Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-24
U. OF N. MASQUE Play,
II COUPLE Of MILLION, y IS
4 winning presentation

u USNuvuVU ] uIkOIU MUM
Clever impersonations were the out
standing features Of the play "A
Couple OF Million which was present.
ed Saturday evening At City hall by
the members Of the Maine Masque, the
University OF Maine dramatic club.
All OF the parts were taken by men
and there were some fine looking "la-
dies in the play. in spite Of this.
The play Is farce comedy and deals
with the efforts Of Bemis Bennington
to fulfill the stipulations Of the viii Of
his uncle. who left him over two mil
lions under the conditions that he
should b. married within six months
and should have earned $4,000. in 4
town OF less than 5000 Inhabitants.
within a year. II he failed to fulnlI
these conditions the money was to 60
to a friend Of his uncle, Prof. Noah
Jabb. half Of the money to be for tho
use OK the professor and the other half
to be used for the benefit of a college
In which Prof. Jabb was interested.
Bemis becomes acquainted with Fay
Fairbanks after he has mistaken Mrs.
Clarice Courtney for her and has ar
ranged that she shall think him a
crook. Miss Fairbanks gets interested
IN him and still thinking that he is a
crook she becomes sentimental about
one 80 young who must pay for his
crime with his life. Bemis makes a
resolution to try his luck in her home
town. Opaloopa. which he found to be
town of less than 5000 Inhabitants.
He goes to that town and starts a
street car line there, but when he has
it nearly finished the professor gets in
some good work and puts a crowbar
In the cogs." Bennington loes the Job
Of manager. which he had expected to
pay him. the required fve thousand,
and when he finds the crook in town
and has him arrested by the sheriff,
who Is in love with Fay. She, still
thinking that Bemis Is the crook, asks
the sheriff to release him and in this
way that Ave thousand goes glimmer-
ing.
Bemis' lawyer takes part then by
falling in love with the widow, Mrs.
Clarice Courtney, and after he has
been accepted and Is to talxe charge Of
her interests in the electric car line he
announces that Bemis is to be the new
manager. Mrs. Courtney at first will
not listen to this as she had wanted to
marry Bemis and he had earned her
enmity by not reciprocating her affec-
tions. In the end she agrees and then
IL Is found that Bemis and Fay had
been married some time before to meet
tho requirements Of the will which
stlpulates that he shall be married
within six months.
The characters in the play were
quite varied and they were we'll han
dlel by the U. Of NJ. boys. Bemis was
a likeable chap with large determi.
nation and incidentally a more or less
romantic disposition. Fay Fairbanks
was a beautiful lady with a great
faith in mankind. Professor Jabb was
n lion in sleeps clothing, masquerade
ing as benevolent professor. James
Patrick Burns. otherwise "Stubby," Is
loyal to Bemis at all times and accom-.
panies him on his adventures. finally
falling for" the little country girl
Sammie Bell Porter girl Of the an.
gular age. Squire Parker and Pink
one all white, the other all black, were
a great contrast. The sheriff was one
Of those slow-going men such as we
ordinarily think Of as q mountaineer
His part was extremely we'll taken by
Jacob Horne Genevieve McGully was
a scream as a sentimental stenog.
rapher. Every time "she" walked
across the stage the audience would
rock with laughter.
After the curtain went down on the
last act Of the play the members OF
the cast appeared again on the stage
and concluded the performance with
one OF their college songs.
The hall was then quickly cleared OF
seats and the remainder Of tho evening
was passed with dancing, the music
being furnished by Douglass orches.
ira.
This most successful affair was
given under the auspices, Of the Au-
gusta Radio Club and much Of the sue.
cess Of the evening is due to Frank
Condor and George Clarke and other
members OF the club who worked LONG
and hard to put 1t over.
The cast OF characters was as fol
lows:
Hon. Jeremy Wise. Merle Niles
James Patrick Burns "Stubby,"
Stanley Hanson
Genevieve McGully, Charles Burbank
Professor Noah Jabb, Herbert Fifield
Bemis Bennington.
Earl Whittmore
Mrs. Clarice Courtney. Bryant Patten
Fay Fairbanks, Kenneth MacGregory
Beverly Loman, Jacob Horne
Squire Piper. Dwight Demerritt
Pink. George Stackpole