Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-06
The Story Of Carol Kennicott
By Sinclair Lewis

months older than l am, but I don't
know as l care to have everybody
noticing it and
Carol pleaded, "Oh, my dear! You
two look exactly the same age. I chose
you because you have such a darling
complexion. n you know with pow
der and a white wig, anybody looks
twice her age, n l want the moth
er to be sweet, no matter who else
is"
Ella Stowbody. the professional,
~perceiving that it was because of a
conspiracy of, jealousy hat she had
been given a small part, a%Eternated
between lofty amusement and Chris
tan patience.
Carol limited that the play would
be improved by cutting. but as every
actor except Vida and Guy and her
self walled at the loss of a single line,
she was defeated. She told herself
that, after all, a great deal could be
done with direction and settings.
Sam Clark had boastfu.ly written
about the dramatic association to his
schoolmate, Percy Bresnahan, presi-
dent of the Velvet Motor company of
Boston. Bresnahan: sent a check for
a hundred dollars; Sam added twenty
live and brought the fund to Carol,
fondly crying. There! That'l1 give
you a start for putting the thing
across swell!",
h rented the second floor of the
city hall for two months. All through
the spring the association thrilled to
its W talent in that dismal room.
They cleared out the bunting ballot
boxes. handbills, legless chairs. They
attacked the stage. 1t was a simple
MINDED stage. 1t was raised above
the floor, and itsdid have a movable
curtain, painted with the advertise
ment OF a druggist dead these ten
years, but otherwise it might not have
been recognized as a stage. There
were two dressing-rooms, one for
men, n for women, on either side.
Inc dressng-room doors were also
n stage-entrance, opening from the
mouse, and many a citizen of Gopher
Prairie had for his first glimpse of ro-
4 nance the bare shoulders Of the lead
ing woman.
Ther were three sets of scenery: a
woodland. a Poor Interior, and a Ricl,
interior, the last also useful for rail
way stations, offices. and as a back
ground for the Swedish ouartette
from Chicago. There were three rra
dations of lighting: full on, half or
and entirely. off.
rms was the only theater in Goph
er frairie. 1t was known as the
"op'ra house." Once, ,stro,line com
panies had used it for performance
of The Two Orphans" and Nellie
me Beautiful Cloak Model" and
"Othello" with specialties between
acts put now the notion pictures had
ousted the gypsy drama. 49,
carol intended to be furiously mod :
ern IN constructing the office-set tho
drawing-room for Mr.. GRIMM IVY s
the Humble Home neal Kankakee H.
was the first time that any one IN
= Gopher Prairie had been SO ravo,1i
! tlonary as to use enclosed scenes With
continuous sidewalks. The ROOMS -
n opra house sets had senara+ad
Wing-pieces for sides. which s;mn.i1
1ied dramaturgy. as the villain could
always get out Of the hero's wav hu
U through the wall.
n Inhabitants of the Humble
a,o,ne were supposed to be amiabls
anu inte.ilgent. Carol planned for
them a simple set with warn ooIon
She could see, the beginning 81 r', .p:
a all dark saw the high sa,t,as
and the solid wooden table hetuaas
tneI1' which We're Ito be illuminated
Dy a ray from off-stage. The 49,.
llght was a polished copper NOT f;i ,,sl,
with prtmroses. Less clearlv -
sketcned the Grimm drawinr.ronn.
as a series of cool high white archas
AZ 70 now she was to produce thas"
enects she had no notion. 'neee
She discovered that. desni+a.
thusiasttc young writers. the as en-
was not hat 50 native and c,osama
sne SOL as motor cars and telephones
She discovered that simple arts na
quire sophisticated training She d re-
e that to produce one nereas.
stage-ptcture would be as ,aif n,,i. y.
to turn all of Gopher Prair;a y
a Georgian Tarden. INTO
n read all she could find ra.,.
ing staging; she bought naintnuu
hgnt wood; she borrowed ~. ano
and drapes unscrupulous,v. h,nsture
ioed with the prob EN- OF liebt Io
Against the protest Of Kenntcnt.. I.ng,
Vada she mortgaged the assna;. nc
by sending to Minneapolis for ! h happn
spotiight. a. strip light, a dimmir oapy
wee. ana Tue and amber h,iihs. ue,
with b gloating rapture ~ ana
painter first turned loose amona ooEn
ors, she spent absorbed evnuk col
GROUPING. dimming-paintinr N
lights. E with
only~kennicott, Gny and Vida II.
ed her. They ~speculated as - nslp.
flats could be dashed togsther !. 2 nov
q wall: they hung crocu,-vei,o.u iorm
fains at \ windows; they q. Sur.
the si1eet7tron stoye; They mt ea
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