit Of the collaboration OF T.. NJ. Lavino
as to book and plot and Charles Gilpin
as to music and is under the direction OF
Charles s. Morgan, Jr. That tria, with
w. A. Anderson and E. H. Rogers OF the
committee. deserve all the congratula-
tions they received.
Mr.. Lavino went to the South Sea
islands for new josh plot and found
1t. Somebody's Lion concerns the ex
traordinery doings or Mr. and Mrs.
Weak Fish on board their steam yacht.
Fish Tails, in the first ''lSnot" and on
an uncharted South Sea island In the
second. Mrs. Fish's beautiful daughter
by her first marriage. Nanine tand G.
F. Crane. '23. IN his stunning frock of
modish length. blonde curls and white
picture hat Is fair to look upon) loves
plain John Smith (H. b. De Vinny. VIII.
Spec.), the wireless operator aboard the
yacht. but her mother would have her
marry Alexis (Gazzam Mackensie. '23).
supposedly a Russian Grand Duke
freshly escaped from the clutches Of Ben
zine. the revolutionary leader. but. in
eality fresh from Greenwich Village
cabaret with his sister Iva Koffski IL.
=. McEvoy. '23). John and Nanine
elope In a punt to the uncharted island.
where she finds in the Rev. Andrew
Clees (T II. Ehmann, '21). Gagged and
being fattened FOR soup. her long lost
father.
It was In the second "knot" that the
lion CIV. r. Clark, Jr., 'z3). the star OF
the piece. was introduced. The Rev.
Andrew Clees had won the friendship
or the lion by extracting the beasts
aching tooth and their devotion. shame
less parody on Bernard Shaw that It
was. was one OF the funniest acts even
professional Broadway has seen In
many a season. Unfortunately for q
larger and non-graduate New York pub
lie the Penn players can give only one
performance here. as they will have
to pack up to-day and go to Whining
ton. where they are booked to appear
tonight.
With nineteen ensembles and dancing
and chorus numbers, cast OF sixty
undergraduates and an orchestra the
club brought from Philadelphia, Some
body's Lion" did not have a slow mo-
ment The settings we're excellent and
substantial The yacht looked like a
real craft. The costuming was even
better than some professional standards.
The music was full OF snap and rhythm.
but 1t was in the dancing that this
years Mask and Wig players excel.
The fourteen principals in the cast we're
uniformly excellent, but special credit
for versatility must 20 to Mr.. Clark. He
not only starred as the lion but had a
clever solo dance in a Russian ballet
number and stood out again In cabaret
scene.
Following the performance a recep-
tion was given for the members OF the
cast, chorus and producing committee by
the University OF Pennsylvania Club OF
New York, through the hospitality OF
William Guggenheim. at hts home. s33
Fifth avenue. Among the New York
alumni present were Judge Galbraith
Ward. u. S. Circuit Court of Appeals:
William A. Redding George w. Wicker
sham, former United States Attorney
General: S. Mallot Provost. Perclval
Hill. w. L. Saunders. II. b. Well. Milton
w. Upper. c. s.. Reinhart, DR.. Tracy.
H. 3. Mingle, DR.. Morris, Luther Martin.
DR.. w. Barry. Milton v. Snyder and
DR.. j. w. Hobby.