The New York herald., 1922-05-04
Mask and Wig Club
Players Brilliant
IN Tell Tales
Pennsylvania University Anna
teurs Present Lively Mu-
steal Comedy Here.

The metropolitan Opera House was
an admirable place last night for the
single presentation in this city of the
thirty-fourth annual production of the
Mask and Wig Club OF the University
OF Pennsylvania. entitled TELL Tales" +"
which was so altogether praiseworthy
that II elicited enthusiasm even from
graduate of the chief collegiate rival OF
Pennsylvania
The big house offered proper scope for
this pictorial extravaganza on the opera
William Tell" which was conceived on
the spaciously ambitious lines of the
Alps forming it's background And it
was more lustrous and moved with more
admirable precision than Swiss watch.
The ensembles in their grouping and
costuming were exceptionally brilliant
, picturesque and varied giving enticing
glimpses of the land OF milk chocolate.
The vivid members of the chorus were
truly remarkab BILE. causing one to gasp
at the exactness and yet seeming. aban-
don with which they danced. No snake
dances after football victory could be
more impressive and vivacious
Chorus "GirIs" Graceful.
Ordinarily amateur productions pre-
e,He eHNAi WCdNCot punt III tilt ffldtt6T
OF the chorus frequently being filed up.
even in the case Of the girls" with
noted athletes who when they dance
look as If they were still training for
their teams. Last night IL there were
any athletes in the chorus they kept
quiet about IL and danced better than If
they had been paid for 1t. The girls"
especially the ponies. danced with a
grace that professional coryphees could
Irrlo &C Av,xr cte - Al
that crowded the house must have been
surprised that so much talent resided
in their families.
The settings were lavish and tasteful
and looked as IL they belonged" on the
operate stage The book, by Charles S.
Morgan, was suitably simple and engag-
ing. concerning the defiance of Wilidnt
Tell. Jr, toward Gessler, tyrrancal
landlord and bailiff of the Swiss prov
1nce of Uri, which, of course, wouldn't
have been complete in the operetta
fashion If William hadn't fallen in love
with Gessler's daughter Tessa when she
runs away.
None of this was taken seriously and
every one had a hand in the general
spoofing which. in the refreshing man.
ner of youthful undergraduates. stopped
at nothing-not even at travestying the
movies. This burlesque was one of the
&'fo'S diiuSiiiS iHtcTiuQeS introducing
all the male stars in striking dances and
winding up with Rudolph Vaseli,io. An
ingenious trick was employed when
Tell, having inherited his fathers skill
with bow and arrow. shot an apple in
half on the herone's head and then shot
her father in the chest-a mere trifle
which father the next moment dismissd
as OF small consequence.
ssDOgxOne Ouera Rlues,,
The Doggone Opera Blues" enlisting
the chorus and the glee club in a most
entertaining travesty on famous opera
airs, was speciality that got reception
reaching clear to the roof. THE King
of the Bow and Arrow my Ever Low
ing Man." Say 1t with Dancing" "The
Toy Quadrille" and THE Pogo Stick
Dance stood out among the eighteen
original musical numbers which Charles
S. Gilpin composed.
Ben s. McGilvern played the hero with
a great deal of good voice and good
looks. j. III. Hoff as Tcssd in his blond
makeup looked very much like Marion
Davies until he opened his llps--and
even then the sounds issuing forth were
not unpleasing.
Others who distinguished themselves
were B. B. Brouse as GTfDtdldo. ,astrol-
ger; E. Z. Kane and p. B. Hartenstein
as Nina and Tina. village girls. II. b.
De Vinney as Stefan. Swiss serenader;
II. l.. Curtis as Petroid. Tessa's maid
M. Nj. Coward as Gessicr; Rex Wray. J.
H. Protero. Jr.. NJ. A. Johnson and w.
r. Clarke. Jr., as Eenic. Meonie. Minie
and No, GessIer's bodyguard. anc C. B.
Melchor as Gabriel the town crier. Ten
New York boys included in tho large
cast of over 100 were ]. NJ Coward. w.
II. Clark. Jr.. II. w. Walker. Charles
D. Connell. n. w. Brown. c. NJ. "
Killen. Jr.. Harry e. Ford Thomas
Hyatt. Robert ID. Hamilton and NJ. f.
NInnre-