The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-08-18
COMMUNITY CLUBS
ENTERTAINMENT
The Dickens Entertainment and Dance
A Great Success.

thAt the repetition on august lith o.
the successful Dickens entertainment
given al the Court House on April 81
would likewise succeed, but the heigh
Of optimism on the part Of those who
did the planning and work was ex
ceeded by the results. Almost 50C
people attended the entertainment anC
for those who did not stay for ths
dance an equal number came for that
alone.
Among the actors were two who are
not members Of the Community Club
Mrs. Clark Burnham, who most admir-.
ably and delightfully."- took the part u
the discursive Mrs. Nickleby, and
George Gillette who played Uncle Sam
in the Wax Works. The Club thanks
them and congratulates itself that
Mrs. Lee, who gave such fine per
formance in that part in April was 50
worthily represented.
The Misses Helen Bowen and MIL
ldred Dooley well earned all the
hearty praise accorded them: as Sairy
Camp and Betsy Prig they brought
back to Dickens lovers vivid recol-
lection Of that bibulous and sordid pair
Of friends. The inaptitude Of the
name Manchester impresses itself in
an effort to give any sort Of dramatic
performance in the summer, but Miss
Dooley, in the absence Of Principal w.
W. Lee, impersonated very cleverly
"The Gentleman in small clothes" in
"Nicholas Nickleby" and Miss Bowen
took the part of Mr.. Brumble in the
scene from Oliver Twist Both Mr..
Brumble and Mrs. Corney, Mrs. G. S.
Bennett, acted the love scene with
fine spontaneity and noticeable lack
of embarrassment, to the delight Of the
audience.
"The pleasure that's missed is al
ways a pain" so we sympathize with
the many who said they missed the
scene at the Blue Boar Inn from
"Pickwick Papers" where Walter X.
Hard and Madison c. Bates as Sam
and Tony Weller and Mrs. W. X. Hard
as barmaid made the old court house
resound with laughter last April.
Mrs. Malone very generously gave
I'd an out of town visit to take the
part of Mrs. farley in "Old Curiosity
Shop" which Mrs. c. l.. Randall was
unable to reassume. Mrs. farley put
on her exhibition tone" and acquainted
the audience with her "life size fig
ures," with Little Nell, Pauline Mar
tin, and Jasper, Walter Mcclure, who
assister her and with Babbie, Miss
Kilda Vachon, the musician Of her
caravan who played an appropriate
accompaniment on the concertina to
the dancing Of the old lady who died
of dancing at 1872, Mrs. Mary Z. Rob
bins; to the singing Of Jenny Lind,
Mrs. Harry C. Beebe, and to the Yam
kee Doodle whistled by "Uncle San"
George Gillette. Miss Vachon also
played before the curtain was raised
and we thank her very sincerely for
only occasional use Of such classical
instrument is hard on the thumb.
The Maid Of Honor who pricked
her finger because she sewed on Sun
day, Mrs. A. C. 0rvis; Quilp, Arr A.
Brownson; The Chinese Giant, r E..
Way; and the Giggling Girl, Mrs.
Geo. F. Lawrence, were all as fine and
clever in their parts as they were four
months ago, and Mrs. Emma B. Cush-
man who took Mrs. E. c. Perkins
part Of Betsey Trotwood, David Cop
perfeld's aunt, was wonderfully per-
feet in her impersonation. at was a
good show" we thank Mrs. farley and
her "unrivalled wax works" The
parts taken by the figures were
short but, like Kate Nickleby, Mrs.
Arr Brownson, they made them tell.
Before Mrs. farley said good night
she announced that several Of Dickens
numerous family were present and
there passed in review across the
stage, Barnaby Rudge, John j.
Gunther, Jr., most fantastically attir-
ed in character, with his raven on his
shoulder popping corks and bidding
"Polly put the kettle on" etc. Mas
ter Gunther did his part well and must
have been especially appreciated by
those who remembered their "Barnaby
Rudge." Following Barnaby was
that charming character from the
same book, Dolly Warden, Harriet
Noyes, who prettily eourtesied as she
tripped across the stage. Next came
Mrs. Kenwigs, Mrs. Macnaughtan,
with the four little Kenwigses, who
played ushers during the evening, the
Misses Celia Graves, Marjorie Pierce,
Gertrude Dyer and Helen Brewster
took the parts. They assured their
ma in chorus that they would never
act proud even tho she had engaged q
,ri,-..a master Nihcolas Nickieby, 70 1